Siegen
Siegen | |
---|---|
Location of Siegen within Siegen-Wittgenstein district | |
Siegen-Wittgenstein | |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–25) | Steffen Mues[1] (CDU) |
Area | |
• Total | 114.67 km2 (44.27 sq mi) |
Elevation | 290 m (950 ft) |
Population (2021-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 101,516 |
• Density | 890/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 57072–57080 |
Dialling codes | 0271 |
Vehicle registration | SI |
Website | www.siegen.de |
Siegen (German pronunciation: [ˈziːɡn̩] ⓘ) is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.
It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region. The university town (nearly 20,000 students in the 2018–2019 winter semester) is the district seat, and is ranked as a "higher centre" in the South Westphalian urban agglomeration.
In 1975, municipal reforms and amalgamations lifted Siegen's population above the 100,000 mark.
Geography
Location
The city of Siegen lies in the basin of the upper reaches of the river
The nearest cities to Siegen, taking into account average travelling distances, are
As the crow flies the distances to these places are, however, 65 km (40 mi) (Hagen), 95 km (59 mi) (Frankfurt), 65 km (40 mi) (Koblenz) and 75 km (47 mi) (Cologne).
The city lies on the German-Dutch holiday road called the
City area
The city's total land area is roughly 115 km2 (44 sq mi). Its greatest east-west span is about 12 km (7 mi), and its greatest north-south span is about 12 km (7 mi). City limits are 48 km (30 mi) long. Siegen lies at a median elevation of 290 m (951 ft) above sea level. The city's greatest elevation is the peak of the Pfannenberg at 499 m (1,637 ft)
The city area is divided into six zones, called Bezirke in German and comparable to boroughs in some cities, which themselves are further divided into various communities (Ortsteile and Stadtteile). Each "borough" has a borough board consisting of 15 voting and 15 non-voting members who are appointed by city council with regard to each party's share of the vote in the municipal elections in the borough in question. The borough boards decide on matters particular to their respective boroughs. These matters are laid down in Siegen's city charter.
Administrative division
Siegen's six boroughs and communities belonging to each boroughs are:
- District I (Geisweid): Birlenbach, Meiswinkel, Langenholdinghausen, Geisweid, Dillnhütten, Sohlbach, Buchen, Niedersetzen, Obersetzen
- District II (Weidenau):
- District III (Ost): Kaan-Marienborn, parts of Alt-Siegen (Giersberg), Bürbach, Volnsberg, Breitenbach, Feuersbach
- District IV (Mitte): Alt-Siegen (parts not belonging to borough III or V)
- District V (West): Seelbach, Trupbach and parts of Alt-Siegen (Wellersberg, Fischbacherberg, Achenbach, Rothenberg)
- District VI (Süd): Oberschelden, Gosenbach, Niederschelden, Eiserfeld, Eisern
Along with the boroughs and communities into which the city is divided, as mandated by law, there are also further subdivisions within the communities, each with its own name, but none with distinctly clear borders. They are called Quartiere, which can be rendered as "quarters" or "neighbourhoods". Examples of these include the Unterstadt, the Oberstadt, Hammerhütte, Lindenberg, Charlottental, Haardter Berg (with the university) and the Alte Dreisbach. Some neighbourhoods even straddle community boundaries, like Sieghütte, parts of which can be found in both Siegen-Mitte and Weidenau. Moreover, some neighbourhoods even overlap each other. Unlike the boroughs (Bezirke) or communities (Ortsteile and Stadtteile), the Quartiere have no statistical or administrative importance. They do, however, serve some function as to their inhabitants' identity, but more practically than that, they are also useful for finding one's way with a city map and using in bus route names and on public notices and traffic signs. Many of the Hüttentalstraße city Autobahn's exits are also named after the Quartiere that they serve.
The communities of Weidenau, Geisweid, Birlenbach, Langenholdinghausen, Buchen, Sohlbach, Dillnhütten, Niedersetzen, Obersetzen and Meiswinkel formed from 1 July 1966 to 31 December 1974 the town of Hüttental. The communities of Eiserfeld, Eisern, Gosenbach, Niederschelden and Oberschelden formed the town of Eiserfeld between those same two dates.
