Kirchen (Sieg) is a town and Luftkurort (climatic spa) in the district of Altenkirchen in the north of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Sieg, approx. 12 km southwest of Siegen. Among its notable features is the Freusburg castle.

Kirchen
Coat of arms of Kirchen
Location of Kirchen (Sieg) within Altenkirchen district
FriesenhagenHarbachNiederfischbachMudersbachBrachbachKirchenHerdorfDaadenEmmerzhausenMaudenDerschenNisterbergFriedewaldWeitefeldNiederdreisbachSchutzbachGrünebachAlsdorfBetzdorfScheuerfeldWallmenrothWillrothKrunkelHorhausenPleckhausenGüllesheimObersteinebachNiedersteinebachBürdenbachEulenbergPeterslahrRottBurglahrOberlahrEichenSeifenSeelbachFlammersfeldKescheidReiferscheidBerzhausenNeitersenWalterschenSchürdtOrfgenZiegenhainGiershausenKatzwinkelBirken-HonigsessenWissenHövelsMittelhofNaurothElkenrothRosenheimKausenDickendorfMalbergSteinebach/SiegFensdorfGebhardshainElbenSteinerothMolzhainSelbachForstBitzenEtzbachRothBruchertseifenFürthenHamm (Sieg)Seelbach bei HammBreitscheidtPrachtBirkenbeulNiederirsenKircheibHirz-MaulsbachFiersbachMehrenRettersenErsfeldHasselbachForstmehrenKraamWerkhausenOberirsenWeyerbuschHemmelzenNeitersenBirnbachÖlsenSchönebergStürzelbachFluterschenOberwambachBerod bei HachenburgGielerothAlmersbachAltenkirchenMichelbachIngelbachSörthMammelzenEichelhardtIdelbergIsertHelmerothRacksenVolkerzenHilgenrothObererbachBachenbergBusenhausenHeupelzenWölmersenKettenhausenHelmenzenNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNeuwied (district)WesterwaldkreisNeuwied (district)
Kirchen is located in Germany
Kirchen
Kirchen
Kirchen is located in Rhineland-Palatinate
Kirchen
Kirchen
Coordinates: 50°48′31″N 7°53′0″E / 50.80861°N 7.88333°E / 50.80861; 7.88333
CountryGermany
StateRhineland-Palatinate
DistrictAltenkirchen
Municipal assoc.Kirchen (Sieg)
Government
 • Mayor (2019–24) Andreas Hundhausen[1] (SPD)
Area
 • Total
39.59 km2 (15.29 sq mi)
Elevation
230 m (750 ft)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[2]
 • Total
8,431
 • Density210/km2 (550/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
57548
Dialling codes02741
Vehicle registrationAK
Websitewww.kirchen-sieg.de

Kirchen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Kirchen (Sieg) (Verbandsgemeinde, collective municipality).

Church in Kirchen {Sieg}
Wehbach, reformed church at the Gilsbachstrasse

History

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View from the Otto Tower

In early 1942, Kirchen and Wehbach were forcibly united with the Nazi government and renamed Kirchen-Wehbach (Sieg). Despite protests from the people of Wehbach, this merger and renaming persisted even after the end of the war for two and a half decades, until additional former municipalities were annexed. On 7 June 1969, the municipalities of Freusburg, Herkersdorf, Offhausen, Wingendorf, and Katzenbach, with the exception of the Unterbüdenholz district, which was incorporated into Brachbach, were amalgamated. On the same day, the municipality was renamed Kirchen (Sieg). Kirchen (Sieg) was granted town rights on 6 November 2004.[3]

Personalities

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  • Jürgen Alzen (born 1962), automobile racing driver
  • Uwe Alzen (born 1967), automobile racing driver
  • Georg Bätzing (born 1961), Catholic clergyman, bishop of Limburg
  • Christoph Klein (born 1964), pediatric oncologist and medical director of the Haunersch Children 's Hospital of the Clinic of the University of Munich
  • Heinrich Kraemer (1842-1907), mayor, parliamentary and state parliament deputy
  • Thomas Kraft (born 1988), football player
  • Barbara Rudnik (1958-2009), actress
  • Luca Stolz (born 1995), automobile racing driver

References

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  1. ^ Direktwahlen 2019, Landkreis Altenkirchen, Landeswahlleiter Rheinland-Pfalz, accessed 3 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerungsstand 2022, Kreise, Gemeinden, Verbandsgemeinden" (PDF) (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Rheinland-Pfalz. 2023.
  3. ^ Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis, page 187.
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