Altenkirchen (district)

Altenkirchen
District
Coat of arms of Altenkirchen Coat of arms
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
Capital	Altenkirchen
Area
• Total	642 km2 (248 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2013)
• Total	128,373
• Density	200/km2 (520/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Vehicle registration	AK
Website	kreis-altenkirchen.de

Altenkirchen 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.

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.

Geography

Altenkirchen is the northernmost district of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is occupied by the northern portions of the Westerwald mountains. The valley of the Sieg River 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

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

Verbandsgemeinden
1. Altenkirchen Almersbach Altenkirchen1, 2 Bachenberg Berod bei Hachenburg Birnbach Busenhausen Eichelhardt Ersfeld Fiersbach Fluterschen Forstmehren Gieleroth Hasselbach Helmenzen Helmeroth Hemmelzen Heupelzen Hilgenroth Hirz-Maulsbach Idelberg Ingelbach Isert Kettenhausen Kircheib Kraam Mammelzen Mehren Michelbach Neitersen Obererbach Oberirsen Oberwambach Ölsen Racksen Rettersen Schöneberg Sörth Stürzelbach Volkerzen Werkhausen Weyerbusch Wölmersen	2. Betzdorf Alsdorf Betzdorf1, 2 Grünebach Scheuerfeld Wallmenroth 3. Flammersfeld Berzhausen Bürdenbach Burglahr Eichen Eulenberg Flammersfeld1 Giershausen Güllesheim Horhausen Kescheid Krunkel Niedersteinebach Oberlahr Obernau Obersteinebach Orfgen Peterslahr Pleckhausen Reiferscheid Rott Schürdt Seelbach Seifen Walterschen Willroth Ziegenhain 4. Gebhardshain Dickendorf Elben Elkenroth Fensdorf Gebhardshain1 Kausen Malberg Molzhain Nauroth Rosenheim Steinebach/Sieg Steineroth	5. Hamm Birkenbeul Bitzen Breitscheidt Bruchertseifen Etzbach Forst Fürthen Hamm (Sieg)1 Niederirsen Pracht Roth Seelbach bei Hamm 6. Herdorf-Daaden Daaden1 Derschen Emmerzhausen Friedewald Herdorf2 Mauden Niederdreisbach Nisterberg Schutzbach Weitefeld 7. Kirchen Brachbach Friesenhagen Harbach Kirchen1, 2 Mudersbach Niederfischbach 8. Wissen Birken-Honigsessen Hövels Katzwinkel Mittelhof Selbach Wissen1, 2
1seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; 2town

External links

• Official website (German)