Neighbouring communities
The city of Siegen borders in the north on the town of Kreuztal and the community of Wenden, in the east on the town of Netphen, in the southeast on the community of Wilnsdorf, in the south on the community of Neunkirchen, in the west on the community of Mudersbach (Altenkirchen in Rhineland-Palatinate) and in the northwest on the town of Freudenberg.
History
The name Siegen comes from the possibly Celtic river name Sieg. It is, however, unclear whether there is any relation between this name and the Celtic-Germanic Sicambri (Ger. Sugambrer) people, who in pre-Christian times lived in parts of North Rhine-Westphalia. The first documentary mention of the place called Sigena dates from 1079. The city's history is markedly shaped by mining, which locally began as far back as La Tène times. Bearing witness to this longtime industry are the many mines that can be found within city limits.
In 1224, Siegen is mentioned as a newly built town whose ownership was shared by the Count of Nassau, Heinrich the Rich, and Engelbert II of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne after the latter transferred one half of the ownership to the former. Moreover, there is proof that the Oberes Schloss ("upper stately home") was already standing at this time. On 19 October 1303, the town was granted Soester Stadtrecht, or Soest town rights. The town remained under the two overlords' joint ownership until 1 February 1381, only then passing fully into Nassau hands.
In the 16th century, the town of Siegen bore a formidable defensive look. It was surrounded by mighty walls with 16 towers and three town gates, and was home to a great castle. The town was stricken several times by townwide fires. Documents record such fires in 1592, and from 10 to 20 April 1695.
In 1536, Heinrich the Rich built a "paedagogium" in the buildings that had once housed a
His son John VIII ("The Younger") returned in 1612 to the
John Maurice's leadership served in 1650–1651 to bring about a split in the Siegerland along denominational lines. Under Wilhelm Hyacinth of Nassau-Siegen, violence broke out between the two denominational groups. When on 29 March 1707 townsman Friedrich Flender was killed, Wilhelm Hyacinth was himself unseated and furthermore driven out of the town. Wilhelm Hyacinth was the last in the line of Nassau-Siegen's Catholic rulers, dying in 1743. Already in 1734, though, the Reformed line had died out, too, with Friedrich Wilhelm's death, leading
Under Prussian rule, Siegen developed into the South Westphalian centre that it is today. On 1 March 1923, Siegen was set apart from the district bearing its name, and became a
During World War II, Siegen was repeatedly bombed by the Allies owing to a crucial railroad that crossed through the town. On 1 April 1945, the US 8th Infantry Division began the Allied ground assault against Siegen and the dominating military-significant high ground north of the river. The battle against determined German forces at Siegen continued through 2 April 1945, until organized resistance was finally overwhelmed by the division on 3 April 1945.[4]
Religion
The town of Siegen belonged in the beginning to the
The town's Catholics, even after the Reformation, still belonged to the
Besides the Roman Catholic Church, Siegen also has a
Moreover, there are various
Further religious communities in Siegen are the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the New Apostolic Church, the Jehovah's Witnesses, an Original Christianity community and Baháʼí. Moreover, owing to a great number of Turkish and Arab migrants in Siegen, the Muslim community is also very much in evidence there and there are several mosques in Siegen run by Turkish, Arab and Albanian communities. There are said to be more than 15,000 Muslims out of Siegen's total population.
Municipal reform
The following communities and rural areas have been amalgamated with Siegen:
- 1902 and 1912: parts of Buschgotthardshütten
- 1934: parts of Achenbach
- 1937: parts of Achenbach and Buschgotthardshütten
- 1966: Trupbach, Seelbach, Breitenbach, Bürbach, Kaan-Marienborn and Volnsberg
- 1969: Feuersbach
- 1974: towns of Hüttental and Eiserfeld
Population development
In 1897, Siegen had 20,000 inhabitants. By 1939, this figure had doubled to 40,000. In the World War II, the town lost roughly 30% of its inhabitants (12,000). The population had fallen to 28,000 by 1945 and only in 1952 did it once again reach prewar levels.
