Gevelsberg

Gevelsberg is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Geography

The town lies in the valley of the river Ennepe in the Süder Uplands, which is part of the Rhenish Massif. Gevelsberg lies about halfway between Wuppertal and Hagen, and is part of the industrial Ruhr Region. The lowest elevation is the Ennepe river at Vogelsang (132 m (433 ft)) and highest is the Hageböllinger Kopf (336 m (1,102 ft)). Its east-to-west length is 7.1 kilometres (4.4 miles) and the north to south length is 7.15 km (4.44 mi).

Division of the town

History

The city has a history of nearly 780 years. The archbishop of Cologne Engelbert II of Berg was killed on November 7, 1225 by his cousin Frederick of Isenberg in Gievilberch.

The population grew strongly in the 19th century, when many small industries related to iron processing were developed.

Coat of arms

Gevelsberg received its coat of arms (a brick gable on a green hill, and a cogwheel indicating its industry) by decree of the Prussian Department of the Interior in 1903. In the mid-1950s a city wall was added to the coat of arms.