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{{Infobox German location      
|name                  = Brilon
|type                  = Stadt
|image_photo           = Brilon Market Place01.jpg
|imagesize             = 
|image_caption         = Marketplace in Brilon
|image_coa                = Stadtwappen Brilon.svg
|coordinates           = {{coord|51|23|44|N|08|34|4|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan              = Brilon in HSK.svg
|state            = NRW
|region      = Arnsberg
|district          = Hochsauerlandkreis
|elevation                  = 450
|area                = 229.16
|postal_code                   = 59914-59929
|area_code               = 02961&nbsp;(Brilon) 02963&nbsp;(Messinghausen) 02964&nbsp;(Alme) 02991&nbsp;''(Marsberg-Bredelar)''
|licence                   = HSK
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 9 58 012
|divisions         = 17 
|website           = [http://www.brilon.de/ www.brilon.de]
|mayor             = Christoph Bartsch<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_bm.shtml Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020], Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 21 June 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2020&ndash;25
|party             = SPD
}}
[[File:Brilon Sauerland-Ost 279.jpg|thumb|Brilon]]

'''Brilon''' ({{IPA|de|ˈbʁiːlɔn|-|De-Brilon.ogg}}; {{langx|wep|Brailen}}) is a town in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]], which belongs to the [[Hochsauerlandkreis]].

== Geography ==
Brilon is on the [[Brilon Heights]], at an altitude of about 450m, and the upper reaches of the river [[Möhne]]. The town lies between the Arnsberg Forest nature reserve to the west and the Lake Diemel nature reserve and the Hoppecke to the south-east.

=== Neighboring municipalities===
{|
|-
| valign="top" |
* [[Bad Wünnenberg]]
* [[Büren, Westphalia|Büren]]
* [[Diemelsee]]
* [[Marsberg]]
| valign="top" |
* [[Olsberg (Sauerland)|Olsberg]]
* [[Rüthen]]
* [[Willingen]]
|}

=== Division of the town ===
After the local government reforms of 1975 Brilon consists of 17 districts: 
* Alme (1.273 inhabitants)
* Altenbüren (1.453 inhabitants)
* Bontkirchen (553 inhabitants)
* Brilon Town (14.513 inhabitants)
* Brilon-Wald (595 inhabitants)
* Esshoff (80 inhabitants)
* Gudenhagen/Petersborn (1.273 inhabitants)
* Hoppecke (1.330 inhabitants)
* Madfeld (1.395 inhabitants)
* Messinghausen (898 inhabitants)
* Nehden (503 inhabitants)
* Radlinghausen (129 inhabitants)
* Rixen (143 inhabitants)
* Rösenbeck (858 inhabitants)
* Scharfenberg (1.533 inhabitants)
* Thülen (1.088 inhabitants)
* Wülfte (421 inhabitants)
<small>(Source of population figures: [https://web.archive.org/web/20050529143223/http://www.briloner-wirtschaft.de/wDeutsch/standort_brilon/einwohner.shtml?navid=3 www.briloner-wirtschaft.de] / As at: 31 December 2004)</small>
<!-- === Climate === -->

== History ==
The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the [[Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Otto II]] dated 973, confirming to the [[Cathedral of Magdeburg]] all those possessions in [[Westphalia]] given to it by his father, including the ''Villa Brilon''. This reference must of course apply to a considerably older settlement than the present town, presumably what is now Altenbrilon. The Brilon estate passed later by exchange to the Archbishops of [[Paderborn]], who endowed their steward ("''[[Vogt]]''") with it.

In about 1220 [[Engelbert II of Berg|Engelbert I of Cologne]], [[Archbishop of Cologne]], acquired the Brilon lands of the brothers Hermann and Gernand of Brilon. The Archbishop laid out a fortified town and gave it municipal rights. Bloody conflicts followed between the Archbishops of Cologne and the [[Bishops of Paderborn]] over the rights of possession of the place. These ended when the Bishop of Paderborn, after being taken prisoner, waived his rights to Brilon (1256).

Thereafter Brilon developed under the rulership of the Prince-Bishops of Cologne into a thriving town of c 3,000 inhabitants with an active trading and mining life and far-reaching business connections. As a trading town Brilon was also a member of the [[Hanseatic League|Hansa]]. In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind [[Soest, Germany|Soest]]. After the secession of Soest in 1444 Brilon was elevated to being the capital of Westphalia.

In 1655, after three years of negotiations between the town magistrate and the [[Minorites]] resident in Brilon, the ''Gymnasium Petrinum''[http://www.petrinum-brilon.de] was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest [[Gymnasium (school)|''Gymnasien'']] ("grammar schools") in Westphalia.