On 1 January 1975, Siegen's population surpassed 100,000 through the amalgamation of Hüttental (38,867 inhabitants in 1974) and Eiserfeld (22,354 inhabitants in 1974), making it a city. With 117,224 inhabitants it also at the same time reached its all-time highest population. At the end of June 2005, according to the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Data Processing and Statistics (Landesamt für Datenverarbeitung und Statistik Nordrhein-Westfalen), 105,328 people made Siegen their main abode. Since 1975, the population has fallen by roughly 10% (12,000).
The following chart shows population figures for Siegen's municipal area, however big it was at each given time. Up to 1833, most figures are estimates, and thereafter census figures (¹) or official estimates by the statistical office of the time or the town/city administration itself. The given figures indicate from 1843 the "population present in the town" (Ort Anwesende Bevölkerung), from 1925 the "dwelling population" (Wohnbevölkerung), and since 1987 the "Population in the place of main residence" (Bevölkerung am Ort der Hauptwohnung). Before 1843, population figures come from irregular surveying procedures.
|
|
|
¹ Census figure
Politics
Mayor
The current mayor of Siegen is Steffen Mues of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020 and the results were as follows:
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Steffen Mues | Christian Democratic Union | 22,807 | 57.6 | |
Ingmar Schiltz | Social Democratic Party | 6,525 | 16.5 | |
Michael Groß | Alliance 90/The Greens | 5,402 | 13.6 | |
Henning Zoz | Alternative for Germany | 3,031 | 7.7 | |
Melanie Becker | The Left | 1,847 | 4.7 | |
Valid votes | 39,612 | 98.6 | ||
Invalid votes | 555 | 1.4 | ||
Total | 40,167 | 100.0 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 80,568 | 49.9 | ||
Source: City of Siegen |
At the city's helm since the 13th century, there have been several mayors of whom evidence survives. In 1304 and 1305, a council ("consules") was mentioned for the first time. As early as 1224, however, documents mention Burgmänner ("Castle Men") as well as three Bürgermeister ("Mayors") who were changed yearly. As of 1500, only two mayors were chosen every year. In the 18th century, the
After the Second World War, the military government of the
After Siegen was reunited with the district of the same name in 1975, these two officials bore the titles Bürgermeister and Stadtdirektor respectively. In 1999, this two-headed arrangement was forsaken in favour of a single city leader, with the title Bürgermeister, who serves as chairman or chairwoman of city council, leader of city administration and city representative. The mayor is directly elected.
Mayors (Bürgermeister and Oberbürgermeister) since 1919
- 1919–1945: Alfred Fißmer, Oberbürgermeister
- 1945: Fritz Fries, Oberbürgermeister
- 1945–1946: Otto Schwarz, Oberbürgermeister
- 1946–1948: Ernst Weißelberg, Oberbürgermeister
- 1948–1956: Ernst Bach, Oberbürgermeister
- 1956–1961: Erich Pachnicke, Oberbürgermeister
- 1961–1966: Karl Eckmann, Oberbürgermeister
- 1966–1975: Karl Althaus, Oberbürgermeister
- 1975–1979: Friedemann Keßler, Bürgermeister
- 1979–1990: Hans Reinhardt, Bürgermeister
- 1990–1994: Hilde Fiedler, Bürgermeisterin
- 1994–1999: Karl Wilhelm Kirchhöfer, Bürgermeister
- 1999–2007: Ulf Stötzel (CDU), Bürgermeister
- 2007–today: Steffen Mues (CDU), Bürgermeister
Stadtdirektoren and Oberstadtdirektoren 1946–1999
- 1946–1954: Max Baumann, Oberstadtdirektor
- 1954–1975: Kurt Seibt, Oberstadtdirektor
- 1975–1985: Hans Mohn, Stadtdirektor
- 1985–1989: Volker Oerter, Stadtdirektor
- 1989–1995: Otto-Werner Rappold, Stadtdirektor (left office early with effect on 2 December 1995 by his own wish)
- 1995–1999: Ulrich Mock, Stadtdirektor (at first as Dr. Rappold's General Agentuntil 31 January 1997, then appointed fulltime Stadtdirektor)
City council
The Siegen city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
