Bergisches Land

The Bergisches Land (German: [ˈbɛʁɡɪʃəs ˈlant], Berg Country) is a low mountain range region within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes.[1] Wuppertal is one of the biggest towns and seen as the region's capital, whereas the southern part nowadays has closer economic and socio-cultural ties to Cologne. Wuppertal and the neighbouring cities of Remscheid, Solingen form the Bergisches Städtedreieck.

Bergisches Land, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
View of the woods of Burg with a typical Bergisches farmhouse
Iuliacensis et Montensis Ducatus, 1645, by Blaeu

History

Bergisches Land used to be territory of the County of Berg, which later became the Duchy of Berg, who gave the region its name.[2] The Duchy was dissolved in 1815 and in 1822 the region became part of the Prussian Rhine Province.

Amongst the population today, a sense of belonging to the region Bergisches Land is notable in the hilly northern part, but not much anymore in the areas near the Cologne Bight, the Ruhr area or the city of Düsseldorf.

Economic upswing

The region became famous during the period of its early industralisation in the 19th century. At that time Wupper Valley was a historical Silicon Valley. Its twin cities Barmen and Elberfeld were the trading- and industrial capitals of Prussia at that time. This economic upswing caused the expansion of the Ruhrgebiet as coal-mining area and gave birth to research on, and the theoretical underlining of social entrepreneurship and socialism: Friedrich Engels was born in Barmen to a textile mill owner.[3]

After the industrial downturn from the 1960s on, the region lost importance but cooperations by Bergisches Land entrepreneurs, active citizens and politicians are bringing back some regional awareness and economic power.[4]

Cities and districts
City/district affiliation Part of the dukedom Berg (1789) Part of the Bergisches Land in local awareness
Bad Honnef Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X
Bergisch Gladbach Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Bergneustadt Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Burscheid Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Düsseldorf no affiliation X
Eitorf Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Engelskirchen Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Erkrath Kreis Mettmann X X
Gummersbach Oberbergischer Kreis X
Haan Kreis Mettmann X X
Heiligenhaus Kreis Mettmann X X
Hennef Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Hilden Kreis Mettmann X X
Hückeswagen Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Kürten Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Langenfeld Kreis Mettmann X X
Leichlingen Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Leverkusen no affiliation X X
Lindlar Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Lohmar Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Marienheide Oberbergischer Kreis X
Mettmann Kreis Mettmann X X
Monheim Kreis Mettmann X X
Morsbach Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Much Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Mülheim an der Ruhr no affiliation X
Neunkirchen-Seelscheid Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Niederkassel Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X
Nümbrecht Oberbergischer Kreis X
Odenthal Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Overath Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Ratingen Kreis Mettmann X X
Radevormwald Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Reichshof Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Remscheid no affiliation X X
Rösrath Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Ruppichteroth Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Sankt Augustin Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X
Siegburg Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X
Solingen no affiliation X X
Troisdorf Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X
Velbert Kreis Mettmann X X
Waldbröl Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Wermelskirchen Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis X X
Wiehl Oberbergischer Kreis X
Windeck Rhein-Sieg-Kreis X X
Wipperfürth Oberbergischer Kreis X X
Wülfrath Kreis Mettmann X X
Wuppertal no affiliation X X
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See also

References
  1. "North Rhine-Westphalia experience, Bergisches Land". tourismus NRW. Archived from the original on 2006-11-23. Retrieved 2001-11-20.
  2. Claudia Tenten. "Die Grafen von Berg". Archived from the original on 2010-12-01. Retrieved 2001-11-20.
  3. Prof. Dr. Klaus Tenfelde. ""Das Ruhrgebiet! Von der Steinzeit bis zur Kulturhauptsatdt 2010" part 2". Retrieved 2001-11-20.
  4. "Cooperation "Berg City Triangle"". Kompetenz Hoch3. Retrieved 2001-11-20.

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