Altenkirchen (district)

Altenkirchen (German pronunciation: [ˈaltn̩ˌkɪʁçn̩] ⓘ) is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the North Rhine-Westphalian districts Rhein-Sieg, Oberbergischer Kreis, Olpe and Siegen-Wittgenstein, and the districts of Westerwaldkreis and Neuwied.

Altenkirchen
District
Flag of Altenkirchen
Flag
Coat of arms of Altenkirchen
Coat of arms
CountryGermany
StateRhineland-Palatinate
CapitalAltenkirchen
Area
 • Total642 km2 (248 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2021)[1]
 • Total129,261
 • Density200/km2 (520/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registrationAK
Websitekreis-altenkirchen.de

History

The history of the district is linked with the Westerwald region.

The district was established in 1816 by the Prussian administration. It combined the county of Wildenburg and the two counties of Sayn. The former had been part of Berg, the latter ones had belonged to the duchy of Nassau.

The county used to be divided into nine mayoralties, including the Bürgermeisterei Weyerbusch.

Geography

Altenkirchen is the northernmost district of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is occupied by the northern portions of the Westerwald mountains. The valley of the river Sieg borders the Westerwald on the north. The lands north of the Sieg are called Wildenburgisches Land, after the tiny county of Wildenburg, that once existed here.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays:

  • Top left: The golden lion of the county of Sayn, which occupied the territory in the 12th century
  • Top right: The symbol of the tiny county of Wildenburg, which existed until 1806 in the very north of the district
  • Bottom: The black and red cross is a combination of the bishops' emblems of Cologne and Trier

Towns and municipalities
Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district
Verbandsgemeinden
  1. Almersbach
  2. Altenkirchen1, 2
  3. Bachenberg
  4. Berod bei Hachenburg
  5. Berzhausen
  6. Birnbach
  7. Bürdenbach
  8. Burglahr
  9. Busenhausen
  10. Eichelhardt
  11. Eichen
  12. Ersfeld
  13. Eulenberg
  14. Fiersbach
  15. Flammersfeld
  16. Fluterschen
  17. Forstmehren
  18. Gieleroth
  19. Giershausen
  20. Güllesheim
  21. Hasselbach
  22. Helmenzen
  23. Helmeroth
  24. Hemmelzen
  25. Heupelzen
  26. Hilgenroth
  27. Hirz-Maulsbach
  28. Horhausen
  29. Idelberg
  30. Ingelbach
  31. Isert
  32. Kescheid
  33. Kettenhausen
  1. Kircheib
  2. Kraam
  3. Krunkel
  4. Mammelzen
  5. Mehren
  6. Michelbach
  7. Neitersen
  8. Niedersteinebach
  9. Obererbach
  10. Oberirsen
  11. Oberlahr
  12. Obersteinebach
  13. Oberwambach
  14. Ölsen
  15. Orfgen
  16. Peterslahr
  17. Pleckhausen
  18. Racksen
  19. Reiferscheid
  20. Rettersen
  21. Rott
  22. Schöneberg
  23. Schürdt
  24. Seelbach
  25. Seifen
  26. Sörth
  27. Stürzelbach
  28. Volkerzen
  29. Walterschen
  30. Werkhausen
  31. Weyerbusch
  32. Willroth
  33. Wölmersen
  34. Ziegenhain
  1. Alsdorf
  2. Betzdorf1, 2
  3. Dickendorf
  4. Elben
  5. Elkenroth
  6. Fensdorf
  7. Gebhardshain
  8. Grünebach
  9. Kausen
  10. Malberg
  11. Molzhain
  12. Nauroth
  13. Rosenheim
  14. Scheuerfeld
  15. Steinebach/Sieg
  16. Steineroth
  17. Wallmenroth
  1. Daaden1
  2. Derschen
  3. Emmerzhausen
  4. Friedewald
  5. Herdorf2
  6. Mauden
  7. Niederdreisbach
  8. Nisterberg
  9. Schutzbach
  10. Weitefeld
  1. Birkenbeul
  2. Bitzen
  3. Breitscheidt
  4. Bruchertseifen
  5. Etzbach
  6. Forst
  7. Fürthen
  8. Hamm (Sieg)1
  9. Niederirsen
  10. Pracht
  11. Roth
  12. Seelbach bei Hamm
  1. Brachbach
  2. Friesenhagen
  3. Harbach
  4. Kirchen1, 2
  5. Mudersbach
  6. Niederfischbach
  1. Birken-Honigsessen
  2. Hövels
  3. Katzwinkel
  4. Mittelhof
  5. Selbach
  6. Wissen1, 2
1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town

References
  1. "Bevölkerungsstand 2021, Kreise, Gemeinden, Verbandsgemeinden" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 2022.
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