Party | Votes | % | +/- | Seats | +/- | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 12,366 | 31.3 | 3.3 | 22 | 1 | |
Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 8,582 | 21.7 | 7.1 | 15 | 4 | |
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 6,704 | 17.0 | 5.4 | 12 | 4 | |
Independent Voters' Association (UWG) | 3,172 | 8.0 | 0.2 | 6 | 1 | |
Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 2,877 | 6.3 | 2.5 | 5 | 2 | |
Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 2,481 | 6.3 | 0.3 | 4 | ±0 | |
The Left (Die Linke) | 2,000 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 4 | ±0 | |
Volt Germany (Volt) | 1,187 | 3.0 | New | 2 | New | |
Independent Bach | 171 | 0.4 | New | 0 | New | |
Independent Schulte | 15 | 0.0 | New | 0 | New | |
Valid votes | 39,555 | 98.6 | ||||
Invalid votes | 553 | 1.4 | ||||
Total | 40,108 | 100.0 | 70 | 4 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 80,568 | 49.8 | ||||
Source: City of Siegen |
Year | CDU | SPD | Grüne | UWG | AfD | FDP | Linke | Volt | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 22 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | 70 |
2014 | 23 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | – | – | 66 |
2009[5] | 25 | 18 | 9 | 4 | – | 8 | 4 | 2 | 70 | |
2004[6] | 25 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | – | 1 | 62 |
Coat of arms
Siegen's civic coat of arms might be described thus: Argent a town wall embattled gules with an open gateway argent, therein in an inescutcheon azure a lion rampant Or armed and langued gules, issuant from the wall a bishop in robe and mitre azure (trimmed in argent) holding in his hand dexter a crozier argent with crook Or sinister, in his hand sinister, upraised, an open book argent with pages edged gules.
The bishop in the city's arms is the Bishop of Cologne. The wall symbolizes the city itself, and the inescutcheon in the gateway shows the Lion of Nassau in blue and gold (or yellow), which are Nassau's colours. The arms are based on the oldest known town seal, from 1248. The inescutcheon once also had gold billets (upright rectangles) around the lion, but these do not appear in what became the town's (and later city's) coat of arms in 1875.[1]
Sights
Although the town was about 80% destroyed in the World War II, Siegen has kept a number of buildings worth seeing, such as the two stately homes, the Oberes Schloss and the Unteres Schloss.
Oberes Schloss
The castle on the Siegberg was first mentioned in a document in 1259 and was the family seat of the House of Nassau. Since 1905, the Siegerland Museum has been here. Alongside regional exhibits – among them an artificial demonstration mine – are many paintings. The centrepiece of this collection is made up of works by the man who is arguably the best known native, Peter Paul Rubens. There is also quite a comprehensive collection of portraits of members of the Houses of Nassau and Orange. The top floor is devoted to 19th-century home décor. A kitchen from the Siegerland, a bedroom and many pieces of furniture from the Biedermeier era give one an impression of life in the region in bygone days.
Unteres Schloss
Late in the 17th century, the Lower Stately Home came into being in its current form, somewhat like an open rectangle. The Protestant line of the House of Nassau-Siegen resided here. Also belonging to the Schloss is the "Dicker Turm", or "Fat Tower" with a carillon. In 1959, the then town of Siegen built a memorial for victims of war and tyranny. Inside the Schloss is also found the crypt of the Evangelical branch of the Nassau princely house.
Today, the Schloss serves as a state authority building in which the North Rhine-Westphalia Building and Property Establishment, the State Environment Office, the Office for Occupational Health and Safety and the Attendorn Correctional Facility (Siegen Branch Facility) are all housed. By the city's plans, a university is supposed to move into the Unteres Schloss within the next few years, but at this time, the plan is failing to find any financial backing.
