Viersen
Viersen | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Location of Viersen within Viersen district ![]() | |
Coordinates: 51°15′22″N 6°23′50″E / 51.25611°N 6.39722°E | |
Country | Germany |
State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
Admin. region | Düsseldorf |
District | Viersen |
Subdivisions | 4 |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–25) | Sabine Anemüller[1] (SPD) |
Area | |
• Total | 91.07 km2 (35.16 sq mi) |
Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) |
Population (2023-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 79,250 |
• Density | 870/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Postal codes | 41747–41751 |
Dialling codes | 0 21 62 |
Vehicle registration | VIE, KK |
Website | www.viersen.de |
Viersen (German pronunciation: [ˈfiːɐ̯zn̩]; Limburgish: Veeëse) is the capital of the district of Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
[edit]Viersen is situated approximately 8 km north-west of Mönchengladbach, 15 km south-west of Krefeld and 20 km east of Venlo (Netherlands).
Division of the town
[edit]The city of Viersen is made up of three (formerly independent) cities: Süchteln, Dülken and Viersen, which combined in 1970, and one former village, Boisheim, which combined with Viersen in 1968.
Politics
[edit]The current mayor of Viersen is Sabine Anemüller of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) since 2015. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:
Candidate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
Christoph Hopp | Christian Democratic Union | 11,438 | 40.5 | 11,572 | 49.2 | |
Sabine Anemüller | Social Democratic Party | 10,965 | 38.8 | 11,955 | 50.8 | |
Martina Maaßen | Alliance 90/The Greens | 3,418 | 12.1 | |||
Simon Männersdörfer | The Left | 1,098 | 3.9 | |||
Frank a Campo | Free Democratic Party | 935 | 3.3 | |||
Siegfried Martin | National Democratic Party | 404 | 1.4 | |||
Valid votes | 28,258 | 98.2 | 23,527 | 99.5 | ||
Invalid votes | 521 | 1.8 | 118 | 0.5 | ||
Total | 28,779 | 100.0 | 23,645 | 100.0 | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 63,176 | 45.6 | 63,169 | 37.4 | ||
Source: City of Viersen (1st round, 2nd round) |
City council
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/2020_Viersen_City_Council_election.svg/350px-2020_Viersen_City_Council_election.svg.png)
The Viersen city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
Party | Votes | % | +/- | Seats | +/- | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 11,806 | 41.9 | ![]() |
22 | ![]() | |
Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 6,669 | 23.7 | ![]() |
13 | ![]() | |
Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 5,491 | 19.5 | ![]() |
11 | ![]() | |
The Left (Die Linke) | 1,417 | 5.0 | ![]() |
3 | ±0 | |
Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 1,343 | 4.8 | ![]() |
3 | ±0 | |
Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 1,142 | 4.1 | New | 2 | New | |
Die PARTEI | 195 | 0.7 | New | 0 | New | |
National Democratic Party (NPD) | 107 | 0.4 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() | |
Valid votes | 28,170 | 98.0 | ||||
Invalid votes | 584 | 2.0 | ||||
Total | 28,754 | 100.0 | 54 | ![]() | ||
Electorate/voter turnout | 63,176 | 45.5 | ![]() |
|||
Source: City of Viersen |
Economy
[edit]The company Mars Incorporated (chocolate bars) is situated in one of Viersen's industrial districts named Dülken-Mackenstein.
Kaiser's Tengelmann AG (a big supermarkets chain in Germany) had his headquarter in Viersen, until it was closed in 2010.
![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Viersen_bismarckturm.jpg/220px-Viersen_bismarckturm.jpg)
Culture
[edit]Recurring events
[edit]- International Jazz Festival in Viersen's Festival Hall (Festhalle). September
- The World Championships of Carom billiards take place in Viersen's Festival Hall (Festhalle). March
- Big Carnival Parades in all 3 city parts. The one in Dülken is one of the biggest and most traditional Parades in North Rhine-Westphalia. February
- The Dülkener Schöppenmarkt, a type of flea/junk market, which takes place on the day after the last Carnival parade, is one of Germany's biggest. February
- Big free flea market in Viersen's pedestrian zone, where only children are allowed to sell. Biggest market of this type in Germany. Summer
- "Viersen blüht" (Viersen is blooming) is a voluntary initiative which places arrangements and sculptures of flowers all over the city's pedestrian zone. Summer
- International Biker Meeting, organized by the local biker-club "MC Viersen 1980 e.V.". 2nd weekend each September
- Viersen Jazz Festival. 4th weekend each September
- Big kite-flying-festival. Autumn
![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Skulptur_monument.jpg/220px-Skulptur_monument.jpg)
Erwin Heerich: Monument
Main sights
[edit]- Viersen sculpture collection
- Städtische Galerie im Park Viersen
- Viersen Bismarck Tower
- Festhalle Viersen
Transport
[edit]Viersen is connected to the region by a dense bus network and Viersen station. The station is served by various local and regional rail lines.
Notable people
[edit]- Gustav von Mevissen (1815–1899), businessman and politician
- Max Nonnenbruch (1857–1922), painter
- Illa Martin (1900–1988), dendrologist, botanist, conservationist and dentist
- Albert Vigoleis Thelen (1903–1989), author and translator
- Hilde Bruch (1904–1984), psychoanalyst
- Erik Martin (1936–2017), writer, songwriter and composer of songs
- Helmut Reisen (born 1950), economist
- Holger Henke (born 1960), political scientist
- Elmar Theveßen (born 1967), TV-journalist and author
- Till Brönner (born 1971), musician, arranger and producer
- Mirja Boes (born 1971), comedian, actress and singer
- Udo Voigt, politician
- Roosevelt (born 1990) music producer and singer
- Tim Stützle (born 2002), professional ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]Calau, Germany
Kaniv, Ukraine
Lambersart, France
Mittweida, Germany
Pardesiya, Israel
Peterborough, England, United Kingdom
References
[edit]- ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ "Partnerstädte". viersen.de (in German). Viersen. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
External links
[edit]![](http://178.128.105.246/content-http-upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website
(in German)
- Kempen, Germany