Zons (), formerly known as Feste Zons ''(

Fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

Zons''), today officially called ''Stadt Zons'' (''Zons Town'') is an old town in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

on the west bank of the

Lower Rhine Lower Rhine (, ; kilometres 660 to 1,033 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between Bonn in Germany and the North Sea at Hook of Holland in the Netherlands, including the '' Nederrijn'' () within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta; alternat ...

between

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

and

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

. It has been a part (

Stadtteil A quarter is a part of an urban area, urban settlement. A quarter can be administratively defined and its borders officially designated, and it may have its own administrative structure (subordinate to that of the city, town or other urban area ...

) of the town of Dormagen since 1975. In 2020 its population was 5,452.

Geography

The east border of Zons is the river

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

. The river can be crossed by ferry. On the opposite bank a road leads to Düsseldorf-Urdenbach northeast of Zons. South of Zons is fields and a few

Populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

trees. The southern road passes two farms and leads to another part of Dormagen, Rheinfeld. West of Zons is extensive meadows with the

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

s here and there. At some distance the small hamlet Nachtigall lies at the

Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (, ), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' are labelled with re ...

9. Northwest of Zons is the Zons

Heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

. The northern road leads to Stürzelberg, another part of Dormagen. North of ferry slip and ship pier begins the

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

''Zonser Grind'' on the western bank of the Rhine.

History

Middle Ages

The first time Zons was mentioned in a document is in the so-called last will and testament of Cunibert,

Bishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne ...

, which was written in the middle of the seventh century but is only known in a version of the late eleventh century. In the document the names of ''Zuonizo'' or ''Zuonize'' are mentioned with their origin still unclear until today. In a deed of gift of Archbishop Heribert of Cologne the name of Zons appears in a location reference, „Burgula bei ''Zünce''“ (Burgula near Zünce)., Burgula being the site of today's ''Haus Bürgel'', an old mansion built on the ruins of a Roman settlement. Archaeological finds indicate that there was a

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

settlement in Zons in the seventh century, yet its exact location is not determined. Documents verify a ''Fronhof'' of the archbishop of Cologne (Fronhof = estate of a feudal lord receiving

socage Socage () was one of the feudal duties and land tenure forms in the English feudal system. It eventually evolved into the freehold tenure called "free and common socage", which did not involve feudal duties. Farmers held land in exchange for ...

) existing in Zons at least since the beginning of the twelfth century . In the 1980s archaeological excavations in the castle area uncovered foundations of buildings which are regarded as remains of the

proprietary church During the Middle Ages, a proprietary church (Latin ''ecclesia propria'', German ''Eigenkirche'') was a church, abbey or cloister built on private ground by a feudal lord, over which he retained proprietary interests, especially the right of what ...

of the

lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...

which was part of the building complex of the ''Fronhof''. At about the middle of the thirteenth century Zons ''castrum'' (

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

) was fortified. The location of the older rural settlement of Zons can only be presumed based on field-names and

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

. The field-name „Im Hofstädtchen“ at today's Aldenhovenstraße near the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

could reference to this settlement with the crossing paths at this spot being a possible additional indicator. In 1372 the Archbishop of Cologne moved the Rhine toll castle from

Neuss Neuss (; written ''Neuß'' until 1968; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district. It is primarily known for its ...

upstream to Zons protecting it with walls and moats and granting Zons the

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

in 1373. At the centre of the fortress was the thick fortified Friedestrom Castle which served the administration and protection of the toll and housed the administration of the new parish Zons. The obviously planned building of the toll fortress with town walls was finished probably in the 15th century. The rectangular to trapeziform town layout is surrounded by a wall strengthened with

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

stones. The wall stretches in north–south direction over about and in west–east direction over . At the corners are towers built in different shapes: to the northeast the rectangular Rhein-, Zoll- or Peters-Turm (Rhine, Toll or Peters Tower); to the northwest the circular Krötschenturm (Krötschen Tower); to the southwest the circular Mühlenturm (Mill Tower), which was converted from a defensive tower to a

tower mill A tower mill is a type of vertical windmill consisting of a brick or stone tower, on which sits a wooden 'cap' or roof, which can rotate to bring the sails into the wind.Medieval science, technology, and medicine: an encyclopedia (2005), 520 Thi ...

as late as the

Late Middle Ages The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...

