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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox German place
|name              = Remscheid
|type              = City
|image_photo       = Deutsches Roentgenmuseum.jpg
|imagesize         =
|image_caption     = German [[Wilhelm Röntgen|Röntgen]] Museum
|image_flag        = Flagge Remscheid.svg
|image_coa         = DEU Remscheid COA.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|51|11|N|07|12|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|Karte             =
|image_plan        =
|plantext          =
|state             = North Rhine-Westphalia
|region            = Düsseldorf
|district          = urban
|elevation         = 365
|area              = 74.6
|area_metro        =
|pop_metro         =
|postal_code       = 42801–42899
|area_code         = 02191
|licence           = RS
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 05120000
|divisions         =
|website           = [http://www.remscheid.de/ www.remscheid.de]
|mayor             = Burkhard Mast-Weisz<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517032138/https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr |date=17 May 2022 }}, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2020&ndash;25
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party             = SPD
|ruling_party1     = |ruling_party2  =  |ruling_party3     =
|year              =
|_noautocat        =
}}
[[File:Remscheid rathaus.jpg|thumb|260px|City Hall]]
'''Remscheid''' ({{IPA|de|ˈʁɛmʃaɪt|-|De-Remscheid.ogg}}) is a [[List of cities and towns in Germany|city]] in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]]. It is, after [[Wuppertal]] and [[Solingen]], the third-largest municipality in [[Bergisches Land]], being located on the northern edge of the region, on the south side of the [[Ruhr]] area.

Remscheid had around 109,000 inhabitants in 2015. At the end of 2019 it had 113,703 inhabitants.

==Geography==
Remscheid comprises four boroughs, ''Alt-Remscheid'', ''Remscheid-Süd'', ''Lennep'', and [[Lüttringhausen]].

Its highest point is the [[Brodtberg]] (378 m).

==History==
Remscheid was founded in the 12th century, but remained a small village until the 19th century. Early spellings for the city included ''Remissgeid'' (1217), ''Rymscheyd'' (1351), ''Reymscheyd'' (1487) and ''Rembscheid'' (1639). The economic growth of the entire Rhine-Ruhr region led to an increase of the population of Remscheid. Mechanical engineering and toolmaking were the main industries practised within the town. This is carried on today with the [[Hazet]] tool company which has three factories in Remscheid. Remscheid was part of the [[Prussia]]n [[Rhine Province]] from 1822 to 1945.

On 31 July 1943, during [[World War II]], Remscheid was almost completely destroyed during a British [[area bombing|bombing raid]] which caused a [[firestorm]]. This bombing raid was the final operation of [[RAF|RAF's]] [[Battle of the Ruhr]] involving 273 aircraft. Today around one third of the city consists of buildings from before World War II.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4  | title=Zensus 2011 - Gebäude- und Wohnungsbestand in Deutschland | language=de | trans-title=2011 Census - Building and housing stock in Germany | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329165923/https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 |archive-date=29 March 2024 }}</ref> During 14 and 15 April 1945, Remscheid was captured by the [[78th Infantry Division (United States)]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tothosewhoserved.org/usa/ss/usass01/chapter5.html|title=US Army SS 01 Chronology 1941–1945: 1945|access-date=14 August 2017|archive-date=14 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814220458/http://tothosewhoserved.org/usa/ss/usass01/chapter5.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Lightning78thInfantry|title = Lightning, the History of the 78th Infantry Division|year = 1947|publisher = Washington, Infantry journal press}}</ref>

An [[A-10 Thunderbolt II]] [[1988 Remscheid A-10 crash|crashed in the city on 8 December 1988]]. Six people died.

==Demographics==
As of 31 December 2019, the city's population was 113,703, of which 92,726 (81.6%) were German citizens and 20,977 (18.4%) were non-Germans (''Ausländer''); of the non-German population, the top 10 nationalities represented were as follows:<ref>{{cite web|title=Informationen der Statistikstelle: Remscheider Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner am 31. Dezember 2019|url=https://remscheid.de/arbeiten-und-wirtschaft/medienpool/dokumente030/3.32_Remscheider_EinwohnerInnen_am_31.12.2019.pdf|publisher=Stadt Remscheid|access-date=9 May 2020|at=pp. 6, 12|archive-date=22 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222204558/https://remscheid.de/arbeiten-und-wirtschaft/medienpool/dokumente030/3.32_Remscheider_EinwohnerInnen_am_31.12.2019.pdf|url-status=dead}} Available on Stadt Remscheid website under "[https://remscheid.de/arbeiten-und-wirtschaft/standort-remscheid/daten-und-fakten/146380100000085023.php Bevölkerung und Bevölkerungsentwicklung] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616235128/https://remscheid.de/arbeiten-und-wirtschaft/standort-remscheid/daten-und-fakten/146380100000085023.php |date=16 June 2021 }}".</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;"|Rank
! style="background:#efefef;"|Nationality
! style="background:#efefef;"|Population (31.12.2019)
|-
|1|||{{TUR}}||5,749
|-
|2||{{ITA}}|| 3,158
|-
|3||{{SYR}}|| 1,264
|-
|4||{{POL}}|| 1,187
|-
|5||{{BUL}}|| 1,039
|-
|6||{{ESP}}||866
|-
|7||{{MKD}}||748
|-
|8||{{CRO}}||646
|-
|9||{{SRB}}||583
|-
|10||{{POR}}||493
|-
|}

==Politics==
===Mayor===
The current mayor of Remscheid is Burkhard Mast-Weisz of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD), elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Candidate
! Party
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Burkhard Mast-Weisz
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 22,431
| 60.6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Heidemarie Alexa Bell
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 9,710
| 26.2
|-
| 
| align=left| Peter Keck
| align=left| Pro Remscheid
| 1,908
| 5.2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Fritz Beinersdorf
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 1,309
| 3.5
|-
| 
| align=left| Roland Kirchner
| align=left| W.i.R. Remscheid
| 877
| 2.4
|-
| 
| align=left| Bettina Stamm
| align=left| Real Remscheid
| 775
| 2.1
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 37,010
! 98.5
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 548
! 1.5
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 37,558
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 85,783
! 43.8
|-
| colspan=5| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/b120000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

===City council===
[[File:2020 Remscheid City Council election.svg|thumb|350px|Results of the 2020 city council election]]
The Remscheid 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:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/−
! Seats
! +/−
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 12,718
| 34.5
| {{decrease}} 0.3
| 20
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 11,036
| 29.9
| {{decrease}} 7.3
| 17
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 5,409
| 14.7
| {{increase}} 6.3
| 9
| {{increase}} 5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 1,945
| 5.3
| {{increase}} 0.6
| 3
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Pro Remscheid (PRO)
| 1,870
| 5.1
| {{increase}} 0.7
| 3
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 1,700
| 4.6
| {{decrease}} 1.4
| 3
| ±0
|-
| 
| align=left| W.i.R. Remscheid (WIR)
| 1,092
| 3.0
| {{decrease}} 1.5
| 2
| ±0
|-
| 
| align=left| Real Remscheid (Echt)
| 788
| 2.1
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey| 
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 358
| 1.0
| New
| 0
| New
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 36,916
! 98.4
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 592
! 1.6
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 37,508
! 100.0
! 
! 58
! {{increase}} 6
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 85,783
! 43.7
! {{increase}} 0.7
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/a120000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

==Main sights==
* The ''[[Müngsten Bridge|Müngstener Brücke]]'' is a railway bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbouring town of [[Solingen]]. It is 107 m above the ground, making it the highest railway bridge in Germany. It was constructed in 1897 and originally named the ''Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke'' after [[Wilhelm I of Germany|Wilhelm I]] (whose 100th birthday would have been in 1897).
* The ''[[Eschbachtalsperre]]'', the first dam built in Germany for the supply of drinking water is located here. It was built in 1891.
* The old city of the borough Lennep consists of 116 houses from 1756.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Remscheid is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=twin>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften|url=https://www.remscheid.de/vv/produkte/0.02/staedtepartnerschaften.php|publisher=Remscheid|language=de|access-date=2024-01-25}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ashington]], England, United Kingdom
*{{flagicon|TUR}} [[Kırşehir]], Turkey
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Newbiggin-by-the-Sea|Newbiggin by the Sea]], England, United Kingdom
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Pirna]], Germany
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Prešov]], Slovakia
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Quimper]], France
{{div col end}}

Remscheid also cooperates with [[Mrągowo County]], Poland and [[Schmalkalden]], Germany.<ref name=twin/>

==Notable people==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt]] (1773–1854), scientist
*[[Gottfried Duden]] (1789–1856), writer
*[[Oscar Schlitter]] (1838–1939), banker
*[[Johannes Fastenrath]] (1839–1908), lawyer, writer and translator
*[[August Gissler]] (1857–1935), adventurer and treasure hunter
*[[Wilhelm Röntgen]] (1845–1923), discoverer of [[x-ray]]s
*[[Otto Jungtow]] (1892–1959), footballer
*[[Otto Kuhler]] (1894–1977), American designer of locomotives
*[[Hans Stammreich]] (1902–1969), German-Brasilian chemist
*[[Teo Otto]] (1904–1968), stage designer
*[[Wolfgang von der Nahmer]] (1906–1988), conductor
*[[Gustav Adolf Theill]] (1924–1997), composer and musicologist
*[[Karl Michael Vogler]] (1928–2009), actor
*[[Wolfgang Seiler]] (born 1940), biogeochemist and climatologist
*[[Peter Brötzmann]] (1941–2023), [[free jazz]] saxophonist
*[[Christel Frese]] (born 1944), athlete
*[[Michael Bacht]] (born 1947), artist 
*[[Frank Plasberg]] (born 1957), journalist
*[[Wolfgang Tillmans]] (born 1968), photographer
*[[Georg Wurth]] (born 1972), lobbyist and activist
*[[Christiane Soeder]] (born 1975), German-Austrian cyclist
*[[Robert A. Küfner]] (born 1988), entrepreneur, raised here
*[[The Rotation]] (born 1996), professional wrestler
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Muengsten.jpg|[[Müngsten Bridge]]
RS-Theo-Otto-Theater.jpg|[[Teo Otto Theater]]
Lennep_Kraspuett_3.jpg|Kraspütt&nbsp;3 in Lennep
Stadt Remscheid 1922.JPG|bond of the town Remscheid, issued 25 August 1922
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}
*{{Cite book |last=Flohr |first=Gustav |title=Noch ein Partisan |publisher=Verlag J.H.W. Dietz Nachf. Bonn |year=2020 |isbn=978-3-8012-0546-1 |pages=161–191, 482–483 |language=de}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Remscheid}}
*{{official website|https://www.remscheid.de}}
*{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Lennep |volume=16 |page=419 |short=x}}
*[http://www.roentgen-museum.de/ German Roentgen-Museum] {{in lang|de}}

{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Germany districts north rhine-westphalia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Remscheid| ]]
[[Category:Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Urban districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 12th century]]
[[Category:Districts of the Rhine Province]]
[[Category:Düsseldorf (region)]]