Hilden

With approx. 57,000 inhabitants, Hilden is the fourth largest city in the District of Mettmann. In contrast to the surrounding cities, it has no suburban districts or incorporated villages. Hilden has a compact urbanized city centre and borders some smaller woods.

Hilden was named in written sources already in the 11th century. In the 13th century in the centre of the early settlement a Romanesque church was erected, which during the Reformation became Protestant. Later a second church for Catholics had been built. In the time of industrialization many factories especially in textiles, engineering and painting had been founded. In both World Wars the people of Hilden had many losses, a list of the soldiers' names is written on a memorial. During the Nazi rule Jews and opponents of the regime have been persecuted. In the factories forced labourers, allegedly 3000, have been employed.

In 1945 American troops, then units of the British Army of the Rhine had occupied the town, stationed in the local barracks erected in 1937. The relationship between the population and the British soldiers were good especially after Germany's accession to NATO in May 1955, when former adversaries became allies. The initiative of the regiment to get in touch with local citizens led to the twin partnership Hilden - Warrington (1968), to school exchanges and various contacts between people.[1] In March 1968 the British troops left Hilden, having been replaced by German military units which took over the barracks.[2]

In the aftermath of the War refugees from East Germany found a new home in Hilden nearly doubling its population. In 1956 the Council of Hilden granted patronage to the association of refugees from the town and district of Wohlau, Lower Silesia. They held several meetings in Hilden with more than 1000 former Wohlau citizens having received refuge in various parts of Germany.[3]

Since the 1960s thousands of foreign migrant workers were employed in various industrial sections. An economical boom in the following decades contributed to further expansion of the town.

• 
  Church: die Sankt Jacobuskirche
• 
  Church: die Reformationskirche
• 
  Bar in Mittelstrasse
• 
  View to a street: die Mittelstrasse
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  Bust of 17th century surgeon Wilhelm Fabry at market place
• 
  The pedestrian zone

Largest groups of foreign residents[4]
Nationality	Population (2013)
Turkey	962
Italy	694
Poland	514
Portugal	428
Morocco	381

Since World War II, Hilden had five mayors; who enhanced the political, economic and social developments of the town:

• Robert Gies - a Social Democrat and Mayor (1952–1969)
• Ellen Wiederhold - a Christian Democrat, the first female and longest ruling Mayor (1969–1994)
• Günter Scheib - a Social Democrat and Mayor (1994–2009)
• Horst Thiele - a Social Democrat and Mayor (2009 - 2014)
• Birgit Alkenings - a Social Democrat and Mayor (2014 - 2020)
• Claus Pommer - non-party and Mayor (2020 - now)

The current City Council, elected in 2009, consists of 40 members: 13 Christian Democrats, 13 Social Democrats, 6 Liberals, 4 Greens, 4 Civic Action and 4 Independents. In summer 2010 one member left the Christian Democrat faction and two members left the Liberals founding their own faction. Missing a formal coalition the Council rules with changing majorities.

Hilden once has harboured textile factories, a big paint enterprise, pharmaceutical and metallurgic companies. After the economic crisis in the 1980s many of these companies have been closed. Flourishing companies now include the German headquarters of 3M and Qiagen, as well as many other businesses and enterprises from the technology and logistics sector.

• carnival parade (in February)
• annual "Hildener Jazztage" - Hilden jazz days (in May/June)
• Schützenfest - festivity of St. Sebastian's brotherhood (in June)
• exhibition of fire fighters' brigade (August/September)
• Day of German Reunification (on October 3)
• Christmas market (in December)

• Marcus Kretzer, pianist and music teacher
• Wilhelm Fabry, founder of the scientific surgery
• Max Volmer, physical chemist, participant in Soviet nuclear projects, later president of the East German (GDR) academy of sciences
• Michael Tarnat, soccer player
• Julian Hanses, racing driver who currently competes in the Euroformula Open for Motopark
• Blumio, rapper

• Wohlau in Lower Silesia - a sponsorship to German refugees who settled in HildenIt cooperates (since 1961)
• Warrington, UK (since 1968)
• Nové Město nad Metují (near Náchod) in the Czech Republic (since 1989)
• Guizhou a province in South West China - cooperation and administrative support (since 2003)

• Official website (in German)
• http://www.wilhelm-fabry-museum.de/ - presentation of the 1000-year history of Hilden as well as the founder of the scientific surgery in 1560 Wilhelm Fabry
• http://www.baor-locations.org/StDavidsBks.aspx.html - homepage of BAOR with fotos of the former British military base in Hilden
• http://www.muthilden.de (in German) - initiative for civic responsibility