Moers

Moers
Moers Castle
Moers
Location of the town of Moers within Wesel district
Coordinates	51°27′33″N 6°37′11″E / 51.45917°N 6.61972°E / 51.45917; 6.61972Coordinates: 51°27′33″N 6°37′11″E / 51.45917°N 6.61972°E / 51.45917; 6.61972
Administration
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Düsseldorf
District	Wesel
City subdivisions	3
Mayor	Norbert Ballhaus (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area	67.68 km2 (26.13 sq mi)
Elevation	23 m  (75 ft)
Population	105,506 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	1,559 /km2 (4,038 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	WES
Postal codes	47441 - 47447
Area codes	0 28 41
Website	Willkomen in Moers (German)

The illuminated, 30 meters high mining lamp memorial by Otto Piene on the spoil tip Halde Rheinpreußen in the north of Moers during the blue hour

Moers (older form: Mörs; archaic Dutch: Murse, Murs or Meurs^[2]) is a German city on the left bank of the Rhine. Moers belongs to the district of Wesel. It is the biggest city in Germany (and at present time the only one with more than 100,000 inhabitants) that is neither an urban district, nor takes over district responsibilities.

History

The Duchy of Moers in 1635

Known earliest from 1186, the Duchy 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. After the war it 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 it 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 (English: coal mine) Rheinpreussen synthetic oil plant in Moers [1] was partially dismantled post-war.[2]

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: Dr. Richard Glum
• 1917-1937: Dr. Fritz Eckert
• 1937-1941: Fritz Grüttgen
• 1943-1945: Peter Linden
• 1945-1946: Dr. Otto Maiweg
• 1946: Karl Peschken
• 1946-1952: Wilhelm Müller
• 1952-1977: Albin Neuse (SPD)
• 1977-1999: Wilhelm Brunswick (SPD)
• 1999-2004: Rafael Hofmann (CDU)
• 2004-0000: Norbert Ballhaus (SPD)

Sports

In 1985, the Moers´ Sports Club (volleyball) was formed, winning the 1989 Bundesliga championship.

Notable persons

• Christian Ehrhoff, Professional Ice Hockey Player
• Stephan Paßlack, former German international football player

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Moers is twinned with: 1966 Maisons-Alfort
1974 Bapaume
1980 Knowsley (Merseyside)
1987 Ramla
1989 La Trinidad, Nicaragua
1990 Seelow (Brandenburg)

See also

• Moers Festival

References

1. ^ "Amtliche Bevölkerungszahlen" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. 31 December 2010. http://www.it.nrw.de/statistik/a/daten/amtlichebevoelkerungszahlen/index.html. 
2. ^ See also the common Dutch surname of (van) Meurs. For Murs see http://www.library.tudelft.nl/Tresor/webpages/TRL_6_3_2_15.html

External links

• Tourism and culture. Your personal guide to the city of Moers
• Official website (German)