Drolshagen
Encyclopedia
Drolshagen is a town belonging to the district of Olpe
in the Regierungsbezirk
of Arnsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
, lying roughly 5 km west of Olpe
.
. The area of the municipality of Drolshagen is characterized by heavily wooded low mountain ranges with altitudes close to 500 metres, flat tops and broad valleys in between. More than 40% of the municipal area is wooded. To the west where the municipal area ends is a steep drop of altitude and the view is open towards the plains of the river Rhine in the distance.
Gummersbach
, Meinerzhagen
, Attendorn
, Olpe
, Wenden, Reichshof
and Bergneustadt
.
Several named and a number of unnamed streams and brooks flow through the valleys of the municipality of Drolshagen:
The Brachtpe empties into the Biggesee and the Herpel into the Listertalsperre.
Drolshagen is part of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge.
, then known as Süderland, had been part of the Duchy of Saxony
when it was given to the Archbishop of Cologne, Philipp, in 1180. In 1413, the townsfolk and Denklingen Castle
were under the control of the Duke of Berg as part of the feudal system existing at the time. From 1470, the historical record mentions knights in Drolshagen.
Drolshagen was granted town rights on 2 March 1477 by Ruprecht, Archbishop of Cologne, thus entitling it to a market and walls. In 1485, these were not only confirmed but also strengthened by Archbishop Hermann IV, who added the right to hold a fair. Long before Droshagen received its town charter it had already been a Freiheit ("freedom") meaning that it had already been granted privileges close to a town charter. As such, Drolshagen had a mayor, a council and a seal of its own. Even by 1477, this “freedom’s” sphere of influence within the Sauerland was already quite broad. The Cistercian monastery
, endowed in 1235, fell into a quarrel with the town beginning in 1550 over who had rights to the St.-Clemens-Kirche (church), which in turn led to a trial in Rome
.
In 1604, according to the Chronica Drolshagensis, Drolshagen was a member of the Hanse and traded with other Hanseatic cities, especially in Eastern Europe
. In 1838, Drolshagen was almost utterly destroyed by fire. When the town was built anew, it had its streets laid out in a grid pattern. During World War II
the town was spared bombing and thus still has many of its old buildings. In the course of municipal restructuring in North Rhine-Westphalia, the old Ämter of Drolshagen-Stadt (town) and Drolshagen-Land (country) were merged into the new town of Drolshagen in 1969.
As to the name's development, there are several theories, the likeliest of which appears in the Chronica Drolshagensis, according to which a knight named Drogilo established a Hag (a place ringed by hedgerows) on what is now the town's site, which he named Drogileshagino. Over time, this would have been corrupted to the name used today: Drolshagen
Witnesses to Drolshagen's past are St. Clement's Church whose middle section dates back to a Cistercian monastery established by the Counts of Sayn. Today only parts of buildings of the former monastery remain.
.
show in the upper left and lower right three blue diamonds on a gold background, the arms formerly borne by the old Amt of Drolshagen-Land and indeed by the Lords of Drolshagen, a noble family. In the upper right and lower left are the arms formerly borne by the town before its amalgamation with the outlying rural Amt, namely Saint Clement’s
anchor, which is a reference to Saint Clement’s Church (St.-Clemens-Kirche) in the town. The arms are quartered by the cross of the Electorate of Cologne, as Drolshagen belonged to the part of the Sauerland over which the Electorate held sway.
Joure
/Skarsterlân
, Netherlands
, since October 1967
Helmsdorf
, Thuringia
, Germany
(“friendship”)
Source
The Harvest and Animal Show Festival in October attracts many visitors every year. At Carnival there is a parade on Altweibertag (“Old Women’s Day”) which is attended by many who come to watch. As well, there is a shooting festival every year.
and electrical industries, paper
processing, stoneworking, toolmaking
, vehicle supply, building and crafts.
and Bundesautobahn 4). On Bundesautobahn 45, Drolshagen has its own exit, and also just within town limits is the Olpe exit. On Bundesautobahn 4 from Cologne
, Drolshagen can be reached from the Eckenhagen/Drolshagen exit. Furthermore, the Bundesstraße
n 54 and 55 run through Drolshagen.
The 144 bus stops are served by the Verkehrsbetriebe Westfalen-Süd (VWS) and the Oberbergische Verkehrsgesellschaft (OVAG).
