Hochsauerlandkreis

Hochsauerlandkreis (meaning “High Sauerland District” in German) is a Kreis (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.

Hochsauerlandkreis
District
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Adm. regionArnsberg
CapitalMeschede
Area
 • Total1,958.71 km2 (756.26 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2019)[1]
 • Total259,777
 • Density130/km2 (340/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registrationHSK
Websitehttp://www.hochsauerlandkreis.de

The district is named “High Sauerland” because two of the highest mountains of the Sauerland mountainous landscape, Langenberg and Kahler Asten are in its territory. With 2,766 ft / 843 m (Langenberg) and 2,762 ft / 842 m (Kahler Asten) these are also the highest mountains of North Rhine-Westphalia.

History

The district was established in 1975 in the reorganization of the districts in North Rhine-Westphalia by merging the previous districts Arnsberg, Brilon and Meschede.

Geography

Geographically the district covers a big part of the Sauerland mountains, including the highest and third highest elevation – the Langenberg near Olsberg with 2,766 ft / 843 m, and the better known Kahler Asten with 2,762 ft / 842 m near Winterberg. These are also the two highest mountains of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Coat of arms
The coat of arms was inherited from the former district Arnsberg. It shows the eagle as the symbol of the Earls of Arnsberg. When their county lost independence in 1368 it fell to the bishops of Cologne, thus the sign on the breast of the eagle shows the Cologne cross.

Towns and municipalities
Towns and municipalities in Hochsauerlandkreis
Towns Municipalities
  1. Arnsberg (73,897)
  2. Brilon (25,644)
  3. Hallenberg (4,435)
  4. Marsberg (20,110)
  5. Medebach (7,876)
  1. Meschede (30,358)
  2. Olsberg (21,577)
  3. Schmallenberg (25,149)
  4. Sundern (28,165)
  5. Winterberg (12,918)
  1. Bestwig (11,446)
  2. Eslohe (8,936)

Town twinnings

Hochsauerland is twinned with the following cities:

  • West Lothian

Notable persons

Notable places

References
  1. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2019" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. Herzlich willkommen Bergkloster Bestwig im Hochsauerlandkreis/Nordrhein-Westfalen Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Anfahrt mit der Bahn". Archived from the original on 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2008-08-02.

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