But already in the 15th century conflicts and military actions were leading to an economic decline; and the wars of the 17th and 18th centuries brought unspeakable misery to this once flourishing little town.

During the [[Napoleonic Wars|Napoleonic period]] Brilon passed to [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt|Hesse-Darmstadt]], in 1802. After the [[Congress of Vienna]] of 1816 it was transferred to [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], which made it the center of the Prussian ''[[Districts of Prussia|Kreis]]'' or district. In this way, as the seat of government offices and schools, Brilon regained significance. The construction of traffic connections and various municipal measures brought about a strong development of crafts and trade.

In [[World War II]] the town was initially spared from [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] [[airstrike|air raids]]. But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by [[United States|American]] [[bombers]] which destroyed whole streets, particularly ''Hoppecker Straße'' and ''Derkere Mauer''. A bomb broke through the roof of the Provost's Church but did not explode. In this bombing raid 37 people were killed, including 13 children.

After the war Brilon became part of the newly created state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]. In the course of the local government reorganization of 1975 the following communities were added to the town: formerly administered by the ''Amt'' Thülen: Alme, Bontkirchen, Hoppecke, Madfeld, Messinghausen, Nehden (belonging to Thülen parish), Radlinghausen, Rixen, Rösenbeck, Scharfenberg, Thülen and Wülfte; and formerly belonging to the ''Amt'' Bigge: Altenbüren and Esshoff.

[[File:Panorama Marktplatz Brilon.jpg|800px|thumbnail|center|Brilon City]]

<!-- === Religions === -->

=== Population growth ===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Brilon alt.jpg|thumb|right|Brilon in 1925]] -->
The following numbers only show the population of the town of Brilon, not of the municipality.
* 2,592 inhabitants (1784), including 63 Jews 1)
* 3,584 inhabitants (1844), including 111 Evangelicals, 84 Jews
* 4,471 inhabitants (1890), including 231 Evangelicals, 95 Jews
* 5,849 inhabitants (1925)
* 6,480 inhabitants (1933)
* 6,959 inhabitants (1939)
* 14,305 inhabitants (1966)
1) Source: ''Vergangene Zeiten'' (''Past times''), volume 1 incl. the dependent communities (''Filialgemeinden'') Wülfte and Rixen

<!-- == Politics ==
=== Town Council ===
Nach der Wahl zum Stadtrat vom [[26. September]] 2004 hat dieser 38 Ratsmitglieder. Die Tabelle stellt die Zusammensetzung des Stadtrats dar.

{| border="0"  style="background:#e3e3e3;" cellpadding="2" 
! width=175px rowspan=2 align="left" | Partei / Gruppierung
! colspan=2 align="center" | Sitze
|- style="background:#e3e3e3;"
! align="center" width=65px | 2004
! align="center" width=65px | 1999
|- style="background:#ffffff;"
| [[Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands|CDU]]  
| align="center" | 17 
| align="center" | 19 
|- style="background:#ffffff;"
| [[Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands|SPD]]
| align="center" | 16 
| align="center" | 15
|- style="background:#ffffff;"
| Briloner Bürgerliste 
| align="center" | 3
| align="center" | 2
|- style="background:#ffffff;" 
| [[FDP (Deutschland)|FDP]] 
| align="center" | 2
| align="center" | 2
|- style="background:#ffffff;"
! align="left" | Gesamt 
! align="center" | 38
! align="center" | 38
|} -->

<!-- === Bürgermeister ===
Amtsvorgänger bitte mit Partei und Amtszeit nachtragen-->
<!-- *1945-1946: Walter Dinkloh
*1946-1948: Wilhelm Schieferecke
*1948: Josef Stuhldreher
*1948-1951: Wilhelm Stracke
*1951-1952: Josef Schreckenberg
*1952-1956: August Heeke
*1956-1958: Julius Drescher, [[Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands|SPD]]
*1958-1961: Josef Wolff
*1961-1963: Julius Drescher, [[Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands|SPD]]
*1963-1974: Franz Hillebrand [[CDU]]
*1975-1985: Josef Klaholz [[CDU]]
*1986-1999: Franz Hülshoff, [[CDU]]
*1999-heute: Franz Schrewe, [[Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands|SPD]] -->

=== Arms ===
The arms of Brilon are: Party per fess, in chief, argent, a cross sable, and in base, sable, a key in bend argent, wards to the dexter. They were granted on 28 January 1911, but in this form first appear in a seal of 1548. The cross in the upper part is from the arms of the [[Electorate of Cologne]]. The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of [[Saint Peter]], [[patron saint]] of Cologne.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Brilon is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften – Brilon international|url=https://www.brilon.de/leben-in-brilon/staedtepartnerschaften-brilon-international/|publisher=Brilon|language=de|access-date=2021-12-08}}</ref>
*{{flagg|uxxo|GER}} [[Buckow]], Germany
*{{flagg|uxxo|FRA}} [[Hesdin]], France
<!--Herbolzheim - friendship, not twinning-->
*{{flagg|uxxo|BEL}} [[Heusden-Zolder]], Belgium
*{{flagg|uxxo|SCO}} [[Thurso]], Scotland, United Kingdom