Olpe (district)
Olpe is a Kreis in the south-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Märkischer Kreis, Hochsauerland, Siegen-Wittgenstein, Altenkirchen, Oberbergischer Kreis.- History :...
in the Regierungsbezirk
Regierungsbezirk
In Germany, a Government District, in German: Regierungsbezirk – is a subdivision of certain federal states .They are above the Kreise, Landkreise, and kreisfreie Städte...
of Arnsberg 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...
, lying roughly 5 km west of Olpe
Olpe, Germany
Olpe is situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part of the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of Olpe.- Location :...
.
Location
Drolshagen lies in the heavily wooded Naturpark Ebbegebirge in the SauerlandSauerland
The Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
. The area of the municipality of Drolshagen is characterized by heavily wooded low mountain ranges with altitudes close to 500 metres, flat tops and broad valleys in between. More than 40% of the municipal area is wooded. To the west where the municipal area ends is a steep drop of altitude and the view is open towards the plains of the river Rhine in the distance.
Neighbouring communities
Drolshagen borders on the following towns and communities, clockwise beginning in the northwest:Gummersbach
Gummersbach
Gummersbach is a city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, being the district seat of the Oberbergischer Kreis. It is located 50 km east of Cologne. In the past it was nicknamed "the Lime Tree Town", because lime trees lined the main street...
, Meinerzhagen
Meinerzhagen
Meinerzhagen is a town in the Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Meinerzhagen is located in the hills of the Sauerland. The highest elevation is the Nordhelle with 663 m above sea level, the lowest elevation at the Lister dam with 319m...
, Attendorn
Attendorn
Attendorn is a German town in the Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia.As of 2008 it had a population of 24, 801.- History :The town’s location was favoured by the good climate in the Attendorn-Elsper Limestone Double Basin , the fruitful soil and favourable transport potential, and was already...
, Olpe
Olpe, Germany
Olpe is situated in the foothills of the Ebbegebirge in North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 60 km east of Cologne and 20 km northwest of Siegen. It is part of the Regierungsbezirk of Arnsberg and is the seat of the district of Olpe.- Location :...
, Wenden, Reichshof
Reichshof
Reichshof is a Northrhine-Westfalian municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis in Germany, about 40 km east of Cologne. It is a health resort, known for its good climate.-General meaning:...
and Bergneustadt
Bergneustadt
Bergneustadt is a municipality in the eastern part of the Oberbergischer Kreis , in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located 50 km east of Cologne. It is part of the Berg region.-First naming:...
.
Constituent communities
Drolshagen’s current municipal area comprises 58 communities of various sizes.- More than 1,000 inhabitants are found in the following places:
- Drolshagen (main town; 4,807), Hützemert (1,092)
- Between 500 and 1,000 inhabitants live in these places:
- Iseringhausen, Schreibershof
- Between 250 and 500 inhabitants live in these places:
- Benolpe, Berlinghausen, Bleche, Dumicke, Frenkhausen, Germinghausen, Herpel, Wegeringhausen
- Each of these places has fewer than 250 inhabitants:
- Alperscheid, Beul, Brachtpe, Buchhagen, Bühren, Dirkingen, Eichen, Eichenermühle, Eltge, Essinghausen, Fahrenschotten, Feldmannshof, Gelslingen, Gipperich, Grünenthal, Halbhusten, Heiderhof, Heimicke, Hespecke, Husten, Junkernhöh, Kalberschnacke, Kram, Lüdespert, Neuenhaus, Öhringhausen, Scheda, Schlade, Schlenke, Schürholz, Sendschotten, Siebringhausen, Stupperhof, Wenkhausen, Wintersohl
Streams and Hills
The highest hills are:- Mark (512 m)
- Löh (482 m)
- Steupingen (481 m)
Several named and a number of unnamed streams and brooks flow through the valleys of the municipality of Drolshagen:
- Brachtpe
- Rose
- Steupinger Bach
- Herpel
The Brachtpe empties into the Biggesee and the Herpel into the Listertalsperre.
Geology
Like other areas of SauerlandSauerland
The Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
Drolshagen is part of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge.
History
The SauerlandSauerland
The Sauerland is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited...
, then known as Süderland, had been part of the Duchy of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
when it was given to the Archbishop of Cologne, Philipp, in 1180. In 1413, the townsfolk and Denklingen Castle
Denklingen Castle
Denklingen Castle is a historic building in the Denklingen district of Reichshof in the Oberbergischer Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-History:...
were under the control of the Duke of Berg as part of the feudal system existing at the time. From 1470, the historical record mentions knights in Drolshagen.
Drolshagen was granted town rights on 2 March 1477 by Ruprecht, Archbishop of Cologne, thus entitling it to a market and walls. In 1485, these were not only confirmed but also strengthened by Archbishop Hermann IV, who added the right to hold a fair. Long before Droshagen received its town charter it had already been a Freiheit ("freedom") meaning that it had already been granted privileges close to a town charter. As such, Drolshagen had a mayor, a council and a seal of its own. Even by 1477, this “freedom’s” sphere of influence within the Sauerland was already quite broad. The Cistercian monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, endowed in 1235, fell into a quarrel with the town beginning in 1550 over who had rights to the St.-Clemens-Kirche (church), which in turn led to a trial in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
In 1604, according to the Chronica Drolshagensis, Drolshagen was a member of the Hanse and traded with other Hanseatic cities, especially in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. In 1838, Drolshagen was almost utterly destroyed by fire. When the town was built anew, it had its streets laid out in a grid pattern. During 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 spared bombing and thus still has many of its old buildings. In the course of municipal restructuring in North Rhine-Westphalia, the old Ämter of Drolshagen-Stadt (town) and Drolshagen-Land (country) were merged into the new town of Drolshagen in 1969.
As to the name's development, there are several theories, the likeliest of which appears in the Chronica Drolshagensis, according to which a knight named Drogilo established a Hag (a place ringed by hedgerows) on what is now the town's site, which he named Drogileshagino. Over time, this would have been corrupted to the name used today: Drolshagen
Witnesses to Drolshagen's past are St. Clement's Church whose middle section dates back to a Cistercian monastery established by the Counts of Sayn. Today only parts of buildings of the former monastery remain.
Town council
- CDU 14 seats
- SPD 3 seats
- Unabhängige Christliche Wählergemeinschaft (UCW) 6 seats
- Unabhängige Drolshagener Wählergemeinschaft (UDW) 3 seats
Mayor
At the mayoral election on 26 September 2004, more than three fourths of the ballots were cast for CDU politician Theo Hilchenbach, against whom stood no-one. In 1999 he had scored almost as high a share of the votes (72.72%) against SPD candidate Thomas Gosmann and Reinbert Schmidt of the GreensGreens
Greens may refer to:*Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc.-Politics:Supranational* Green politics* Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics* Global Greens...
.
Coat of arms
Drolshagen’s armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
show in the upper left and lower right three blue diamonds on a gold background, the arms formerly borne by the old Amt of Drolshagen-Land and indeed by the Lords of Drolshagen, a noble family. In the upper right and lower left are the arms formerly borne by the town before its amalgamation with the outlying rural Amt, namely Saint Clement’s
Pope Clement I
Starting in the 3rd and 4th century, tradition has identified him as the Clement that Paul mentioned in Philippians as a fellow laborer in Christ.While in the mid-19th century it was customary to identify him as a freedman of Titus Flavius Clemens, who was consul with his cousin, the Emperor...
anchor, which is a reference to Saint Clement’s Church (St.-Clemens-Kirche) in the town. The arms are quartered by the cross of the Electorate of Cologne, as Drolshagen belonged to the part of the Sauerland over which the Electorate held sway.
Town partnerships
JoureJoure
Joure is a town in the Dutch province of Friesland. With 13,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the municipality of Skarsterlân.-History:...
/Skarsterlân
Skarsterlân
Skarsterlân is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. The municipality was created January 1, 1984 by merging the municipalities of Doniawerstal and Haskerland, the part of Utingeradeel consisting of the villages Akmarijp and Terkaple and the village Nieuwebrug that used...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, since October 1967
HelmsdorfHelmsdorf
Helmsdorf may refer to the following places in Germany:*Helmsdorf, Thuringia, in the Eichsfeld district, Thuringia*A locality in Heiligenthal, in Mansfeld-Südharz district, Sachsen-Anhalt*A locality in Stolpen, in the Sächsische Schweiz district, Saxony...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, 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...
