Gillrath

Gillrath City of Geilenkirchen Coordinates: 50 ° 58 ′ 52 ″  N , 6 ° 4 ′ 26 ″  E
Height :	80  (66-91)  m
Residents :	1823  (Dec. 31, 2013)
Postal code :	52511
Area code :	02451
Map of Gillrath

Gillrath is a district of Geilenkirchen in the Heinsberg district in North Rhine-Westphalia . With around 1,800 inhabitants, Gillrath is the second largest district after Teveren outside of the actual city center.

geography

Geographical location

View from the south on Gillrath, with the Heinsberger Agrar-Handel (in the background left) and the Gut Gillrather Hof (in the foreground)

Gillrath is located west of the city of Geilenkirchen near the Dutch border. The Rodebach runs through almost the whole town and continues towards Gangelt and then into the Netherlands.

The town center is near the intersection of the B56 and B221 . The B56 is the town's main road and connects the city of Geilenkirchen in the east with the municipality of Gangelt and Sittard (NL) in the west. In north-south direction Gillrath is crossed by the K3 between Birgden (community Gangelt) and Teveren.

history

A Roman road already existed in Roman times (52 BC to 402 AD), the course of which corresponds to today's federal highway 56 from Tüddern via Gillrath to Puffendorf. The section from Geilenkirchen to Gillrath was named: via lata (Breite Straße). The first mention of the place Gillrath was on July 6th, 1270 by Heinken von Gelrode. In 1782 a chapel was built in Gillrath, after which Gillrath became an independent parish in 1804. To the west of the church village of Gillrath in Rodebachtal, about 300 m away, was the Gillrather Bruch , a smaller settlement that has now become completely part of the main town due to further settlement between the places.

British soldiers march through Gillrath, December 5, 1944. BU1409

Place name

Map of Wilhelm and Johannes Blaeu of the Duchy of Limburg around 1662

The place name is originally derived from Gelrode.

In the course of time several derivatives became known:

• 1270 Gelrode
• 1315 Gaylrode
• 1342 Geilrade
• 1522 Geilrae
• 1550 Geilraedt
• 1666 Gilradt

On a map of the Duchy of Limburg from 1662 the place is shown as Gheilroot .

The first part of the name can be derived from the Gallic river word gilum or the Irish word gil , which means water . The rear parts of the name as -rode or -rath be in the name of customer as clearing name called. They indicate a settlement created by clearing. In this case, Gillrath stands for clearing the bog or mildew water .

Former castle

→ Main article : Gillrath Castle

The former Gillrath Castle, also called Emondtshof , was a late medieval fortress in the Rodebach Valley. It was built in the 15th century by the von Nevelstein family and continued by the von Reboderoth family until the late 18th century . It comprised about 8  acres of land. This corresponds to around 24,000 m². The castle complex was completely destroyed in the 19th and 20th centuries. The last visible remains fell victim to the construction of new houses in the 20th century. Only the streets An der Burg , Zum Emondtshof and Schleifweg in the immediate vicinity still suggest the existence of the castle.

religion

Parish Church of St. Mary's Name

Gillrath's population consists largely of Catholics . In the course of the parish reforms in the Diocese of Aachen , the formerly independent Catholic parish of St. Mariä Namen was incorporated into the Community of Communities (GdG) St. Bonifatius Geilenkirchen .

The following religious institutions are available:

• Catholic Parish Church of St. Mary's Name .

Built in 1841 on the foundations of an earlier chapel from 1782, the church consists of three naves . The side aisles each contain a row of pews , while the central nave has two rows and a central aisle.

Capacity: approx. 460 (including approx. 200 seats)

The Gothic bell tower was built in 1846 and last restored in 2010/2011.

Worth seeing are a Lady -Holzfigur from the 15th century and a chasuble from the 16th Jahjrhundert.

• Chapel at Gillrather Hof / Bergstrasse

Built in the 19th century.

Memorial since May 30, 1983

• Chapel Maria am Wegen / Birgdener Straße

Built in 2001

Gillrath has a cemetery with its own morgue and a memorial for the fallen soldiers of the First and Second World Wars.

politics

Gillrath, together with the neighboring villages of Hatterath, Nierstraß and Panneschopp, forms one of the 13 districts of Geilenkirchen.

The political discussion about the routing of a new road (K3) caused disputes between the citizens of Gillrath and the district administration of Heinsberg in 2009. A citizens' initiative was founded in Gillrath and the CDU lost many members and voters there. Some former CDU members from Gillrath joined the Geilenkirchen citizens' list and ran for it in the 2009 local elections . In Gillrath, the citizens' list reached a majority for the Geilenkirchen City Council in these elections. Thereupon the former mayor of the city of Geilenkirchen Franz Beemelmann (until 2009 CDU, now citizen list) took over the office of the mayor and replaced Heinz Wagener (CDU).