; to the southeast the Schlossturm (Palace Tower) and in town at the castle wall the circular Juddeturm (Judde Tower: high, roof starts at height, baroque roof ). The name ''Juddeturm'' probably refers to the patrician family Jude in Cologne. Two public gates gave access to the town: in the north the Rheintor (Rhine Gate), in the west the Feldtor (Field Gate). During the 19th century the first was partly, the latter almost entirely dismantled. A third outer gate, the Südtor (South Gate), which is preserved best, is the entrance from the '' zwinger'' (enclosed killing ground) to the Vorburg (lower ward). The small town had only 124 plots for houses. The parish Zons comprised also the village Stürzelberg, part of the village Horrem and the village of Haus Bürgel, which is nowadays located on the opposite banks of the river Rhine. Regarding church and court of justice matters Haus Bürgel and Zons originally belonged together. The

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

for the parish Bürgel/Zons was governed by Brauweiler Abbey. Already in 1374 Bürgel was moved from the west banks to east banks of the Rhine, probably due to a shift of the river. Zons, the Rhine toll town of the

Prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

of Cologne is regarded as one of the best preserved Lower Rhine planned towns of the Late Middle Ages. Until 1794 the parish Zons belonged to the Electorate of Cologne and was bordered in the south by Dormagen, an

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

ruled by the

Duchy of Jülich The Duchy of Jülich (; ; ) comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay west of the Rhine river and was bordered by the Electorate of Cologne to the east and the Duchy of Limburg to the wes ...

; in the south-west by Hackenbroich, a lordship within the Electorate of Cologne; in the west by Nievenheim, a parish within the Electorate of Cologne; in the north-west by Uedesheim, another lordship within the Electorate of Cologne. On the opposite banks of the Rhine were Urdenbach and Baumberg, ''Honschaften'' (lowest level administrative units similar to hundreds in England and Wales) within the

Duchy of Berg Berg () was a state—originally a county, later a duchy—in the Rhineland of Germany. Its capital was Düsseldorf. It existed as a distinct political entity from the early 12th to the 19th centuries. It was a member state of the Holy Roman Emp ...

. File:Zons_Rheintor_v_N.JPG, Rheintor (Rhine Gate) with Zollturm (Toll Tower) in the northeast File:Zons_Friedestrom_v_W.JPG, Gate tower of Friedestrom Castle File:Zons_TurmMuehle.JPG, Mühlenturm (Mill Tower) in the southwest File:Zons_TurmKroetschen.JPG, Krötschenturm (Krötschen Tower) in the northwest File:Zons, Juddeturm 2008 a.JPG, Juddeturm (Judde Tower) File:Zons_SouthGate.JPG, Südtor (South Gate) File:Zons,_Pfefferbüchsen_(eine_von_zwei)_2008_c.JPG,

Bartizan A bartizan (an alteration of ''bratticing''), also called a guerite, ''garita'', or ''échauguette'', or spelled bartisan, is an overhanging turret projecting from the walls of late-medieval and early-modern fortifications from the early 14th c ...

on the eastern town wall; in German popularly called ''Pfefferbüchse'' (Pepper pot) File:Zons_StMartinu_from_South.JPG, Parish church St. Martinus

Modern Era

In 1463 Archbishop of Cologne Dietrich II. of Moers mortgaged town and parish Zons to the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

of Cologne. Its reign lasted until 1794, when the

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army () was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1802. In the beginning, the French armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great nu ...

occupied the territory west of the Rhine. Zons became a French municipality and canton. From 1798 to 1814 it was part of the canton Dormagen within the Arrondissement de Cologne which belonged to the Département de la Roer. With the

Treaty of Lunéville The Treaty of Lunéville (or Peace of Lunéville) was signed in the Treaty House of Lunéville on 9 February 1801. The signatory parties were the French Republic and Emperor Francis II, who signed on his own behalf as ruler of the hereditary do ...

in 1801 the occupied territory on the left bank of the Rhine came to France under public international law. As result of the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

Zons became part of the Prussian State in 1815. The following year the district Neuss was set up with the ''Bürgermeisterei'' Zons (an administrative level similar to an Amt) which comprised the

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of Zons, Nachtigall, St. Peter and Stürzelberg. In 1882 the district Neuss became part of the

Regierungsbezirk A ' (, 'governmental district') is a type of administrative division in Germany. Currently, four of sixteen ' (states of Germany) are split into '. Beneath these are rural and urban districts ' (plural, ) serve as regional mid-level local gov ...

in the

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. ...

. Since about 1900 Zons has been a popular destination for pleasure trips. In 1904 the municipality Zons was granted its own coat of arms. Since then Zons was called again „Town”, despite the fact that it still belonged to the Prussian rural municipalities regarding

administrative law Administrative law is a division of law governing the activities of government agency, executive branch agencies of government. Administrative law includes executive branch rulemaking (executive branch rules are generally referred to as "regul ...

. With the incorporation into the town limits of Dormagen with effect of 1 Januar 1975 Statistisches Bundesamt (Hrsg.): ''Historisches Gemeindeverzeichnis für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Namens-, Grenz- u. Schlüsselnummernänderungen bei Gemeinden, Kreisen u. Reg.-Bez. vom 27.5.1970 bis 31.12.1982''.

Kohlhammer Verlag W. Kohlhammer Verlag GmbH, or Kohlhammer Verlag, is a German publishing house headquartered in Stuttgart. History Kohlhammer Verlag was founded in Stuttgart on 30 April 1866 by . Kohlhammer had taken over the businesses of his late father-in-la ...

, Stuttgart/Mainz 1983, p. 294. Zons called itself „Feste“ (Fortress). In 1992 Zons again gained the description „Town”, though only as Titularstadt (titular town). Already in 1972 the whole Old Town underwent an extensive renovation in an exemplary project sponsored by Federal State and

Federated State A federated state (also State (polity), state, province, region, Canton (administrative division), canton, Länder, land, governorate, oblast, emirate, or country) is a territorial and constitutional community forming part of a federation ...

Demographics

Since the 14th century Zons didn't change much regarding town area and population, probably due to its disadvantageous access to road traffic. During the course of the centuries the town was stricken three times by great fires: 1464, 1547 and 1620. Before the last great fire there were reports about a certain flourishing in economic terms due to trading. Yet the 17th century turned out to be a painful one for Zons. Economic and demographic decline ensue after that great fire, an (unsuccessful) siege and heavy bombardment at the end of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, several disastrous plagues and frequent

occupations Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment * Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, t ...

by Cologne and French troops. 1648 Zons had a population of 172, Stürzelberg of 49. After a gradual increase in population in the parish Zons 255 people died due to the plague in 1666. From about 1700 there was a noticeable increase in population: in 1692 the parish had a population of 308, in 1738 there were already 831 people who had received the

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

and eventually in 1799 there was a population of 1,054. In the 18th century the population was almost entirely

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. During that time only a few Jewish families lived in Zons increasing in numbers to almost 50 people by 1806. During the course of 19th century up to the beginning of the 20th century the population grew relatively slowly yet almost steadily in comparison to the overall demographic development. In 1849 Zons together with Stürzelberg counted for 2,012 people, in 1928 1,306 people lived in Zons and 1,428 in Stürzelberg, thus 2,734 in total. On 30 June 1964 the at that time “town” Zons (comprising also the villages of Stürzelberg, St. Peter und Nachtigall) had a population of 6,310 which increased to 9,715 on 30 June 1974. Population Development in Quarter Zons:

Government

Mayors

* 1800–1812: Matthias Aldenhoven * 1813–1828: Anton Baaden * 1829–1837: Franz Michael Fischer * 1837–1848: Peter Mathias Schumacher * 1848–1851: Josef Schneider * 1851–1858: Josef Hanstein * 1858–1879: Eduard Bacciocco * 1879–1900: Hermann Heckmann * 1900–1909: Nikolaus Kohl * 1909–1910: Josef Trapet * 1910–1923: Albert Granderath * 1923–1926: Stephan Güsgen * 1926–1928: Emil Kirchhoff * 1928–1945: Michael Flücken * 1945–1946: Johann Scheer (until January 1946 only for municipality Zons) * 1945–1946: Franz Bebber (for Stürzelberg)

Honorary Mayors

* 1946: Gerhard Justenhoven * 1946–1948: Wilhelm Fleischhauer * 1948–1952: Bernhard Kamm * 1952–1962: Hermann Schmitz * 1962–1969: Georg Lerch * 1969–1974: Hannelu Manitz, Deputy: Hans Wingerath

Town Clerks and Chief Executives

* 1946–1961: Johann Scheer * 1961–1973: Artur Elicker * 1973–1974: Johann Schmitz, General Deputy: Reinhold Schwarz

Coat of Arms

From 1904 until the incorporation into the town of Dormagen Zons had its own coat of arms.

Blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

: “Gules a saint argent on a horse cutting his cloak with a sword to share it with a scantily clad man standing in front of him, on a canton argent a cross sable. “ As town coat of arms it is oftén depicted with a silver three-towered

battlement A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals ...

coping Coping refers to conscious or unconscious strategies used to reduce and manage unpleasant emotions. Coping strategies can be cognitions or behaviors and can be individual or social. To cope is to deal with struggles and difficulties in life. It ...

including a black gate in the middle placed on the top (chief) of the escutcheon. Coat of arms explanation: The saint is

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third French Republic, Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hung ...

, the black cross on a silver background is the coat of arms of the Electorate of Cologne.

Economy and Infrastructure

Up to the

modern era The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500 ...

the people of Zons earned their living in

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. In addition to that the trade of grain, beer and wine as well as some crafts like

brick A brick is a type of construction material used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a unit primarily composed of clay. But is now also used informally to denote building un ...

-making had partly an importance beyond the parish borders. The people of the village Stürzelberg worked mostly as fishermen or day labourers. A privileged group by wealth and social background were the toll collectors until around 1800. They had no

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

, therefore they were freed from serving civil duties. At the beginning of the 20th century an industrial plant was established near Stürzelberg and St. Peter. In Zons itself industrial activities didn't happen. Housing in Zons town expanded relatively late beyond the town walls. The first residential buildings "extra muros" were erected at the beginning of the 19th century. First housing estates can be found only at the end of the 19th century. At first buildings were concentrated at the paths immediate to the fortress. Later, especially after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, housing spread out to the north and the west of the Old Town.

Media

* Neuss-Grevenbroicher-Zeitung - regional newspaper, published by Neusser Zeitungsverlag GmbH, owned by

Rheinische Post ''Rheinische Post'' () is a major German regional daily newspaper published since 1946 by the ''Rheinische Post Verlagsgesellschaft GmbH'' company, and headquartered in Düsseldorf. The Post is especially dominant in the western part of North Rhi ...

* Schaufenster - local free paper (Tuesday & Saturday), published by Druck + Verlag Josef Wegener GmbH, owned by Girardet Verlag KG * Rheinischer Anzeiger - local free paper (Wednesday), published by Druck + Verlag Josef Wegener GmbH, owned by Girardet Verlag KG * Westdeutsche Zeitung, local editorial office district Neuss - regional newspaper, published by Verlag W. Girardet KG * NE-WS 89.4 - local radio station owned by

Transport

Zons is located east of

9. The distance from Zons to junction „Dormagen, Nievenheim, Zons“ of the Bundes

autobahn The (; German , ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of t ...

57 is .

Shipping

A car ferry runs frequently between Zons und Düsseldorf-Urdenbach. The river cruise operator Köln-Düsseldorfer offers day excursions to Zons from Cologne and Düsseldorf on selected days during the summer.

Bus lines

The following lines within the VRR run through Zons: * 875: Neuss Landestheater - Grimlinghausen - Stüttgen - Stürzelberg - ''Zons'' -Dormagen Bhf. -Marktplatz * 886: Rheinfeld - Marktplatz – Dormagen Bhf. - ''Zons'' - Stürzelberg - Delrath - Nievenheim S-Bhf. * 887: Rheinfeld - Marktplatz - Dormagen Bhf. - ''Zons'' - Stürzelberg - Delrath - Nievenheim S-Bhf * WE2: Rheinfeld - Marktplatz - Dormagen Bhf. - ''Zons'' - Stürzelberg - Delrath - Nievenheim S-Bhf (WeekendExpress) * NE2: Dormagen Bhf. - ''Zons'' - Stürzelberg - Delrath - Nievenheim S-Bhf (NightExpress)

Public Facilities

* Primary School * Pitch (sports field) * Tennis court * Gym * Kindergartens * Old people's day centres * District museum (located in the

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

and stables on the grounds of Friedestrom Castle) * District archive and international dialect archive "Ludwig Soumagne" (located in west and south wing of Friedestrom Castle) * Volunteer fire brigade * Super market

Culture and Leisure

* Toll fortress * District museum * Jewish cemetery * “Hannepützheide” in Zons Heath: in this nature reserve heather grows on a former Rhine dune and a large children's playground is available. *

Fairy-tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the Folklore, folklore genre. Such stories typically feature Magic (supernatural), magic, Incantation, e ...

plays in the Open Air Theatre (located in the '' Zwinger'' (killing ground) of Friedestrom Castle) * Annual

medieval tournament A tournament, or tourney (from Old French ''torneiement'', ''tornei''), was a mock fight that was common in the Middle Ages">Mock_combat.html" ;"title="chivalry">chivalrous competition or Mock combat">mock fight that was common in the Middle ...

in September * Schützenfest (marksmen's festival) in July

People

* Franz Joseph Aldenhoven,

lessee A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

of Zons Castle, since 1850 temporary Landrat (chairperson) of the district of Neuss. Member of the

Prussian House of Representatives The Prussian House of Representatives () was the lower chamber of the Landtag of Prussia (), the parliament of Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia from 1850 to 1918. Together with the upper house, the Prussian House of Lords, House of Lords (), it formed ...

1849 -1853. Backer of the Rhineland sugar industry and the cultivation of

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together with ...

. * Georg Stoll, Senator in

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin and Neubrandenburg. In 2021 it surpa ...

, Member of the Reichstag, drowned in Rhine in July 1883 in unclear circumstances.

References

Bibliography

* Jörg H. Baumgarten: ''Zons – Ein Stadtführer.'' Köln, 1989. * Helene Blum-Spicker: ''600 Jahre Stadt Zons. 1373 – 1973.'' Dormagen, 5. Auflage 1985. * Nicolaus Bömmels: ''Die ehemaligen Rittergüter in den Kreisen Grevenbroich und Neuss.'' In: Almanach für den Kreis Neuss 1979. Neuss 1979, S. 32-51. * Karl Emsbach: ''Zons - Portrait einer alten Stadt.'' Hrsg. vom Heimat- und Verkehrsverein der Stadt Zons e.V., Dormagen, 2000. * Karl Emsbach: ''Zons.'' Rheinische Kunststätten, Heft 496; Hg.: Rheinischer Verein für Denkmalpflege und Landschaftsschutz, Neuss, 2006. * Aenne Hansmann: ''Geschichte von Stadt und Amt Zons.'' Mit einem Beitrag von Artur Elicker, Jakob Justenhoven und Herbert Milz. Düsseldorf 1973. * Aenne Hansmann, Margret Wensky: ''Rheinischer Städteatlas Zons. Lieferung IV, Nr. 25.'' 1978, 2. verb. u. erg. Aufl. Köln 1990. * Maria-Elisabeth Kirchhoff-Werle, Hans Georg Kirchhoff: ''Zons – Geschichte und Geschichten.'' Historische Schriftenreihe der Stadt Dormagen, Bd. 11, Dormagen 1993. * Werner Lisken (Bearb.): ''Die Familien der historischen Stadt Zons und der katholischen Pfarre St. Martin (mit den Ortsteilen Bürgel, Grind, Nachtigall, Sankt Peter und Stürzelberg) von 1664 bis 1900. Ein genealogisches Nachschlagewerk.'' Veröffentlichungen der Gesellschaft für Familienkunde e.V., Sitz Köln, Bd. 293, Köln 2014. * Thomas Schwabach: ''Die Schwieren-Chroniken aus Zons. Bemerkenswertes aus einer niederrheinischen Kleinstadt und ihrer Umgebung 1733-1823.'' Veröffentlichungen des Kreisheimatbundes Neuss e.V. Nr. 15, Köln 2005. * Detlev Zenk: ''Zons - Alte Zollfeste am Rhein.'' Düsseldorf 2005.

External links

Zonser Geschichte
(in German: website dedicated to the history of Zons)

(in German: a virtual walk around the Old Town of Zons)

(in German: extensive bibliography of the history of Zons)
Kultur- und Heimatfreunde Stadt Zons e.V.
(in German: website of the friends of culture and local history of Zons)
Population on 30 June 2010
(PDF-File in German; 19 kB) {{Authority control Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia Populated places on the Rhine Rhein-Kreis Neuss Landmarks in Germany Tourist attractions in North Rhine-Westphalia Fortified settlements