Last modified: 2012-09-14 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: rheinisch-bergischer kreis | per pale | chief | lion(red) | crowned | bend wavy | counterembattled |
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![[Rheinisch-Bergisch County flag]](../images/d/de-nw-gl.gif)
3:5 
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Jun 2011
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Brief History:
The counts of Berg were rulers of the region since the 11th century. The resided in nowadays Altenberg since 1133 and later on in Burg a.d. Wupper. When Engelbert II. who was not only Duke of Berg but also Archbishop of Köln, had been killed, the kin of Berg died out. The region was next ruled by the Dutch counts of Limburg, followed by the houses of Jülich, Kleve, Pfalz-Neuburg and Pfalz-Sulzbach.
On 1 January 1806 the Duchy of Berg was ceded to France. Duke Maximilian Josef became as a compensation Marquess of Bayreuth and Burggraf of Nürnberg and was later appointed as Bavarian King by Napoleon I. of France. Berg became Grand-Duchy of Berg together with some other regions on the Rhine's east bank, i.e. a French puppet state.
The Congress of Vienna decided on 31 May 1815, that the Bergian dominions should be incorporated to Prussia. The counties of Mülheim/Rhein, Wipperfürth, Solingen and Opladen were established. Opladen county was incorporated to Solingen county on 30 October 1819.
The counties of Solingen and Lennep survived until 1929, although several changes of the boundaries had been made before. Due to industrial development both counties were dissolved in 1929. Some municipalities became part of Remscheid county, others remainded in Solingen county, The city of Ronsdorf became part of the newly formed city of Wuppertal.
The other municipalities left became part of the new Rhein-Wupper Kreis.
The seat of Mülheim county, Mülheim/Rhein became a county-free city on 1 May 1901 and part of Köln on 1 April 1914. The former Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis was built on 1 October 1932, when Wipperfürth county and the rest of Mülheim county had been united.
On 1 January 1975 the current county was established uniting parts of the former county and parts of Rhein-Wupper county.
Source: county's webpage
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Jun 2011
Description of flag:
The ratio is 3:5. It is a red over white horizontal bicolour. The coat of arms is in the centre of the flag.
Source: §2 of Hauptsatzung of Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, version 29 October1999
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Jun 2011
Description of coat of arms:
The green chief is divided by a silver (=white) wavy bend. The shield is divided per pale. The dexter side shows in a silver (=white) field two black fesses embattled-counterembattled (German: Wechselzinnenbalken). The sinister side shows a red rampant lion in a silver (=white) field, crowned, armed and tongued blue.
Meaning:
The wavy bend is symbolizing river Rhine. The lion is symbolizing the counts of Berg, rulers since 13th century. The bars are also symbolizing this kin, but it is an older symbol from 11th century, a horsemen's ensign. The county was formed by merging of the former counties of Mülheim/Rhein (today a part of Köln) and Wipperfürth in 1932.
Source: Stadler 1964, p.76
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 Jun 2011
The coat of arms was granted by Prussian ministry of state on 23 February 1938.
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