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Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Bergisch Gladbach]]; see its history for attribution.{{Translated|de|Bergisch Gladbach}} to the talk page. |
Bergisch Gladbach (German pronunciation: [ˌbɛʁɡɪʃ ˈɡlatbax] ⓘ) is a city in the Cologne/Bonn RegionofNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district).
Bergisch Gladbach
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|---|---|
Forecourt of Schloss Bensberg
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Flag 
Coat of arms | |
Location of Bergisch Gladbach within Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis district  | |
  Bergisch Gladbach Show map of Germany  Bergisch Gladbach Show map of North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Coordinates: 50°59′30″N 7°07′49″E / 50.99178°N 7.13026°E / 50.99178; 7.13026 | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Admin. region | Köln |
| District | Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis |
| Subdivisions | 6 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–25) | Frank Stein[1] (SPD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 83.12 km2 (32.09 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 267 m (876 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 51 m (167 ft) |
| Population
(2023-12-31)[2]
| |
| • Total | 112,660 |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes |
51401-51469
|
| Dialling codes | 02202, 02204, 02207 |
| Vehicle registration | GL |
| Website | www.bergischgladbach.de |
Bergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and about 10 km east of Cologne.
The urban area of Bergisch Gladbach is not divided into city districts (Stadtbezirke) with their own district representation. For statistical purposes, there are six statistical districts (statistische Bezirke), which are numbered consecutively and are divided into several districts (de: Stadtteile) with their own names. These are mainly name of former smaller settlements from which today's urban area developed, or new development areas whose names have been memorized over time for better orientation. Bensberg was an independent town until 1975. Before 1975, Schildgen belonged to the municipality of Odenthal.
Beginning in the north, the neighbouring municipalities and neighbouring towns are clockwise Odenthal, Kürten, Overath, Rösrath, Cologne and Leverkusen.
Early settlements existed in the 13th century, but the town was officially founded only in 1856.
The word Bergisch in the name does not originate from its location in the county of Berg, and it was not added to distinguish it from Mönchengladbach, as is believed by many people, but from the counts who gave their name to the region.
In the early 12th century, the counts of Berg settled in the area, which later became the Duchy of Berg (under Napoleon, it became a grand duchy). That is where the first part of the name (Bergisch) comes from, the town being located in the former County of Berg. The town is the administrative headquarters (Kreisstadt) of the Rheinish-Bergisch district (Kreis).
The second part of the name, Gladbach, originates from Low Rhenish (Bergisches Platt) and means canalised stream in reference to the small river (the Strunde) that was artificially canalised in early medieval times. In Bergisch Platt, the regional dialect, gelaat (laid) eventually evolved to glad (the 'd' is often pronounced as a 't'). The second part of the word, Bach, is the Standard German word for a small stream and refers to the Strunde.
In 1975, the town incorporated the neighbouring Bensberg, and when it reached a population of 100,000 in 1977 it was given city status.
| Largest groups of foreign residents[3] | |
| Nationality | Population (2014) |
|---|---|
 Turkey |
2,123 |
 Italy |
882 |
 Poland |
878 |
 Greece |
679 |
 Romania |
300 |
 Kosovo |
288 |
 Croatia |
260 |
 Austria |
257 |
 Russia |
241 |
 Bosnia & Herzegovina |
208 |
Paper manufacturing, printing, glass wool manufacturing, chocolate and high-tech industries are a large part of Bergisch Gladbach's economy.
The current mayor of Bergisch Gladbach is Frank Stein of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Stein | Social Democratic Party | 25,321 | 52.3 | |||
| Christian Buchen | Christian Democratic Union | 18,973 | 39.2 | |||
| Iro Herrmann | Citizens' Party GL | 2,093 | 4.3 | |||
| Günther Schöpf | Alternative for Germany | 2,014 | 4.2 | |||
| Valid votes | 48,401 | 99.3 | ||||
| Invalid votes | 358 | 0.7 | ||||
| Total | 48,759 | 100.0 | ||||
| Electorate/voter turnout | 89,995 | 54.2 | ||||
| Source: City of Bergisch Gladbach | ||||||
The Bergisch Gladbach 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) | 17,463 | 36.2 |  5.7
|
20 | 6 | |
| Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 13,858 | 28.7 |  12.8
|
16 | 6 | |
| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 9,209 | 19.1 | 5.0
|
10 | 5 | |
| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 2,438 | 5.1 | 0.5
|
3 | ±0 | |
| Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 2,213 | 4.6 | 0.2
|
3 | ±0 | |
| Citizens' Party GL (BGL) | 1,398 | 2.9 | 1.2
|
2 | 1 | |
| Free Voters' Association Bergisch Gladbach (FWG) | 1,645 | 3.4 | New | 2 | New | |
| Valid votes | 48,224 | 98.8 | ||||
| Invalid votes | 597 | 1.2 | ||||
| Total | 48,821 | 100.0 | 56 | 6 | ||
| Electorate/voter turnout | 89,995 | 52.3 | 0.1
|
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| Source: City of Bergisch Gladbach | ||||||
Bergisch Gladbach is twinned with:[4]
Beit Jala, Palestine (2010)
Bourgoin-Jallieu, France (1956)
Bucha, Ukraine (2022)
Ganei Tikva, Israel (2012) Joinville-le-Pont, France (1960)
Limassol, Cyprus (1991)
Luton, England (1956)
Marijampolė, Lithuania (1989) Pszczyna, Poland (1993) Runnymede, England (1995)
Velsen, Netherlands (1956)
(in German)