Neukirchen-Vluyn

Neukirchen-Vluyn (German pronunciation: [nɔʏˌkɪʁçn̩ˈflyːn] ^ⓘ) is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated approximately 5 km west of Moers, and 15 km north of Krefeld.

Neukirchen-Vluyn
Town
Bloemersheim Castle
Coat of arms
Location of Neukirchen-Vluyn within Wesel district
Neukirchen-Vluyn Show map of Germany Neukirchen-Vluyn Show map of North Rhine-Westphalia
Coordinates: 51°26′30″N 6°33′30″E
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Düsseldorf
District	Wesel
Subdivisions	4
Government
• Mayor (2020–25)	Ralf Köpke[1] (SPD)
Area
• Total	43.5 km2 (16.8 sq mi)
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Population  (2023-12-31)[2]
• Total	27,278
• Density	630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes	47506
Dialling codes	0 28 45
Vehicle registration	WES
Website	www.neukirchen-vluyn.de

Mayors

Mayors since 1836:^[3]

• 1836–1875 Gustav Haarbeck
• 1875–1923 Hermann Haarbeck
• 1923–1928 Dr. Baehr
• 1928–1945 Erich Neumann (NSDAP)
• 1945–1946 Wilhelm Schneider (appointed by military government)
• 1946–1950 Tillmann Bongardt (CDU)
• 1950–1952 Oskar Kühnel (SPD)
• 1952–1956 Johann Kaiser (SPD)
• 1956–1963 Oskar Kühnel (SPD)
• 1963–1975 Gerhard Haastert (CDU)
• 1975–1989 Oskar Böhm (SPD)
• 1989–1994 Kornelia Kuhn (CDU)
• 1994–1999 Peter Wermke (SPD) (last voluntary Mayor)
• 1999–2009 Bernd Böing (parteilos) (first full-time Mayor)
• 2009–2020 Harald Lenßen (CDU)
• since 2020 Ralf Köpke (SPD)

Population development

Number of inhabitants as of December, 31^[4]

Year   Inhabitants 1998 28,300 1999 28,408 2000 28,525 2001 28,566 2002 28,829

Year   Inhabitants 2003 28,809 2004 28,835 2005 28,650 2006 28,491 2009 27,627 2010 27,579

Economy

The Trox Group has its headquarters in Neukirchen-Vluyn.^[5] There are other large businesses in town: Arinox,^[6] MEDA,^[7] Pionier Absaugtechnik,^[8] Schwing Technologies,^[9] LED Linear,^[10] Ornua.^[11]

Sights

Mills, typically to those found in the Netherlands, from the 18th and 19th century, colonies of coal minings as well as the water castle Bloemersheim are witnesses of Neukirchen-Vluyn's history. Historical city tours and the local museum display the influence of agriculture and mining on the development of the town. The museum is located in the cultural hall "Kulturhalle", where one can enjoy exhibitions of art and live music on a regular basis. The classical concerts in the courtyard of the castle are further a constant in Neukirchen-Vluyn's entertainment schedule. For recreation, the town offers various trails for horseback riding and hiking as well as a golf court.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Neukirchen-Vluyn is twinned with:^[12]

• Buckingham, England, United Kingdom
• Mouvaux, France
• Ustroń, Poland

Notable people

• Karl-Heinz Florenz (born 1947), politician (CDU), since 1989 member of the European Parliament
• Christopher Lutz (born 1971), chess grandmaster
• Kostas Mitroglou (born 1988), Greek footballer; grew up here