Remscheid: Germany

Remscheid: Germany
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area. Population: 120,600 (1999).

Remscheid is twinned with Quimper in France.

Remscheid was founded in the 12th century, but it was a tiny village until the 19th century. The economic growth of the entire Rhine-Ruhr region led to an increase of the population of Remscheid. Mechanical engineering and toolmaking were the main industrial branches of the town.

Wilhelm Röntgen, the discoverer of the x-rays, was born 1845 in Lennep, which is today a borough of Remscheid. There is a museum in Remscheid (Deutsches Röntgen-Museum) commemorating Röntgen’s life and discoveries.

The Müngstener Brücke is a railroad bridge crossing a valley and connecting Remscheid with the neighbour town of Solingen. It is 107 m above the ground, hence the highest railroad bridge of Germany. It was constructed in 1897.