Churches
Two churches in downtown Siegen are to be brought to the visitor's attention: The Martinikirche dating from the 11th century and the Nikolaikirche at the marketplace with its unusual eight-sided shape and its golden Krönchen ("coronet") – the city's landmark – on the church tower, which is a prominent feature of Siegen's skyline (Siegen is sometimes called Krönchenstadt for this unusual feature). Another church is the Marienkirche, built by the Jesuits between 1702 and 1729. Also worth seeing are Siegen's Old Town and several museums in the city core.
Gasometer
In the southwest of the city core, at the foot of the Ziegenberg, is a spherical gas holder, or
Cemeteries
Within Siegen's city limits are 36 municipally run cemeteries. Ten of them are already closed and are available for burials only because of existing laws. The cemeteries have a total area of 730 000 m² with roughly 65,000 graves. Characteristic of regional cemeteries are hillside graves and a green, parklike layout that even affords wildlife a chance at reoccupying the land.
Cemeteries within city limits are:
- Lindenbergfriedhof
- Hermelsbacher Friedhof
- Stockfriedhof
- Geisweider Friedhof
- Haardter Friedhof
- Gilbergfriedhof
- Friedhof Kaan-Marienborn
- Neuer Friedhof Niederschelden
Culture
Theatre
In the Apollo-Theater (a downtown former 1930s cinema that underwent remodelling and opened in mid-2007), Siegen has one of the current decade's most important newly built theatres. A controlling interest in this venture is held by TheaterSiegen intendant Magnus Reitschuster.
Since 1992, the media and cultural house Lÿz has been a venue for cabaret, music and theatre in Siegen. On the two stages, roughly 150 events appear every season.
Bigger events take place at the Bühne der Stadt ("City's Stage", with about 820 seats), the Siegerlandhalle (1 800 m², 2,300 seats) or the Bismarckhalle. As well, there are regular open-air concerts and productions in the inner yard at Unteres Schloss.
Orchestras and choirs
- Philharmonie Südwestfalen
- Evangelische Kantorei Siegen
- Bach-Chor Siegen
- Sängerkreis Siegerland
Museums
The main centre of art in Siegen are the Museum for Contemporary Art and the Haus Seel – city gallery.
The Siegerland Museum is dedicated to regional history. The Oranienstraße House, built at 1900 in the Italian country house style, is attached to the Siegerland Museum since 1993 as an exhibit forum. There is a varied program of temporary exhibitions of all kinds, from archaeological excavations to contemporary avant-garde art. Poet and author readings are also part of the program, such as classic concerts.
In Geisweid is found the Beatles Home Museum, run by Harold Krämer. According to the 2000
Regular events
- Early in the year: SILA (Siegerlandausstellung – Siegerland Exhibition), even-numbered years only
- March to November, first Saturday in each month: Flea market in Siegen-Geisweid (since 1970), no new goods
- June to August: "Mittwochs in" different bands every Wednesday in Siegen-Weidenau
- June: Johannimarkt, a fair held for some 400 years
- June/July: Siegener Sommerfestival, plays, cabaret, theatre, music and cinema since about 1990. (In 2006, instead of the traditional summer festival, a World Cup festival was held)
- July: Stadtfest (City Festival), even-numbered years only
- July: Rubensfest, odd-numbered years only
- August: Siegen Open-Air Cinema
- August: Christopher Street Day (CSD), since 2000
- August: Siegtal-Pur All streets only opened for bikes (the HTS (local Motorway) too)
- Summer: Street Festival at the Corn Market
- October: 2nd Sunday: Bürgerfest Geisweid
- November: Geisweider Adventsmarkt, since about 1985
- December: Christmas market, since about 1980
Dialect
The city and its surrounding region speak in addition to standard German also have a characteristic local dialect: Siegerländisch.
Tales and legends
The Dilldappe is an old mythical creature from the Siegerland. It lives mainly in the Siegerland Hauberg (coöperatively managed woodlots). Early in the 1980s, the writer and cartoonist Matthias Kringe first published a calendar about the creature, written in the local dialect of German.