== Culture and sights ==
<!--[[bild:Brilon_rathaus.jpg|right|thumb|Rathaus und Propsteikirche]]
[[Bild:BrilonDerkeresTor.jpg|right|thumb|Derker Tor]] to add soon-->
<!-- === Theatre === -->

=== Museums ===
* Brilon Town Museum
<!-- === Music === -->
<!-- e.g. orchestra, choirs, clubs etc. -->

=== Buildings ===
'''Brilon'''
* Derker Gate 
* Evangelical Town Church (''built in 1856 to plans by Schinkel'')
* Geschichtsbrunnen (''History Fountain'')
* Church of St Nicholas
* Provost's Church of St Peter and St Andrew
* Town Hall and Market Place with the "Kump"
* Schultenhaus (''House of the Mayor'')
* Sauvigny House
* District Courthouse. Late Classical stuccoed building of 1877
* Residential buildings: Schulgasse 14, a two-storied rough stone building of 1431, 1659 and 1720 with half-timbered extensions; Steinweg 26, a half-timbered building of 1767 with older masonry

=== Parks ===
* Arnsberg Forest Nature Reserve
* Lake Diemel Nature Reserve
* Brilon Park
<!-- === Naturdenkmäler === -->
<!-- === Sport === -->

=== Regular events ===
* Schützenfest, last weekend in June
* ''Schnadegang'' or ''Schnadezug'' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.schuetzen-brilon.de/Schnade.htm |title=Schnade |access-date=2005-09-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051018115253/http://schuetzen-brilon.de/Schnade.htm |archive-date=2005-10-18 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.schnadt-web.de/schndeng.htm|title = The "Schnadgang", an old tradition from Westphalia}}</ref> (marking the town boundaries) every second year on the Monday after the Schutzenfest
* Brilon Open Air Festival (street theatre and live music) in July or August
* Old Town Festival, at the end of August
* Kirmes, last weekend in September

<!-- === Ausflugsmöglichkeiten ===
* [[Alme]]quellen
* [[Diemelsee (Stausee)|Diemelsee]]
* [[Naturpark Arnsberger Wald]]
* [[Naturpark Diemelsee]]
* [[Bruchhauser Steine]]
* [[Borberg]] (Wallburganlage, Kapelle und Kirchhof) -->
<!-- === Kulinarische Spezialitäten === -->

== Economy and infrastructure ==

=== Communications ===
From Brilon heading westwards, approx 30 minutes away on the Bundesstraße [[Bundesstraße 7|B&nbsp;7]] is the motorway [[Bundesautobahn 46|A&nbsp;46]] at [[Bestwig]], in the direction of the [[Ruhrgebiet]]. Heading eastwards, the motorway[[Bundesautobahn 44|A&nbsp;44]] at [[Marsberg]], in the direction of [[Kassel]] is about 40 minutes away. On the Bundesstraße [[Bundesstraße 480|B&nbsp;480]] it is possible to reach the highway [[Bundesautobahn 33|A&nbsp;33]] at [[Bad Wünnenberg|Wünnenberg]] in about 30 minutes, in the direction of [[Paderborn]]/[[Bielefeld]].

[[Brilon Stadt station]] is near the town center. [[Brilon Wald station]] is about 10&nbsp;km from the town center. From here local trains leave every hour for [[Warburg station|Warburg]], [[Hagen Central Station|Hagen]] and [[Korbach]] via [[Willingen]].

From the air Brilon is accessible through the airport at [[Flughafen Paderborn-Lippstadt|Paderborn-Lippstadt]]. Sports-airplanes can land at Brilon Airport in the Thülener Bruch.
<!-- === Ansässige Unternehmen ===
* [[Asea_Brown_Boveri|ABB]] AG, Geschäftsbereich Transformatoren (Produktion Verteiltransformatoren)
* ABB Schaltanlagentechnik GmbH
* Accumulatorenwerke Hoppecke Carl Zoellner & Sohn GmbH
* Briloner Montage- und Schlüsselfertigbau GmbH
* Condensator Dominit GmbH
* Egger Holzwerkstoffe Brilon GmbH & Co. KG
* F.W. Oventrop GmbH & Co. KG
* Impuls Küchen GmbH
* Frostland Tiefkühlprodukte
* Rembe GmbH -->

=== Media ===
The regional daily newspaper is the ''Westfalenpost'', with a local edition for Brilon and the Hochsauerland district. Furthermore, there is the free weekly paper ''Sauerlandkurier'' with information from the whole of the [[Sauerland]]. Also weekly is the ''Briloner Anzeiger'', a newspaper for Brilon, Olsberg, and Willingen.

