Brilon
Encyclopedia
Brilon (ˈbʁiːlɔn) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, that belongs to the Hochsauerland
Hochsauerland
Hochsauerlandkreis is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.- History :...

kreis.

Geography

Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river Möhne
Möhne
The Möhne is a small-size river in western Germany , right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen, Warstein. There is large articifical lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, used for hydro power generation and leisure activities....

. 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.

Neighbouring municipalities

  • Bad Wünnenberg
    Bad Wünnenberg
    Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approx. 20 km south of Paderborn....

  • Büren
    Büren, Westphalia
    Büren is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Büren is situated on the river Alme, approx. 20 km south-west of Paderborn and approx...

  • Diemelsee
    Diemelsee
    Diemelsee is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, and is part of the Upland region.-Location:Diemelsee lies in the River Diemel in the Diemelsee Nature Park just upstream from and southwest of the Diemelsee reservoir...

  • Marsberg
    Marsberg
    Marsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century . It was a free city until 1807, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, until 1813...

  • Olsberg
  • Rüthen
    Rüthen
    Rüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Rüthen is situated at the northeastern border of the natural preserve Arnsberger Wald between the Haarstrang and the valley of the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and south-west of Paderborn...

  • Willingen
    Willingen
    Willingen is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.Willingen is regularly advertised as Willingen Hochsauerland and Willingen .-Location:...


  • 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)

    (Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004)

    History

    The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the Emperor
    Holy Roman Emperor
    The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...

     Otto II dated 973, confirming to the Cathedral of Magdeburg
    Cathedral of Magdeburg
    The Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Today it's the principal church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany...

     all those possessions in Westphalia
    Westphalia
    Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "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
    Paderborn
    Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...

    , who endowed their steward ("Vogt
    Vogt
    A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...

    ") with it.

    In about 1220 Archbishop
    Archbishopric of Cologne
    The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...

     Engelbert I of Cologne
    Engelbert II of Berg
    Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...

     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 Hansa
    Hansa
    The Hanseatic League, known as Hansa or Hanse in various Germanic languages, was a 13th–17th century alliance of European trading cities...

    . In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind Soest
    Soest, Germany
    Soest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...

    . 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 Petrinumhttp://www.petrinum-brilon.de was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest Gymnasien
    Gymnasium (school)
    A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

     ("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 period
    Napoleonic Wars
    The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

     Brilon passed to Hesse-Darmstadt
    Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
    The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....

    , in 1802. After the Congress of Vienna
    Congress of Vienna
    The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...

     of 1816 it was transferred to Prussia
    Prussia
    Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

    , which made it the centre of the Prussian 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
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

     the town was initially spared from Allied air raids
    Airstrike
    An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...

    . But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by American
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     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
    North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

    . In the course of the local government reorganisation 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.

    Population Growth

    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

    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 state of Cologne
    Cologne
    Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

    . The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of Saint Peter
    Saint Peter
    Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

    , patron saint
    Patron saint
    A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...

     of Cologne
    Archbishopric of Cologne
    The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...

    .

    Twin Towns

    • Hesdin
      Hesdin
      Hesdin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The N39, from Arras to Montreuil, used to be the main thoroughfare of the town. In the 1950s, a circular route was created to help traffic flow...

       (France
      France
      The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

      )
    • Heusden-Zolder
      Heusden-Zolder
      Heusden-Zolder is a municipality located in the Belgian province of province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769...

       (Belgium
      Belgium
      Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

      )
    • Thurso
      Thurso
      -Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...

       (Scotland
      Scotland
      Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

      )
    • Buckow
      Buckow
      Buckow is a town in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated at the Schermützelsee lake, northwest of Müncheberg and east of the Berlin centre...

       (Brandenburg
      Brandenburg
      Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

      , Germany
      Germany
      Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

      )

    Culture and Sights

    Brilon (ˈbʁiːlɔn) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

    , Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    , that belongs to the Hochsauerland
    Hochsauerland
    Hochsauerlandkreis is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.- History :...

    kreis.

    Geography

    Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river Möhne
    Möhne
    The Möhne is a small-size river in western Germany , right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen, Warstein. There is large articifical lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, used for hydro power generation and leisure activities....