(“friendship”)
Historical populations
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1895 | 2,900 |
| 1900 | 2,966 |
| 1939 | 6,295 |
| 1961 | 8,250 |
| 1975 | 9,973 |
| 1980 | 10,184 |
| 1985 | 10,542 |
| 1990 | 11,220 |
| 1995 | 12,101 |
| 2000 | 12,358 |
| 2005 | 12,559 |
| 2006 | 12,485 |
| 2008 | 12,416 |
Source
Buildings
- St.-Clemens-Pfarrkirche:
- This RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
Catholic church’s tower has its roots in the year 1491, and it houses a set of seven bells arranged g°-a°-c'-d'-e'-g'-a'. The great Christ-König-Glocke (“Christ King Bell”) is the biggest cast steelSteelSteel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
bell in the Archbishopric of Paderborn. The other bells, which are artistically decorated, were cast in bronzeBronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
in 1993. All together, the bells weigh roughly 18 000 kg and are counted among Westphalia’s most musically important peal of bells. The baptismal fontBaptismal fontA baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
was built in the 13th century. It is said that Anno of CologneAnno II, Archbishop of CologneSaint Anno II was Archbishop of Cologne from 1056 to 1075.He was born around 1010, belonging to the Swabian family of the von Steusslingen, and was educated at Bamberg. He became confessor to the Emperor Henry III, who appointed him archbishop of Cologne in 1056...
consecrated the church sometime between 1050 and 1075.- Old Cistercian Monastery
- Among the monasteries endowed by Mechthild of Sayn with her husband Heinrich III of Sayn is the Drolshagen Cistercian Monastery, which she founded in 1235. From the way the endowment document is worded, it seems that it was not meant as a founding document, but rather as a donation document with the character of an atonement endowment. In the course of SecularizationSecularizationSecularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
in 1803, the monastery was dissolved, and between 1975 and 1987 it was thoroughly renovated. Today it houses the town building office and the music school, as well as rooms for special cultural events.- Eichener Mühle
- This former grist mill “Im Kreuzohl” was first mentioned in a document dating from 1512. The building, which is now under protection as a monument, is nowadays used by a private owner as a house.
- Waldkapelle Hünkesohl
- The Marienkapelle (Mary’s Chapel) is used every year for May prayers and is a favourite pilgrimagePilgrimageA pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
destination in the Drolshagen area. The chapel was buily in the Marian Year 1954 out of wooden blocks.
Sport
The Drolshagen area is home to many sport clubs. The biggest are:- TuS 09 Drolshagen e. V.
- Hützemerter Sportverein 1951 e. V.
- SC Drolshagen 1962 e. V.
The Harvest and Animal Show Festival in October attracts many visitors every year. At Carnival there is a parade on Altweibertag (“Old Women’s Day”) which is attended by many who come to watch. As well, there is a shooting festival every year.
Economy and infrastructure
As is so almost everywhere in the Sauerland, the town’s economy is characterized by midsize businesses. The main fields of activity are engine building, metalworkingMetalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
and electrical industries, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
processing, stoneworking, toolmaking
Toolmaking
The term toolmaking may refer to:* The act of making tools of any kind, from the simplest handtools made of plant fiber or stone, to the most technologically advanced tools. This form of toolmaking is a topic of interest in anthropology. Some non-human animal species also use tools.* Tool and die...
, vehicle supply, building and crafts.
Transport
The town of Drolshagen lies inside the angle formed by the Olpe Autobahn interchange (Bundesautobahn 45Bundesautobahn 45
is an autobahn in Germany, connecting Dortmund in the west with Aschaffenburg in the southwest. It is colloquially known by its byname Sauerlandlinie, which derives from the Sauerland, the landscape which said autobahn is running through between the cities of Hagen and Siegen. Many people think of...
and Bundesautobahn 4). On Bundesautobahn 45, Drolshagen has its own exit, and also just within town limits is the Olpe exit. On Bundesautobahn 4 from 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...
, Drolshagen can be reached from the Eckenhagen/Drolshagen exit. Furthermore, the Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
n 54 and 55 run through Drolshagen.
The 144 bus stops are served by the Verkehrsbetriebe Westfalen-Süd (VWS) and the Oberbergische Verkehrsgesellschaft (OVAG).
Sons and daughters of the town
- Heinrich Bone, 25 September 1813 – 10 June 1893, Catholic educator, textbook editor, Catholic songbook publisher, hymn editor
- Emilie Engel, 1893 – 20 November 1955 in Koblenz-Metternich, teacher, nun, provincial head of the Schönstatt MovementSchoenstatt MovementThe Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt is a Roman Catholic Marian Movement founded in Germany in 1914 by Father Joseph Kentenich. Fr. Kentenich saw the movement as being a means of spiritual renewal in the Catholic Church...
(BeatificationBeatificationBeatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
proceedings were begun in 1999.) - Rupert Lay, 14 June 1929 –, philosopher and theologian
- Hubertus Halbfas, 1932 –, theologian, among other things author of a range of religious books for school instruction
- Otto Hellinghaus 1853–1935, philosopher and writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....