Culture and sights

Museums and Selfkantbahn

Small railway museum Selfkantbahn in Schierwaldenrath

→ Main article : "Museum railway" Selfkantbahn "" in the article Geilenkirchener Kreisbahn

Exit of a train on the Selfkantbahn from Gillrath station (2012)

The museum railway Selfkantbahn, which starts in Gillrath, is known nationwide. It is a relic of the former Geilenkirchener Kreisbahn and is considered to be the last still operated narrow-gauge railway line in North Rhine-Westphalia. There is the on Gillrather field terminus Gillrath and the breakpoint Stahe . On the approximately 5.5 km long route, excursion trips with historic steam locomotives and passenger cars or diesel railcars are offered on Sundays during the summer months . Especially popular with families with children, the Nicholas rides during the festive season. In the past few years, more than 10,000 passengers were counted each year.

Green spaces and recreation

There are a variety of hiking options around Gillrath:

• Teverener Heath
• Hahnbusch
• Avenue bush

In Gillrath there is a junction of the NRW cycle traffic network and the cycle path network of the Heinsberg district. In addition, Gillrath is part of some national cycle routes:

•  Green route , 370 km from Düren to Beringen (Belgium)
•  2-country route , 275 km from Nijmegen (NL) to Aachen
•  Niederrheinroute , 2,000 km extensive cycle path network

Sports

The sports facility on Bergstrasse , which originally consisted of an ash court with an athletics area, was extensively rebuilt in 1986 and gradually expanded. Today it consists of a soccer field and a smaller training field. Both pitches are equipped with natural grass . The main square is equipped with an irrigation system, the training area with a floodlight system. There is also a running track to the side of the main square and a multi-purpose area for athletics at the head end. Behind the running track there is a small covered spectator area and a guest room. The changing facilities are a few meters away in a separate building. The opening game for the new grass pitch was played in 1986 by a district selection against the Bundesliga team from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The game ended 0:15 in front of 2,000 spectators.

Association

• St. Blasius Schützenbruderschaft Gillrath 1806 eV An important part of village life is the Schützenbruderschaft, which has more than 80 active members. With several events a year, including a fair (2 ×), bird shot, patronage festival and the organization of the carnival parades, it organizes most of the social activities in town.
• DJK Gillrath 1911 eV The local sports club with approx. 400 active and passive members also has a significant share in village life. It is managed under the umbrella organization of the Catholic DJK sports associations and is made up of the former athletics club DJK green-white Gillrath 1927 eV and the football club DJK blue-white Gillrath 1911 eV The DJK Gillrath is one of the organizers of the annual Rur-Eifel -Volkslauf Cup , a Laufcup member and not of of open races in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium .
• Trommler- & Pfeiffer- & Pfeiffer- Corps Gillrath 1920 eV The local Trommler- & Pfeiffer- corps currently consists of 50 active members. In addition, the association maintains a youth corps of 30 members between the ages of 8 and 20. The repertoire of the association consists of both concert pieces and street marches to accompany the parades.
• There are also a few smaller associations such as the R 179 breed rabbit breeding association founded in 1928 or the carrier pigeon association Heimatliebe Gillrath .

Economy and Infrastructure

Companies

Gillrath is primarily a place of residence for the rural population. Occasionally foreign members of the NATO E-3A association of the NATO airbase in neighboring Teveren also live there. In the 1980s, a settlement for Italian NATO members was built on the site of the former Johann Vogel steam interlocking tile factory . The houses have since been sold into private hands and are inhabited by civilians.

The most important economic factor for Gillrath is agriculture, consisting of a few farms and an agricultural trade.

There is also a long tradition in stoneware production in Gillrath. As early as the end of the 19th century, the Johann Vogel steam interlocking brick factory was producing bricks and pottery. The factory later became the property of Anton Teeuwen. A residential area has been located in the same location since the 1980s. Later there was the steam interlocking brick and clay tubing factory of Paul Teeuwen and Sons elsewhere .

Today the company TeGi Keramik sells clay pipes and floor tiles at this location. Part of the former production halls are now used by various small businesses.

Public facilities

• Fire brigade :

The Gillrath / Hatterath extinguishing unit is stationed in Gillrath and , together with the Teveren extinguishing unit, forms the 2nd fire brigade of the city of Geilenkirchen's volunteer fire brigade . In the fire station built in 2008 , the Gillrath and Hatterath extinguishing units, which were already organizationally related, were also combined locally. The previous fire stations in both locations have been used for other purposes since then.

• Police :

Gillrath is the responsibility of the police station and the criminal investigation department in Geilenkirchen , which belong to the Heinsberg district police authority .

education

Gillrath has a primary school. In the 2009/10 school year around 150 school children from Gillrath, Hatterath, Tripsrath, Nierstraß, Panneschopp and Bocket attended the Gillrath Community Primary School (GGS) .

In order to attend a secondary school, the pupils have to make their way to the city center in Geilenkirchen. A comprehensive school, a secondary school, a grammar school and vocational schools are available there.

In addition, Gillrath has offered the Catholic kindergarten “St. Name of Mary ” for up to 70 children aged 3 to 6 years.

