Monschau

Monschau

Slate-roofs of Monschau town centre and castle.
The castle's courtyard in preparation for Monschau Open Air Klassik music festival

Coat of arms
Monschau

Coordinates: 50°33′36″N 06°15′23″E / 50.56000°N 6.25639°E / 50.56000; 6.25639Coordinates: 50°33′36″N 06°15′23″E / 50.56000°N 6.25639°E / 50.56000; 6.25639
Country Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region Köln
District Aachen
Government
  Mayor Magga Ritter (CDU)
Area
  Total 94.620312003 km2 (36.533106706 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)[1]
  Total 12,352
  Density 130/km2 (340/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes 52156
Dialling codes 02472
Vehicle registration AC / MON
Website www.monschau.de

Monschau (French: Montjoie, Walloon: Mondjoye) is a small resort town in the Eifel region of western Germany, located in the district Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Geography

The town is located in the hills of the North Eifel, within the Hohes Venn – Eifel Nature Park in the narrow valley of the Rur river.

The historic town center has many preserved half-timbered houses and narrow streets have remained nearly unchanged for 300 years, making the town a popular tourist attraction nowadays. An open-air, classical music festival is staged annually at Burg Monschau. Historically, the main industry of the town was cloth-mills.

History

History of Monschau (Montjoie)
view  discuss  
1100 
1200 
1300 
1400 
1500 
1600 
1700 
1800 
1900 
2000 
1198 - First written evidence of Monschau
1433 - Became the seat of the dukes of Jülich.
1543 - Besieged by Charles V
1609 - Became part of Palatinate-Neuburg.
1795 - Captured by the French
1815 - Became part of Prussia
1918 - Renamed "Monschau".
1972 - Town was enlarged

On the heights above the city is Monschau castle, which dates back to the 13th century the first mention of Monschau was made in 1198. Beginning in 1433, the castle was used as a seat of the dukes of Jülich. In 1543, Emperor Charles V besieged it as part of the Geldern Feud, captured it and plundered the town. However, the castle stayed with Jülich until 1609, when it became part of Palatinate-Neuburg.

In 1795, the French captured the area and, under the name Montjoie, made it the capital of a canton of the Roer département. After the area became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815, Monschau became the district capital of the Kreis Montjoie.

During World War I, some people argued that Monschau (or "Montjoie" as it was then still called) should be annexed to Belgium since they believed it historically to be a Walloon area that had been Germanized by the Prussians.[2]

In 1918, William II, German Emperor, changed the name to Monschau. In 1972, the town was enlarged with the previous independent municipalities of Höfen, Imgenbroich, Kalterherberg, Konzen, Mützenich and Rohren. Mützenich, to the west of the town center, is an exclave of German territory surrounded by Belgium. It is separated from Germany by the Vennbahn railway line, which was assigned to Belgium by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

During World War II the town of Monschau, sitting on a vital road network, was a point of great tactical importance in the opening phase of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 as the northernmost point of the battlefront.[3]

Things

Museums

Buildings

Monschau has over 330 listed buildings, so that only a selection can be called.

Regular events

Known far beyond the environment are the Monschau Klassik on the Monschauer castle, and the Monschau Christmas market , which is visited every year by tens of thousands of guests.

Supraregional Sport

At two meetings in the spring meet canoeists for about 50 years in Monschau international events, and a whitewater races. Nationally known is the Monschau Marathon more than 760 meters of altitude, which takes place in August.

Economy and infrastructure

Traffic

Monschau is connected by various regional bus routes of Regionaverkehr Euregio Maas-Rhein inter alia to Simmerath, Aachen and Eupen. It is the collective tarif of the Aachener Verkehrsverbund. All lines meet at the central station Imgenbroich Bushof. Since March 2016 runs in Monschau an additional responsive demand transport system of the Aachener Straßenbahn und Energieversorgung under the name NetLiner.

The former important Vennbahn, which was used until 2001 as a Heritage railway, had stations in Monschau, Konzen and Kaltenherberg, now it is closed. It was remodeled 2010 for the establishment of the Vennbahn (bike path ). Through the village runs the Bundesstraße 258 from north to south.

Tourism

Monschau, which is allowed to call health resort Luftkurortsince 1996, attracts with its picturesque view especially in the warm months many visitors. Set in the medieval town facility that is traversed by the river Rur, dominate slate paneled houses and truss with cafes, restaurants or craft and souvenir shops. Parking places are placed around the city core.

Biking trails

Through the town lead the cycle paths:

Notable residents

Literature

References

  1. "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen". Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW (in German). 18 July 2016.
  2. Finot, Jean. New York Times, May 30th, 1915
  3. Cole, Hugh M. (1965). THE ARDENNES: BATTLE OF THE BULGE (LC: 65-60001 ed.). Washington, D.C.: OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY. p. 86.
  4. Kulturprogramm des KUK.
  5. "Erlebnismuseum Lernort Natur". Retrieved 2016-04-30.
  6. Wera Groß: Protestantische Kirchenneubauten des 16. bis 18. Jahrhunderts am Niederrhein und im Bergischen Land; Band 2: S. 295-300.
  7. Sandra Wertz (2009). "Das Haus Troistorff in Monschau". Rheinische Industriekultur (in German). Verein Rheinische Industriekultur e.V. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  8. Ursula Legge-Suwelack und Wolfgang Zahn: Alte Pfarrkirche und ehemaliges Aukloster mit Aukirche in Monschau.
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