VIERSEN (DISTRICT)


'Viersen' is a Kreis (district) in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Cleves, Wesel, district-free Krefeld, Neuss, district-free Mönchengladbach, Heinsberg and the Dutch province of Limburg.

Contents
History
Geography
Coat of arms
Cities and municipalities
External links

History


In 1816, the new Prussian government created the district of ''Kempen''. Originally belonging to the Regierungsbezirk Kleve, it was dissolved in 1822, and since then has belonged to Düsseldorf. In 1929 the district was enlarged significantly and renamed to ''Kempen-Krefeld''.
In 1975 the district again changed its borders and was renamed to ''Viersen'' even though Kempen remained the capital. Viersen city replace Kempen as the capital in 1984.
Since 1983 the district has had been twinned with Cambridgeshire in England.

Geography


The district is located in the lowlands between the Rhine and the Meuse river. Highest elevation is at ''Süchtelner Höhen'' with 90.7 m, with the lowest at ''Pielbruch'' with 28.6 m.

Coat of arms


At the top of the coat of arms is the black cross of the Cologne bishops, as the district used to belong to the clerical state Cologne. The golden lion on blue ground is the symbol of the duchy of Guelders; the black lion on golden ground the symbol of the duchy of Jülich.

Cities and municipalities


district-depending municipalities
Brüggen:16.211 inhabitants
Grefrath:15.929 inhabitants
Niederkrüchten:15.457 inhabitants
Schwalmtal:19.279 inhabitants
medium district-depending cities
★  Kempen:36.323 inhabitants
Nettetal:42.434 inhabitants
Tönisvorst:30.238 inhabitants
Willich:51.939 inhabitants
large district-depending cities
Viersen:76.330 inhabitants

based on data from: 31. December 2005>

External links



Official website (German)

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