Heinsberg
Heinsberg is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the seat of the district Heinsberg. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Wurm, approx. 20 km north-east of Sittard and 30 km south-west of Mönchengladbach.
Heinsberg | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Heinsberg within Heinsberg district | |
Heinsberg Heinsberg | |
Coordinates: 51°03′47″N 06°05′47″E | |
Country | Germany |
State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
Admin. region | Köln |
District | Heinsberg |
Subdivisions | 14 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Wolfgang Dieder (CDU) |
Area | |
• Total | 92.14 km2 (35.58 sq mi) |
Elevation | 76 m (249 ft) |
Population (2018-12-31)[1] | |
• Total | 41,946 |
• Density | 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi) |
Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
Postal codes | 52525 |
Dialling codes | 02452 |
Vehicle registration | HS |
Website | www.heinsberg.de |
Geography
Wassenberg is the town to the north of Heinsberg, Hückelhoven to the east, Waldfeucht and Gangelt to the west, and Geilenkirchen to the south. Two rivers flow through Heinsberg, the Wurm and the Rur. The Wurm flows into the Rur near to Rurkempen, a village of Heinsberg municipality.
History
Sights
The city of Heinsberg has just a few ancient structures. The most of the city was destroyed in 1944 during World War II. The main sights are:
- St. Gangolf church
- Castle ruins
- Old district court
- Building assembly of Propstei, Torbogenhaus (former seat of the Amtmann of the Duchy of Jülich) and the former Haus Lennartz.
Transport
Railway
The railway from Heinsberg to Lindern, on the Aachen–Mönchengladbach railway, was reopened for passenger traffic in December 2013. Passenger traffic had been suspended in 1980.[2] As of 2015, there is an hourly service from Heinsberg station to Lindern, which continues to Aachen Hbf.[3]
Bus
The main bus station of Heinsberg is next to the train station. It is served by buses to several towns and villages in the district, including Erkelenz, Geilenkirchen, Wegberg, Gangelt, Waldfeucht and Selfkant-Tüddern. There is one swift bus, the SB 1 from Erkelenz to Geilenkirchen via Heinsberg.
Road
Heinsberg has two exits on the motorway A46 to Düsseldorf. The Bundesstraße 221 (Alsdorf–Straelen) passes through the town.
Industry
Due to its proximity to the Benelux countries, sufficient industry park areas, low trade tax, and good traffic connections, Heinsberg has good prerequisites for development. Companies include:
- Enka Gmbh & Co KG
- Hazet (tool company)
- Sera Aquaristic
Media
- Heinsberger Newspaper
- Hs-Woche a free weekly newspaper
- The "Lokalzeit aus Aachen" a news broadcast from the WDR about Aachen and also Heinsberg.
- HS TV, a television transmitter
- The radio transmitter Welle West was closed in 2007. Other radio stations, which include 100.5 and 107.8, provide news and weather reports for Heinsberg.
Public facilities
- office of the district Heinsberg
- police (district)
- the district court
- health office
- jail
Education and Training
Heinsberg possesses many elementary schools and kindergartens. The secondary education facilities include a high school ("Gymnasium"). Since 2007 there is a school for handicapped persons in the building of the former vocational school ("Berufsschule").
Heinsberg COVID-19 study
Heinsberg was an early centre for the COVID‑19 pandemic and was selected for an intensive study of the disease and its transmission characteristics in late‑March 2020.[4]
References
- "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2018" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- wurmtalbahn.de
- Deutsche Bahn timetable 485
- Connolly, Kate (31 March 2020). "Worst-hit German district to become coronavirus 'laboratory'". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-04-08.