Kaarst
Encyclopedia
Kaarst is a town in the district Rhein-Kreis Neuss
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
.
(5 km) and east of Mönchengladbach
(12 km).
came into this area as graves from the 7th century prove. The first written document is the Life of the first bishop of Münster. It describes how bishop Ludger
walked from Budica through the forest of Hamrithi. Budica is the former name of Büttgen which now is a village belonging to the town Kaarst.
Kaarst was mentioned for the first time as 'Karlesforst' in the year 1218. Karl was a very common name for frankish nobles. The most famous of them was king Charlemagne
('Karl der Große'). Lore says that Kaarst was founded by Charlemagne but this is not proven.
Probably, Charlemagne used the forest of Hamarithi in order to hunt with his closest companions.
Kaarst and Büttgen had a prospering Christian life in the Middle Ages and they both have churches built in the 12th century. In the following centuries the area was influenced by the big wars and both villages were destroyed by Charles the Bold duke of Burgundy
(Karl der Kühne, 1474–1475), in the 'Truchsässische Kriege' (1585 bis 1586) and in the Thirty Years' War
(1618–1648). On a farm near Büttgen Jan van Werth was born in 1591 who became a famous general.
During the Thirty Years' War, Kaarst got attacked several times by hostile armies, e.g. the one of Northern-Hesse (Northern-Hesse collaborated with Sweden
and France
, whereas the southern part of Hesse
did not). Some time in 1642, a Hessian troop entered the city murdering bestially the local preacher and destroying the church's accommodation. It is not proofed, but a legend says that a few Hessian soldiers had been somehow caught by farmers who rapidly found out what had happened in the church, reasoning them to lynch the aggressors immediately.
From 1794 till 1814 Kaarst was part of France
during the reign of Napoleon I
.
After conquering the rhine area the French restructered the districts in 1798 and the city became a part of the Kanton Neuss. A relic of Napoleon I is the Nordkanal, a channel that was designed to connect the rivers Maas and Rhine.
In 1936 Büttgen had some 4,400 inhabitants and Kaarst only some 2,000.
In 1975 the villages Kaarst and Büttgen were annexed with the city of Kaarst with now having 33,500 inhabitants.
is the western terminus of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn line S 28. The town is also served by Kaarster, Kaarst Mitte/Holzbüttgen and Kaarst IKEA stations.
Kaarst is connected to the motorway
system via the Bundesautobahn 52
and Bundesautobahn 57
, which intersect here.
Berti Vogts
German football player and manager (born in Büttgen, *1946)
Rhein-Kreis Neuss
Neuss is a Kreis in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Nearby are the urban districts Mönchengladbach, Krefeld, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, the districts Rhein-Erft-Kreis, Düren, Heinsberg and the district Viersen.-History:...
, 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...
.
Geography
Kaarst is located west of the city NeussNeuss
Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known...
(5 km) and east of Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....
(12 km).
Division of the town
Kaarst consists of 5 subdivisions- Kaarst (23,495 inhabitants)
- Büttgen (6,415 inhabitants)
- Driesch (645 inhabitants)
- Holzbüttgen (5,967 inhabitants)
- Vorst (5,671 inhabitants)
History
Before 100 BC Celts lived in the area. Later the FranksFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
came into this area as graves from the 7th century prove. The first written document is the Life of the first bishop of Münster. It describes how bishop Ludger
Ludger
Saint Ludger was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia....
walked from Budica through the forest of Hamrithi. Budica is the former name of Büttgen which now is a village belonging to the town Kaarst.
Kaarst was mentioned for the first time as 'Karlesforst' in the year 1218. Karl was a very common name for frankish nobles. The most famous of them was king Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
('Karl der Große'). Lore says that Kaarst was founded by Charlemagne but this is not proven.
Probably, Charlemagne used the forest of Hamarithi in order to hunt with his closest companions.
Kaarst and Büttgen had a prospering Christian life in the Middle Ages and they both have churches built in the 12th century. In the following centuries the area was influenced by the big wars and both villages were destroyed by Charles the Bold duke of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
(Karl der Kühne, 1474–1475), in the 'Truchsässische Kriege' (1585 bis 1586) and in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
(1618–1648). On a farm near Büttgen Jan van Werth was born in 1591 who became a famous general.
During the Thirty Years' War, Kaarst got attacked several times by hostile armies, e.g. the one of Northern-Hesse (Northern-Hesse collaborated with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and 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...
, whereas the southern part of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
did not). Some time in 1642, a Hessian troop entered the city murdering bestially the local preacher and destroying the church's accommodation. It is not proofed, but a legend says that a few Hessian soldiers had been somehow caught by farmers who rapidly found out what had happened in the church, reasoning them to lynch the aggressors immediately.
From 1794 till 1814 Kaarst was part of 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...
during the reign of Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
.
After conquering the rhine area the French restructered the districts in 1798 and the city became a part of the Kanton Neuss. A relic of Napoleon I is the Nordkanal, a channel that was designed to connect the rivers Maas and Rhine.
In 1936 Büttgen had some 4,400 inhabitants and Kaarst only some 2,000.
In 1975 the villages Kaarst and Büttgen were annexed with the city of Kaarst with now having 33,500 inhabitants.
Politics
The 2004 communal elections certified Franz-Josef Moormann (CDU) as the mayor of Kaarst with scoring 60,0 per cents of the valid votes. With it he topped the results of the 1999 elections, where he took over the function as the mayor from Heinz Klever, who held this function from 1974 until then.Transport
Kaarster See stationKaarster See station
Kaarster See station is located in the town of Kaarst in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the remaining part of the Neuss–Viersen railway, opened by the Rhenish Railway Company on 15 November 1877...
is the western terminus of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn line S 28. The town is also served by Kaarster, Kaarst Mitte/Holzbüttgen and Kaarst IKEA stations.
Kaarst is connected to the motorway
German Autobahnen
The German autobahns are the nationally coordinated motorway system in Germany. In German, they are officially called Bundesautobahn , which translates as federal expressways...
system via the Bundesautobahn 52
Bundesautobahn 52
is an autobahn in western Germany. It starts at the Dutch-German border near the community of Niederkrüchten, district of Viersen. From Elmpt it runs northeast....
and Bundesautobahn 57
Bundesautobahn 57
The Bundesautobahn 57 is a German Autobahn that begins at the Dutch-German border near Goch and ends in Köln. It runs parallel to the Rhine River. Neuss and Krefeld are the biggest cities at this motorway. The A 57 is continuation of the Dutch A77...
, which intersect here.
Notable residents
Jan von Werth General in the 30year long war (born in Büttgen, 1591-1652)Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
German football player and manager (born in Büttgen, *1946)