Siegen-Wittgenstein

Siegen-Wittgenstein
Flag of Siegen-Wittgenstein
Coat of arms of Siegen-Wittgenstein
Country Germany
State North Rhine-Westphalia
Adm. region Arnsberg
Capital Siegen
Area
 • Total 1,131.47 km2 (436.86 sq mi)
Population
 (31 December 2021)
 • Total 274,342
 • Density 240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Vehicle registration BLB, SI
Website siegen-wittgenstein.de
County of Wittgenstein
Grafschaft Wittgenstein
1174–1357
Coat of arms of the Counts of Wittgenstein of Wittgenstein
Coat of arms of the Counts of Wittgenstein
Status Grafschaft (County)
(State of the Holy Roman Empire)
Capital Wittgenstein Castle
Government County
Historical era Middle Ages
• Established
1174
• Merged with Sayn-Sponheim
1357
Succeeded by
Sayn-Wittgenstein

Siegen-Wittgenstein is a Kreis (district) in the southeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Olpe, Hochsauerlandkreis, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Lahn-Dill, Westerwaldkreis, and Altenkirchen.

History

In 1816–1817, the two districts of Siegen and Wittgenstein were created as parts of the Prussian province of Westphalia. In 1974, the two districts were merged, and in 1984 the name Siegen-Wittgenstein was adopted.

Geography

Geographically, it covers the hills southeast of the Sauerland hills, the Siegerland and Wittgensteiner Land.

Coat of arms

The two upper sections show, to the right, the arms of the Dukes of Nassau, who founded Siegen, and to the left, those of the Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein. At the bottom a miner's lamp and a coppicing hook are depicted, in reference to the mining and charcoal-burning history of the district.

Towns and municipalities

North Rhine-Westphalia Rhineland-Palatinate Hesse Burbach Hochsauerlandkreis Olpe (district) Bad Berleburg Siegen Netphen Kreuztal Bad Laasphe Wilnsdorf Hilchenbach Neunkirchen Freudenberg Erndtebrück
Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district