=== Public organizations ===
* Brilon District Court
* Brilon Finance Office
* District administration for the Hochsauerland District, Brilon Office
* Hospital "Maria Hilf"

<!-- === Bildung ===
* [http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/STZ/brilon Fernuniversität Hagen, Studienzentrum Brilon]
* [http://www.berufskolleg-brilon.de Berufskolleg für Wirtschaft und Verwaltung des Hochsauerlandkreises]
* [http://www.petrinum-brilon.de Gymnasium Petrinum]
* [http://www.marienschule-brilon.de Marienschule Brilon (Realschule)]
* [http://www.eduard-pape-schule.de Eduard-Pape-Schule Brilon (Hauptschule)]
* [http://www.heinrich-luebke-schule.de Heinrich Lübke-Schule Brilon (Hauptschule)]
* Christopherusschule Brilon (Sonderschule für Lernbehinderte)
* Franziskusschule Brilon (Sonderschule für geistig Behinderte)
* Georg-Friedrich-Daumer-Schule für Sprachbehinderte
* [http://www.sonderschule-internat.de Hans-Zulliger-Schule am Internat Jungborn] (Private Sonderschule für Erziehungshilfe und Lernbehinderte)
* [http://www.roman-herzog-schule.de Roman-Herzog-Schule Brilon (Sonderschule für Erziehungshilfe)]
* [http://www.ggs-hoppecke.de Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Am Hagen, Hoppecke]
* Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Gudenhagen, Gudenhagen
* Gemeinschaftsgrundschule Martin-Luther-Schule, Brilon
* [http://www.gs-thuelen.de Katholische Grundschule Marienschule, Thülen]
* Katholische Grundschule Ratmerstein, Brilon
* Katholische Grundschule St. Bernhardus, Scharfenberg
* Katholische Grundschule St. Engelbert, Brilon
* Katholische Grundschule St. Ludgerus, Alme
* Katholische Grundschule St. Margaretha, Madfeld
* Katholische Grundschule St. Michael, Altenbüren -->

== Notable people ==

=== Honorary citizens ===
* '''[[Heinrich Eduard von Pape|Eduard Pape]]''' (1816–1888), lawyer, contributor to the [[Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch|Bürgerliche Gesetzbuch]] in 1887

=== Natives of the town ===
[[File:Franz Heinrich Reusch (1825-1900).jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.46|Franz Heinrich Reusch]]
* [[Johann Georg Weishaupt]] (1716–1753), professor of law at the University of Ingolstadt
* Johann Suibert Seibertz (1788–1871), historian and judge
* [[Franz Heinrich Reusch]] (1823–1900), Old Catholic theologian and church historian
* Paul Kleinschnittger (1909–1989), automotive engineer and producer of the [[Kleinschnittger]] cars
* Fritz Dorls (1910–1995), politician, Member of Bundestag, founder and President of the banned extreme-Right-wing party, the [[Socialist Reich Party|SRP]]
* [[Edgar Selge]] (born 1948), actor and writer
* [[Friedrich Merz]] (born 1955), Chancellor of Germany
* [[Birgit Schrowange]] (born 1958), TV presenter

== Other ==
In Brilon is the start of the 184&nbsp;km long newly opened ramblers' trail across the [[Rothaargebirge|Rothaar Mountains]], the [[Rothaarsteig]].

[[Brillion, Wisconsin]] is named after Brilon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA46|title = A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways|year = 1908}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />

== Literature ==
*{{in lang|de}} Provost's Office, Brilon(ed): ''Propsteikirche Brilon''. 3rd. edition, Brilon 1988
*{{in lang|de}} Thomas Spohn: ''Brilon'' (Westfälische Kunststätten, Heft 84). Münster 1997
*{{in lang|de}} Vergangene Zeiten - Geschichte aus Brilon Band 1 ({{ISBN|3-86133-341-4}})

==External links==
{{Commons category|Brilon}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100414043318/http://www.brilon.de/ Official website] {{in lang|de}} 
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051018115253/http://schuetzen-brilon.de/Schnade.htm The Schnadegang, with pictures] {{in lang|de}}
*[http://www.schnadt-web.de/schndeng.htm Brilon Schnadegang, with historical background]
*[http://www.petrinum-brilon.de Gymnasium Petrinum] {{in lang|de}}

{{Cities and towns in Hochsauerland (district)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Hochsauerlandkreis]]
[[Category:Members of the Hanseatic League]]