The Rubens Prize of the City of Siegen
The Rubens Prize of the City of Siegen, founded in 1955, is awarded every five years to a painter or
Past prizewinners:
- Hans Hartung (1957/1958)
- Giorgio Morandi (1962)
- Francis Bacon(1967)
- Antoni Tàpies (1972)
- Fritz Winter (1977)
- Emil Schumacher (1982)
- Cy Twombly (1987)
- Rupprecht Geiger (1992)
- Lucian Freud (1997)
- Maria Lassnig (2002)
- Sigmar Polke (2007)
- Bridget Riley (2012)
- Niele Toroni (2017)
Sport
The city sport league includes 160 sport clubs in which roughly 37,000 members are active. National importance was achieved in 2005 by the
Transport
Air transport
In the south of the district in the community of Burbach lies the Siegerland Airport. There are no scheduled services to other German cities. The airport is mainly used for general aviation and parachuting.
Bicycle transport
The city of Siegen lies on European long-distance path E1 running from the middle of Sweden to Umbria in Italy. There is, however, no organized cycling trail network in Siegen. Riding in bus lanes is sporadically allowed. Bicycle transport is generally poorly developed in Siegen. Owing to dual carriageways within the city and nearby, as well as transport planning that rather favours cars, bicycle transport has been somewhat thwarted. Together with the partly hilly topography, there is therefore little in the way of bicycle transport in Siegen.
Rail transport
- The two-track electrified Ruhr–Sieg line (Ruhr-Sieg-Strecke) is used for regional services, usually hourly, of the Ruhr-Sieg-Express (RE 16) and the Ruhr-Sieg-Bahn (RB 91).
- The Upper Lahn Valley Railway(Obere Lahntal-Bahn).
- The two-track electrified Dill Railway (Dill-Strecke) is served, usually two-hourly, by the Rhein-Sieg-Express (RE 9) and the Main-Sieg-Express (RE 99) and hourly by the Sieg-Dill-Bahn (RB 95) (only to and from Dillenburg).
- The mostly two-track electrified Sieg line (Siegstrecke) is served, usually hourly, by the Rhein-Sieg-Express (RE 9) and Sieg-Dill-Bahn (RB 95) services (only to and from Au).
Bus transport
On 18 March 1895, the Netphener Omnibusgesellschaft opened the world's first busline using a petrol-powered omnibus, running a service from its base in Netphen to Siegen and Deuz. Today, local road transport offers many regional, express and local buses, along with a night bus service connecting Siegen with its outlying communities and neighbouring towns. They are run by the South Westphalia Transport Services (Verkehrsbetriebe Westfalen-Süd; VWS) whose headquarters are in Siegen.
For the whole of local public transport, the tariff of the South Westphalia Transport Community (Verkehrsgemeinschaft Westfalen-Süd; VGWS) applies, regardless of the North Rhine-Westphalia tariff.
Roads
With regard to long-distance roads, the city of Siegen is connected to Autobahnen A 45 (Dortmund – Aschaffenburg) and A 4 (Cologne – Olpe), and to Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) 54, 54n, 62 and 62n.
Siegen is home to the tallest bridge of the A 45 and one of the highest in Germany, the Siegtalbrücke. Built from 1964 to 1969, it is approximately 96 m high and 1 050 m long.
The shape that the city takes has much to do with the Hüttentalstraße (HTS) (Federal Highways 54n and 62n) which serves as a municipal Autobahn – much of it elevated – that runs through the city area.
The A 4 between Wenden and Kreuztal has been newly built. In the heights over Kreuztal's outlying community of Krombach, it now joins with the HTS. On this 12-kilometre stretch of highway are eight valley bridges as well as ten under- and overpasses. This new part was opened on 1 December 2007.
Economy
Siegen is South Westphalia's service and administrative centre. Much of its industry is based on metalworking.
Pedestrian precincts in Bahnhofsstraße ("Railway Station Street") and Kölner Tor ("Cologne Gate"), both downtown, have made shopping in Siegen very convenient, as have the shopping centres City-Galerie (opened in 1998) and Sieg Carré (opened in 2006, both downtown) and Siegerlandzentrum (Siegen-Weidenau), and the Marburger Straße shopping street (downtown). In 2005, an IKEA store and a Peek & Cloppenburg location opened.