Before 1996 the children from Gillrath could use the kindergarten in Tripsrath .

traffic

Motorway connection

BAB	Route section	Junction	distance
A 46	Heinsberg - Düsseldorf	AS Heinsberg	5 km
A 44	Aachen - Mönchengladbach	AS Aldenhoven	20 km
A 4	Aachen - Cologne	AS Weisweiler	30 km

Rail connection

From Geilenkirchen train station (approx. 5 km away):

• Aachen – Mönchengladbach railway line

line	Line designation	Line course
RE 4	Wupper Express	Aachen - Mönchengladbach - Düsseldorf - Dortmund
RB 33	Rhine-Niers Railway	Aachen - Mönchengladbach - Krefeld - Duisburg
RB 20	Euregiobahn	Aachen - Geilenkirchen

Former Gillrath station on the Geilenkirchener Kreisbahn

Bus connection

Several WestVerkehr bus stops with a total of four bus routes form the local public transport system .

line	course
SB3	Express bus: Geilenkirchen Bf  - Bauchem  - Gillrath  - Stahe  - Gangelt  - Süsterseel  - Höngen  - Tüddern  - Sittard  Stadhuis - Sittard Bf
434	Geilenkirchen train station  - Bauchem  - Niederheid  - Hatterath  - Gillrath  - Birgden  - Schierwaldenrath train station  - Langbroich  - Breberen  - Saeffelen  - Höngen
435	Geilenkirchen Bf  - Bauchem  - Gillrath  - Stahe  - Birgden  - Kreuzrath  - Gangelt  - Süsterseel  - Hillensberg  - Wehr  - Tüddern  - Höngen
437	Geilenkirchen station  - Bauchem  - Niederheid  - Hatterath  - Gillrath  - Stahe  - Niederbusch  - Gangelt  - Hastenrath  - Höngen

Personalities

• Amalie Nacken (1855–1940), German philanthropist
• Leo Dautzenberg (* 1950), politician, member of the German Bundestag from 1998 to 2011

literature

• Alt-Geilenkirchen and its neighbors . Historical illustrated book from and around Geilenkirchen - 1986 edition - Fred Gatzen publishing house, Geilenkirchen
• Walter Scheufen: Geilenkirchen and its village communities - 2007 edition - Stadt-Bild-Verlag Leipzig
• Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath - home calendar of the district of Heinsberg, edition 1959, pp. 60-64
• Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath - home calendar of the Heinsberg district, edition 1960, pp. 38–44
• Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath - home calendar of the district of Heinsberg, edition 1961, pp. 18–24
• Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath - home calendar of the district of Heinsberg, edition 1962, pp. 85–86

Web links

Commons : Gillrath  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Website of the city of Geilenkirchen
• Monuments in the city of Geilenkirchen
• Churches and chapels in the city of Geilenkirchen

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Another population growth in Geilenkirchen in: Aachener Zeitung online ( Memento of the original from August 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , January 8, 2014  
2. ↑ ^{a b} Alt-Geilenkirchen and its neighbors . - Edition 1986 - Fred Gatzen publishing house, Geilenkirchen
3. ↑ www.dbnl.org From Himmerod and Rottbitze to Roda Kerkrade
4. ↑ ^{a b} Walter Scheufen: Geilenkirchen and its communities 2007 edition, city-image-Verlag Leipzig
5. ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath - home calendar of the district of Heinsberg, edition 1959, p. 62.
6. ↑ Hanswilhelm Haefs: The 2nd handbook of useless knowledge , p. 111.
7. ↑ Hans Bahlow: Etymological lexicon of river and place names of old European origin. V. Klostermann, 1965, p. 172.
8. ↑ Werner Reinartz: From the history of the Emondtshof zu Gillrath - home calendar of the district of Heinsberg, ed. 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962.
9. ↑ Local history researcher knows the story of Gillrath Castle. In: Aachener Nachrichten of July 5, 2009.
10. ↑ St. Maria Name Gillrath. (No longer available online.) In: messdiener-geilenkirchen.de. Formerly in the original ; Retrieved July 11, 2013 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
11. ↑ AN-Online Gillrath church tower shines in new splendor
12. ^ Vandals rage: Nazi graffiti on chapel. In: AZ-Web.de. Retrieved July 8, 2013 . 
13. ↑ www.selfkantbahn.de Nikolausfahrten
14. ↑ DJK Blau Weiß Gillrath celebrates. In: rp-online.de. Retrieved July 11, 2013 . 
15. ^ DJK Gillrath 1911 eV Homepage of the association
16. ↑ Gillrath is the target of the runner Aachener Zeitung about the athletics department
17. ^ Website of the Rur-Eifel-Volkslauf-Cup
18. ↑ www.tpk-gillrath.de: Homepage of the association
19. ↑ From source of part-time income to enjoyable hobby. In: Aachener Zeitung. December 19, 2013, accessed January 12, 2019 . 
20. ^ Voluntary fire brigade of the city of Geilenkirchen - extinguishing unit Gillrath / Hatterath
21. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.