    . 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.

    Neighbouring municipalities

    • Bad Wünnenberg
      Bad Wünnenberg
      Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approx. 20 km south of Paderborn....

    • Büren
      Büren, Westphalia
      Büren is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Büren is situated on the river Alme, approx. 20 km south-west of Paderborn and approx...

    • Diemelsee
      Diemelsee
      Diemelsee is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, and is part of the Upland region.-Location:Diemelsee lies in the River Diemel in the Diemelsee Nature Park just upstream from and southwest of the Diemelsee reservoir...

    • Marsberg
      Marsberg
      Marsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century . It was a free city until 1807, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, until 1813...

  • Olsberg
  • Rüthen
    Rüthen
    Rüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Rüthen is situated at the northeastern border of the natural preserve Arnsberger Wald between the Haarstrang and the valley of the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and south-west of Paderborn...

  • Willingen
    Willingen
    Willingen is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.Willingen is regularly advertised as Willingen Hochsauerland and Willingen .-Location:...


  • 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)

    (Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004)

    History

    The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the Emperor
    Holy Roman Emperor
    The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...

     Otto II dated 973, confirming to the Cathedral of Magdeburg
    Cathedral of Magdeburg
    The Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Today it's the principal church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany...

     all those possessions in Westphalia
    Westphalia
    Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "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
    Paderborn
    Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...

    , who endowed their steward ("Vogt
    Vogt
    A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...

    ") with it.

    In about 1220 Archbishop
    Archbishopric of Cologne
    The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...

     Engelbert I of Cologne
    Engelbert II of Berg
    Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...

     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 Hansa
    Hansa
    The Hanseatic League, known as Hansa or Hanse in various Germanic languages, was a 13th–17th century alliance of European trading cities...

    . In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind Soest
    Soest, Germany
    Soest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...

    . 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 Petrinumhttp://www.petrinum-brilon.de was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest Gymnasien
    Gymnasium (school)
    A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

     ("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 period
    Napoleonic Wars
    The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

     Brilon passed to Hesse-Darmstadt
    Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
    The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....

    , in 1802. After the Congress of Vienna
    Congress of Vienna
    The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...

     of 1816 it was transferred to Prussia
    Prussia
    Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

    , which made it the centre of the Prussian 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
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

     the town was initially spared from Allied air raids
    Airstrike
    An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...

    . But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by American
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     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
    North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

    . In the course of the local government reorganisation 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.


    Population Growth

    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





    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 state of Cologne
    Cologne
    Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

    . The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of Saint Peter
    Saint Peter
    Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

    , patron saint
    Patron saint
    A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...

     of Cologne
    Archbishopric of Cologne
    The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...

    .

    Twin Towns

    • Hesdin
      Hesdin
      Hesdin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The N39, from Arras to Montreuil, used to be the main thoroughfare of the town. In the 1950s, a circular route was created to help traffic flow...

       (France
      France
      The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

      )
    • Heusden-Zolder
      Heusden-Zolder
      Heusden-Zolder is a municipality located in the Belgian province of province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769...

       (Belgium
      Belgium
      Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

      )
    • Thurso
      Thurso
      -Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...

       (Scotland
      Scotland
      Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

      )
    • Buckow
      Buckow
      Buckow is a town in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated at the Schermützelsee lake, northwest of Müncheberg and east of the Berlin centre...

       (Brandenburg
      Brandenburg
      Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

      , Germany
      Germany
      Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

      )

    Culture and Sights

    Brilon (ˈbʁiːlɔn) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

    , Germany
    Germany
    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

    , that belongs to the Hochsauerland
    Hochsauerland
    Hochsauerlandkreis is a Kreis in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Soest, Paderborn, Höxter, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Olpe, Märkischer Kreis.- History :...

    kreis.

    Geography

    Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river Möhne
    Möhne
    The Möhne is a small-size river in western Germany , right tributary of the Ruhr. The Möhne passes the towns of Brilon, Rüthen, Warstein. There is large articifical lake near the mouth of the river, the Möhne Reservoir, used for hydro power generation and leisure activities....

    . 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.