Public institutions
Siegen is home to the Siegen-Wittgenstein district administration and location of a Chamber of Industry and Trade (Industrie- und Handelskammer, or IHK, one of 81 such regional institutions in Germany) for the districts of Siegen-Wittgenstein and Olpe.
Home to the Siegen State Court, a local court and a labour court, the city is also an important court centre.
Media
In Siegen, the
Daily newspapers in Siegen include not only the Siegener Zeitung but also local editions of the Westfälische Rundschau and the Westfalenpost. All three appear in the morning, although the first was until 2000 an afternoon paper. Furthermore, at the "Obergraben" is found the regional, Radio-NRW-connected Radio Siegen's studio building.
Education
In the early decades of the 17th century, the Herborn Academy temporarily relocated to Siegen, in the buildings of the Unteres Schloss, which came to an end when the Plague broke out.
Siegen's oldest school is the Gymnasium am Löhrtor, a grammar school. Other Schools:
Grammar schools
- Gymnasium am Löhrtor (GAL)
- Fürst-Johann-Moritz-Gymnasium (FJM)
- Peter-Paul-Rubens-Gymnasium, formerly known as Ganztagsgymnasium am Rosterberg
- Evangelisches Gymnasium (EV)
- Gymnasium auf der Morgenröthe (GAM)
Primary schools
- Albert Schweitzer Schule
- Birlenbacher Schule
- Burgschule
- Diesterwegschule
- Dreisbachschule
- Eiserner Schule
- Fischbacherbergschule
- Friedrich Flender Schule
- Geisweider Schule
- Giersbergschule
- Glückaufschule
- Gosenbacher Schule
- Grundschule Eiserfeld
- Grundschule Kaan-Marienborn
- Hammerhütter Schule
- Hüttentalschule
- Jung Stilling Schule
- Lindenbergschule
- Nordschule
- Obenstruthschule
- Sonnenhangschule
- Spandauer Schule
Higher education
Siegen is headquarters of the University of Siegen, founded on 1 August 1972 as the Gesamthochschule Siegen.
As well, the
Siegen also has various general-education and professional schools, and the Siegerlandkolleg.
Twin towns – sister cities
- Spandau (Berlin), Germany (1952)
- Katwijk, Netherlands (1963, formerly Rijnsburg)
- Leeds, England, United Kingdom (1966, formerly Morley)
- Emek Hefer regional council, Israel (1973)
- Ypres, Belgium (1967)
- Zakopane, Poland (1989)
- Plauen, Germany (1990)
Notable people
- Henry III of Nassau-Breda (1483–1538), Count of Nassau and Lord of Breda
- Tilemann Stella (1525–1589), Renaissance scholar and librarian, mathematician, geometerer, cartographer and astronomer
- John VII ‘the Middle’ of Nassau-Siegen (1561–1623), Count of Nassau-Siegen and military theorist
- Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Baroque painter
- Johann Heinrich Bisterfeld (1605–1655), philosopher, polyhistor
- Georg Wilhelm de Gennin (1676–1750), Russian military officer and engineer; baptized here
- Franz Hunolt (1691–1746), Jesuit, theologian
- Adolph Diesterweg (1790–1866), pedagogue and mastermind of reform education
- Heinrich Kreutz (1854–1907), astronomer and publisher
- Charles H. Daub (1855–1917), member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Fritz Busch (1890–1951), conductor
- Adolf Busch (1891–1952), German-Swiss violinist and conductor
- Walter Kraemer (1892–1941), politician (KPD) and resistance fighter against Nazism
- Paul Giesler (1895–1945), Nazi functionary, Premier of Bavaria
- Heinrich Gontermann (1896–1917), fighter ace
- Friedrich Middelhauve (1896–1966), publisher and politician (FDP)
- Hermann Giesler (1898–1987), architect
- Ernst Achenbach (1909–1991), politician (FDP)
- Herbert Schäfer (1927–1991), football player and coach
- Walter Schneider (1927–2010), motorcycle racing driver
- Bernd Becher (1931–2007), conceptual artist and photographer
- Heinfried Birlenbach (1940–2020), shot putter
