Moers

Moers is a German city on the western bank of the Rhine, close to Duisburg. Moers belongs to the district of Wesel.

History

Known earliest from 1186, the county of Moers was an independent principality within the Holy Roman Empire.
During the Eighty Years' War it was alternately captured by Spanish and Dutch troops, as it bordered the Upper Quarter of Guelders. During the war it finally fell to Maurice of Orange. As it was separated from the Dutch Republic by Spanish Upper Guelders it did not become an integral part of the Republic, though Dutch troops were stationed there.
After the death of William III of Orange in 1702, Moers was inherited by the king of Prussia. All Dutch troops and civil servants were expelled.
In 1795 it was annexed by France. At the Congress of Vienna, in 1815 it was returned to Prussia and in 1871 it became part of the German Empire.
A target of the Oil Campaign of World War II, the Steinkohlenbergwerke ''Rheinpreussen'' synthetic oil plant in Moers, was partially dismantled post-war.

Mayors

1815–1820: Wilhelm Urbach
1822–1830: von Nievenheim
1830–1850: Friedrich Adolf Vinmann
1850–1859: Karl von Strampff
1860–1864: Gottlieb Meumann
1864–1897: Gustav Kautz
1898–1910: August Craemer
1910–1915: Richard Glum
1917–1937: Fritz Eckert
1937–1941: Fritz Grüttgen
1943–1945: Peter Linden
1945–1946: Otto Maiweg
1946: Karl Peschken
1946–1952: Wilhelm Müller
1952–1977: Albin Neuse
1977–1999: Wilhelm Brunswick
1999–2004: Rafael Hofmann
2004–2014: Norbert Ballhaus
2014-2025: Christoph Fleischhauer
2025–: Julia Zupancic
Sports

In 1985, the Moers Sports Club was formed, winning the 1989 Bundesliga championship.

Notable people

Gerhard Tersteegen, lay preacher, mystic and poet.
Georg Perthes, surgeon and radiologist
Anna Erler-Schnaudt, contralto
Hans Dammers, Luftwaffe ace
Walter Niephaus, chess master
Hanns Dieter Hüsch, comedian, writer
Hubert Hahne, racing driver
Helmut Kelleners, racing driver
Herman Weigel, film producer and screenwriter
Armin Hahne, racing driver
Jürgen Renn, physicist and historian of science
Helga Trüpel, politician
Jörg van Ommen, racing driver
Katja Nass, fencer
Stephan Paßlack, footballer
Christian Ehrhoff, ice hockey player
Timo Weß, field hockey player
Benjamin Weß, field hockey player
Regina Abelt, first First Lady of Ethiopia
Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Moers is Christoph Fleischhauer of the Christian Democratic Union. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:
! rowspan=2 colspan=2 | Candidate
! rowspan=2 | Party
! colspan=2 | First round
! colspan=2 | Second round
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! colspan=3 | Valid votes
! 39,867
! 98.6
! 30,136
! 99.3
! colspan=3 | Invalid votes
! 553
! 1.4
! 214
! 0.7
! colspan=3 | Total
! 40,420
! 100.0
! 30,350
! 100.0
! colspan=3 | Electorate/voter turnout
! 80,950
! 49.9
! 80,906
! 37.5

City council

The Moers city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
! colspan=2 | Party
! Votes
! %
! ±
! Seats
! ±
! colspan=2 | Valid votes
! 39,699
! 98.2
! colspan=2 | Invalid votes
! 710
! 1.8
! colspan=2 | Total
! 40,409
! 100.0
! 54
! ±0
! colspan=2 | Electorate/voter turnout
! 80,950
! 49.9

Twin towns – sister cities

Moers is twinned with: