Frechen (;
Ripuarian: ''Frechem'') is a town in the
Rhein-Erft District,
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more than 18 million inha ...
, Germany. Frechen was first mentioned in 877. It is situated at the western
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
city border.
It is the site of the 1257 Battle of Frechen between
Conrad von Hochstaden, Archbishop of Cologne and the people of the town. In the 16th century it acquired a name for its
terra cotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
artifacts, especially the "
Bartmannskrug" (beardman jug). In the late 18th century
lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...
was industrially mined. Digging for lignite dominated the city's economy until the end of the 20th century. In 1891 the first briquette factory was opened. On 2 September 1951 Frechen received its city-rights including the villages of Bachem, Hücheln and Buschbell. On 1 January 1975 the nearby villages of Grefrath, Habbelrath, Königsdorf and Neufreimersdorf were also incorporated. From the 1980s onwards an increasing number of industrial, commercial and service enterprises choose Frechen as their location, so that the town changed its features considerably.
Population
As of December 31, 2015 there were 51,999 inhabitants registered.
Local council
Elections were held in September 2020.
* CDU: 19 seats
* SPD: 11 seats
* Alliance 90/The Greens: 9 seats
* Perspektive für Frechen: 4 seats
* FDP: 3 seats
* The Left: 2 seats
* Alternative für Deutschland: 2 seats
Notable people
*
Kirsten Bolm (born 1975), athlete
*
Wayne Carpendale (born 1977), actor and presenter
*
Pierre Vogel (born 1978),
Islamist preacher
*
Ayọ (born 1980), soul singer
*
Sonja Bertram (born 1984), actress
*
Marcel Heller (born 1986), footballer
*
Lennart Thy (born 1992), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Frechen is
twinned with:
*
Kapfenberg, Austria
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhein-Erft-Kreis