- Joachim Frank (born 1940), German-American biophysicist and a Nobel laureate
- Rolf Stommelen (1943–1983), Formula One racer
- Josef Clemens (born 1947), bishop
- Klaus Scheer (born 1950), football player and coach
- Christoph Bode (born 1952), literary scholar
- Reinhard Goebel (born 1952), conductor and violinist
- Annegret Kober (born 1957), swimmer
- Bernward Koch (born 1957), musician
- Burkhard Jung (born 1958), Lord Mayor of Leipzig
- Dieter Falk (born 1959), music producer, keyboardist and composer
- Peter Autschbach (born 1961), guitarist
- Frank Heinrich (born 1964), theologian and politician (MdB)
- Navid Kermani (born 1967), orientalist and Islamic studies scholar
- Petra Lobinger (born 1967), athlete
- Peter Stein (born 1968), politician (CDU)
- Monika Meyer (born 1972), footballer
- Sabrina Mockenhaupt (born 1980), long distance runner
- August Wittgenstein (born 1981), prince and actor
- Florian Kringe (born 1982), footballer
- Moritz Volz (born 1983), footballer
- Christian Nüchtern (born 1992), ice dancer
- Andromache (born 1995), Greek singer, Cypriot representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022
Honorary citizens
Siegen has conferred honorary citizenship upon the following persons:
- 1887: Heinrich von Achenbach, High President of the Province of Brandenburg
- 1891: Otto von Bismarck, Reich chancellor
- 1933: Adolf Hitler, Reich chancellor*
- 1933: Paul von Hindenburg, General Field Marshal and Reich President
For all those listed up to here, honorary citizenship, according to Enactment no. 21 to the amended German Municipal System of 1 April 1946, has been forfeited. *According to the city council of Siegen Adolf Hitler's honorary citizenship was lapsed by British military law. Caused by political discussion the city council denied Hitler's honorary citizenship posthumously on 29 August 2007.
- 1953: Alfred Fißmer, retired Oberbürgermeister
Honorary citizens of the former town of Hüttental:
- Josef Höfer, Prelate
- Karl Barich, chairman of the board of Stahlwerke Südwestfalen (South Westphalia Steelworks)
Gallery
References
- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 30 June 2021.
- Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
- ISBN 0-415-12883-8.
- ^ Stanton, Shelby, World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946 (Revised Edition, 2006), p. 90
- ^ Ratswahl Stadt Siegen 30.08.2009
- ^ Ratswahl Stadt Siegen 26.09.2004
- ^ "Siegen - Ein Teil Europas". siegen.de (in German). Siegen. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
Further reading
- Heinrich Silbergleit: Preußens Städte: Denkschrift zum 100jährigen Jubiläum der Städteordnung vom 19. November 1808. Heymann, Berlin 1908
- Heinrich von Achenbach: Die Haubergs-Genossenschaften des Siegerlandes. After the Bonn printing in 1863 newly published by the (then) Town of Siegen, Forschungsstelle Siegerland, Siegen 1963
- Heinrich von Achenbach: Geschichte der Stadt Siegen. Erg. Nachdr. der Ausg. Vorländer, Siegen 1894. Verlag Die Wielandschmiede, Kreuztal 1983
- Heinrich von Achenbach: Aus des Siegerlandes Vergangenheit. 2. erg. Nachdr. der Ausg. Siegen 1898. Verlag Die Wielandschmiede, Kreuztal 1982
- Erich Keyser (publisher): Westfälisches Städtebuch. In: Deutsches Städtebuch. Band III 2. Teilband. Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 1954
- Walther Hubatsch (publisher): Westfalen. In: Grundriss zur deutschen Verwaltungsgeschichte 1815–1945. Band 8 Reihe A: Preußen. Marburg an der Lahn 1980, ISBN 3-87969-123-1
External links
- Official website (in German)
- Historical and contemporary information about Siegen and Siegerland (in German)
- New International Encyclopedia. 1905. .