Willingen
Municipality
Panorama of Willingen
Panorama of Willingen
Coat of arms of Willingen
Coat of arms
Location of Willingen within Waldeck-Frankenberg district
Willingen is located in Germany
Willingen
Willingen
Willingen is located in Hesse
Willingen
Willingen
Coordinates: 51°17′42″N 08°36′29″E / 51.29500°N 8.60806°E / 51.29500; 8.60806
CountryGermany
StateHesse
Admin. regionKassel
DistrictWaldeck-Frankenberg
Government
 • Mayor (2022–28) Thomas Trachte[1] (Ind.)
Area
 • Total80.19 km2 (30.96 sq mi)
Elevation
584 m (1,916 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total6,422
 • Density80/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
34508
Dialling codes05632
Vehicle registrationKB
Websitewww.gemeinde-willingen.de

Willingen (official name: Willingen (Upland)) is a municipality in Waldeck-Frankenberg in northern Hesse, Germany, some 80 km west of Kassel.

Geography

Location

Willingen is found in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in the Upland. Its main town stretches between two river valleys, the Hoppecke in the west and the Itter in the east. The ski resort Skigebiet Willingen is near. It is located 60 km west of Kassel. Mühlenkopfschanze ski jump is also located here.

Neighbouring communities

Willingen borders in the north on the community of Diemelsee, in the east on the town of Korbach, in the south on the community of Medebach, and in the west on the towns of Winterberg, Olsberg and Brilon (all three in the Hochsauerlandkreis in North Rhine-Westphalia).

Constituent communities

View from the Kahlen Pön (774 m) over Usseln
Panoramaview over Schwalefeld

Willingen consists of the following centres:[3]

  • Bömighausen, 300 inhabitants (as of 1 September 2003)
  • Eimelrod, 582 inhabitants (as of 31. December 2006)
  • Hemmighausen, 100 inhabitants
  • Neerdar, 100 inhabitants
  • Rattlar, 400 inhabitants
  • Schwalefeld, 900 inhabitants
  • Usseln, 2,100 inhabitants
  • Welleringhausen, 100 inhabitants
  • Willingen, 3,500 inhabitants

History

Willingen was founded in 1874 in the second municipal reform by uniting the villages of Bömighausen, Eimelrod, Hemmighausen, Neerdar, Rattlar, Schwalefeld, Welleringhausen and the climatic spas of Usseln and Willingen. Until 1929, Willingen belonged to the Free State of Waldeck, after which it passed to Prussia.

Politics

Municipal council

Willingen's council is made up of 31 councillors, with seats apportioned thus, in accordance with municipal elections held on 6 March 2016:

CDU10 seats
SPD9 seats
FDP7 seats
FWG5 seats

Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.

Coat of arms

The field is parted horizontally, below the middle, by a row of interlocking arrows between the gold above and the green below. It is meant, of course, to look like treetops, and refers to the Upland's extensive woods. There are two charges, one inside the other. The eight-pointed black star is the ubiquitous – in terms of the local civic heraldry – Star of Waldeck, borne centuries ago by the Counts of Waldeck when they held sway over the area. The snowflake is included as a charge within the star and is representative of the community's status as a winter resort.

The community was granted this coat of arms on 12 June 1974.[4]

Culture and sightseeing

Mühlenkopfschanze at World Cup 2002

Willingen's landmark is the great railway bridge, "Das Viadukt", built about 1918. The community thrives mainly on tourism. There were 1.3 million overnight stays in 2003, and attractions include winter sports and bowling clubs.

Regular events

Among Willingen's sports events are the International Ski Federation's annual FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition at the Mühlenkopfschanze, and the annual Mountainbike-Event at the Ettelsberg. Nearby lie the trails of Bike Arena Sauerland.

Transport

Willingen lies on the Uplandbahn railway line between Korbach and Brilon-Wald.

Notable people

  • Jochen Behle (born 1960), former cross-country skier and trainer in the cross-country skiing, lives in the district Schwalefeld and started for the SC Willingen
  • Tobias Lindner (born 1961), former biathlete, grew up in Willingen and started for SC Willingen
  • Klaus Huber (born 1968), former ski jumping, ski jumping trainer at the SC Willingen
  • Petra Behle (born 1969), former biathlete, started for SC Willingen
  • Anna Häfele (born 1989), ski jumping champion, started for SC Willingen

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. 5 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Bevölkerung in Hessen am 31.12.2022 nach Gemeinden" (XLS) (in German). Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt. June 2023.
  3. ↑ Willingen, Germany Page
  4. ↑ "Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen Kreiswappen) - WILLINGEN (UPLAND)". Archived from the original on 2003-01-19.
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