    Neighbouring municipalities

    • Bad Wünnenberg
      Bad Wünnenberg
      Bad Wünnenberg is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Aabach, approx. 20 km south of Paderborn....

    • Büren
      Büren, Westphalia
      Büren is a municipality in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Büren is situated on the river Alme, approx. 20 km south-west of Paderborn and approx...

    • Diemelsee
      Diemelsee
      Diemelsee is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northwest Hesse, Germany, and is part of the Upland region.-Location:Diemelsee lies in the River Diemel in the Diemelsee Nature Park just upstream from and southwest of the Diemelsee reservoir...

    • Marsberg
      Marsberg
      Marsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:Although its origins are obscure, Marsberg was a prospering town by the 13th century . It was a free city until 1807, when it was incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia, until 1813...

  • Olsberg
  • Rüthen
    Rüthen
    Rüthen is a town in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Rüthen is situated at the northeastern border of the natural preserve Arnsberger Wald between the Haarstrang and the valley of the river Möhne, approx. 20 km south of Lippstadt and south-west of Paderborn...

  • Willingen
    Willingen
    Willingen is a community in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.Willingen is regularly advertised as Willingen Hochsauerland and Willingen .-Location:...


  • 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)

    (Source of population figures: www.briloner-wirtschaft.de / As at: 31 December 2004)

    History

    The first documentary reference occurs in a deed of the Emperor
    Holy Roman Emperor
    The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...

     Otto II dated 973, confirming to the Cathedral of Magdeburg
    Cathedral of Magdeburg
    The Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Today it's the principal church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany...

     all those possessions in Westphalia
    Westphalia
    Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "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
    Paderborn
    Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...

    , who endowed their steward ("Vogt
    Vogt
    A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...

    ") with it.

    In about 1220 Archbishop
    Archbishopric of Cologne
    The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...

     Engelbert I of Cologne
    Engelbert II of Berg
    Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...

     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 Hansa
    Hansa
    The Hanseatic League, known as Hansa or Hanse in various Germanic languages, was a 13th–17th century alliance of European trading cities...

    . In 1350 Brilon had between 500 and 600 houses. At this time Brilon held the position of the second city of Westphalia behind Soest
    Soest, Germany
    Soest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...

    . 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 Petrinumhttp://www.petrinum-brilon.de was founded as a monastery school. It is thus one of the oldest Gymnasien
    Gymnasium (school)
    A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...

     ("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 period
    Napoleonic Wars
    The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...

     Brilon passed to Hesse-Darmstadt
    Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
    The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....

    , in 1802. After the Congress of Vienna
    Congress of Vienna
    The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...

     of 1816 it was transferred to Prussia
    Prussia
    Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

    , which made it the centre of the Prussian 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
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

     the town was initially spared from Allied air raids
    Airstrike
    An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...

    . But on 10 January 1944 there came an attack by American
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     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
    North Rhine-Westphalia
    North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...

    . In the course of the local government reorganisation 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.


    Population Growth

    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





    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 state of Cologne
    Cologne
    Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

    . The key, a motif which appears already in medieval seals, is one of the keys of Saint Peter
    Saint Peter
    Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

    , patron saint
    Patron saint
    A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...

     of Cologne
    Archbishopric of Cologne
    The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...

    .

    Twin Towns

    • Hesdin
      Hesdin
      Hesdin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The N39, from Arras to Montreuil, used to be the main thoroughfare of the town. In the 1950s, a circular route was created to help traffic flow...

       (France
      France
      The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

      )
    • Heusden-Zolder
      Heusden-Zolder
      Heusden-Zolder is a municipality located in the Belgian province of province of Limburg near Hasselt. On 1 January 2006 Heusden-Zolder had a total population of 30,769...

       (Belgium
      Belgium
      Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

      )
    • Thurso
      Thurso
      -Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...

       (Scotland
      Scotland
      Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

      )
    • Buckow
      Buckow
      Buckow is a town in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated at the Schermützelsee lake, northwest of Müncheberg and east of the Berlin centre...

       (Brandenburg
      Brandenburg
      Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

      , Germany
      Germany
      Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

      )
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