Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler


Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is a spa town in the German Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate that serves as the capital of the Ahrweiler district. The A61 motorway connects the town with cities like Cologne and Mainz. Formed by the merging of the towns of Bad Neuenahr and Ahrweiler in 1969, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler consists of 11 such districts.

Geography

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler rests in the Ahr valley on the left bank of the Rhine river in the north of Rhineland-Palatinate. Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler nestles in the Ahr Hills.
The highest hill in the area is the Häuschen at above sea level. Nearby are the hills of Steckenberg, Neuenahrer, and Talerweiterung. There used to be castles on the last two of these hills.

Neighbouring communities

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is surrounded by the following villages and towns : Grafschaft, Remagen, Sinzig, Königsfeld, Schalkenbach, Heckenbach, Kesseling, Rech and Dernau. The nearest cities are Bonn and Koblenz.

Districts

Bad Neuenahr is divided into Ortsbezirke which consist of one or more districts. The Ortsbezirke are represented by local councils. The largest district, Bad Neuenahr, was originally made up of three communities, which are still seen as districts.
Population statistics as of 31 March 2013 :
Local DistrictSubdivisionPopulation
AhrweilerDistrict: Ahrweiler7,411
BachemDistrict: Bachem1,214
Bad NeuenahrDistricts: Beul, Hemmessen and Wadenheim12,132
GimmigenDistrict: Gimmigen735
HeimersheimDistrict: Heimersheim and Ehlingen3,194
HeppingenDistrict: Heppingen873
KirchdaunDistrict: Kirchdaun368
LohrsdorfDistrict: Lohrsdorf and Green672
RamersbachDistrict: Ramersbach567
WalporzheimDistrict: Walporzheim and Marienthal698

Climate


History

Antiquity

Discoveries dating to the Hallstatt period show farming activity by Celts that dwelled in the area.
The Gallic Wars resulted in the forced relocation of the indigenous Eburones to the Middle Rhine.
Several Roman antiquities were discovered in the region and date from the 1st to 3rd centuries.
Most notable is the, which, today is open to the public and serves as a museum.

Middle Ages

In 893 AD, Ahrweiler was mentioned as Arwilre, Arewilre, Arewilere, and later Areweiller in the Prüm Urbar. The abbey of Ahrweiler owned a manor with 24 farmsteads; 50 acres of farmland and 76 acres of vineyards. The first mention of a parish church occurred in Neuenahr Castle and surrounding county from 1204 to 1225.
In 1246 was founded one of the oldest German inns Gasthaus Sanct Peter. During this period, the area was ruled by German Counts von Neuenahr until 1587, until they went extinct in the male line.

Modern times

Close to Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, the national Government bunker was built between 1960 and 1972 inside two abandoned railway tunnels that were built as part of the Strategic Railway. The bunker was maintained and kept in a working condition for about 30 years and decommissioned in 1997. The location is a museum since February 2008.
During the 2021 European floods much of the town was submerged and many died.

Economy

The town has five stations on the Ahr Valley Railway and provides hourly connections to Bonn.

Sport

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is twinned with:
  • Brasschaat, Belgium

    Notable people

  • Cyrillus Jarre, Franciscan Archbishop in Jinan
  • Markus Stenz, conductor
  • Björn Glasner, cyclist
  • Jan van Eijden, cyclist
  • Pierre Kaffer, racing driver
  • Bianca Rech, footballer
  • Ricarda Funk, canoeist

    Associated with the town

  • Karl Marx, philosopher and economist, stayed in a spa resort in Bad Neuenahr in 1877
  • Ludwig van Beethoven, is said to have visited the town in his youth. The Beethovenhaus is named in his honor.
  • Peter Friedhofen, founder of the Charitable Brethren of Maria Hilf, who practiced his trade first in Ahrweiler
  • Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter, novelist and poet, died in Bad Neuenahr
  • Blandine Merten, Ursuline nun near Ahrweiler
  • Ebba Tesdorpf, illustrator and watercolorist, died in Ahrweiler
  • Paul Metternich, diplomat, died in the district of Heppingen
  • Max von Schillings, composer and conductor
  • Christian Hülsmeyer, inventor, physicist and entrepreneur, died in Ahrweiler