.mw-parser-output .hidden-begin{box-sizing:border-box;width:100%;padding:5px;border:none;font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .hidden-title{font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .hidden-content{text-align:left}You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (December 2008) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Bergisch Gladbach is east of the Rhine and about 10 km east of Cologne.
City structure
The urban area of Bergisch Gladbach is not divided into city districts (Stadtbezirke) with their own district representation. For statistical purposes, there are six statistical districts (statistische Bezirke), which are numbered consecutively and are divided into several districts (de: Stadtteile) with their own names. These are mainly name of former smaller settlements from which today's urban area developed, or new development areas whose names have been memorized over time for better orientation. Bensberg was an independent town until 1975. Before 1975, Schildgen belonged to the municipality of Odenthal.
Statistical District 1: Schildgen (11), Katterbach (12), Nussbaum (13), Paffrath (14), Hand (15)
Statistical District 2: City Center (21), Hebborn (22), Heidkamp (23), Gronau (24)
Statistical District 3: Romaney (31), Herrenstrunden (32), Sand (33)
Statistical District 4: Herkenrath (41), Asselborn (42), Bärbroich (43)
The word Bergisch in the name does not originate from its location in the county of Berg, and it was not added to distinguish it from Mönchengladbach, as is believed by many people, but from the counts who gave their name to the region.
In the early 12th century, the counts of Berg settled in the area, which later became the Duchy of Berg (under Napoleon, it became a grand duchy). That is where the first part of the name (Bergisch) comes from, the town being located in the former County of Berg. The town is the administrative headquarters ('Kreisstadt') of the Rheinish-Bergisch district (or 'Kreis').
The second part of the name, Gladbach (cognate with English Ladbrooke), originates from Low Rhenish (Bergisches Platt) and means canalised stream in reference to the small river (the Strunde) that was artificially canalised (laid) in early medieval times. In Bergisch Platt, the regional dialect, laid is pronounced gelaat, which eventually evolved to glad (in this case, the 'd' is pronounced as a 't'). The second part of the word, bach, is the Standard German word for a small stream and refers in this case to the Strunde.
In 1975, the town incorporated the neighbouring Bensberg, and when it reached a population of 100,000 in 1977 it was given city status.
Paper manufacturing, printing, glass wool manufacturing, chocolate and high-tech industries are a large part of Bergisch Gladbach's economy.
Politics
Mayor
The current mayor of Bergisch Gladbach is Frank Stein of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
The Bergisch Gladbach 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:
