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40-604: He was born and raised in Solingen , Germany. He began playing piano at the age of five, at the age of twelve he devoted himself exclusively to classical music, in 1969 he founded his first band, the Avengers. In 1972 he got his first big success: He won the "battle of the bands" in Solingen, where he met Dieter Rubach (amongst other members of the popular heavy metal band Accept ), but turned down to play with them as he got

80-605: A Northern Europe blacksmith centre. Swords from Solingen have turned up in places such as the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the British Isles. Northern Europe prized the quality of Solingen's manufactured weaponry, and they were traded across the European continent. Solingen today remains the knife-centre of Germany. It was a tiny village for centuries, but became a fortified town in the 15th century. After being ravaged by

120-473: A baseball and softball club from Solingen. The club was founded in 1991 and the first men's team was promoted to the first division of the Baseball Bundesliga for the 2003 season. It has played there in every season since, winning the league championship in 2006 and 2014. The club claims over 250 members. The Schachgesellschaft Solingen e.V. 1868 is best known for its chess team, which plays in

160-629: A council and a mayor since 1374, the year the town was granted its charter. The mayor changed annually on 24 June. Solingen has had a mayor since 1896. During the Nazi era (1933–1945), the mayor was appointed by the NSDAP and not democratically elected by the people of Solingen. After the Second World War, the military government of the British occupation zone appointed a Lord Mayor . From 1946,

200-639: A live DVD at the SAE, Frankfurt, in 2004. He continues to play worldwide tours with Iron Butterfly and solo. Solingen Solingen ( German pronunciation: [ˈzoːlɪŋən] ; Limburgish : Solich ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land , south of the Ruhr . After Wuppertal , it

240-750: A representative of the entire Bergisches Land region. The team plays its home games at both Solingen's Klingenhalle (2,600 seats) and Wuppertal's Uni-Halle (3,200 seats). In May 1955, the city of Solingen took over the partnership of the German general cargo ship Solingen of the Hamburg-American Packet Transit Actien-Gesellschaft (Hapag) . Solingen is twinned with: Since 1990, Solingen also sponsors Złotoryja County in Poland. The founders of Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, which later became

280-467: Is Bergischer HC , playing in the top-tier Handball-Bundesliga which they were promoted to for the second time in 2013, reaching 15th place in the 2013–14 campaign and therefore staying in the top flight for a second consecutive season. BHC originates from a 2006 cooperation between the SG Solingen and rivals LTV Wuppertal from the nearby city of the same name . The club advertises itself as

320-526: Is 62 kilometres (39 mi) long, and the city's dimensions are 15.6 kilometres (9.7 mi) east to west and 11.7 kilometres (7.3 mi) north to south. The Wupper river , a right tributary of the Rhine , flows through the city for 26 kilometres (16 mi). The city's highest point at 276 metres (906 ft) is in the northern borough of Gräfrath at the Light Tower, previously the water tower , and

360-595: Is called the Wipper. Both names are related to "weave", and refer to the twisting course. On its course of about 116 kilometers (72 mi), the Wupper passes through the city of Wuppertal where the suspension railway runs for 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) above the river. It is crossed by the highest railway bridge in Germany near Müngsten, between Remscheid and Solingen . A few kilometers further down, Burg Castle

400-539: Is classified as oceanic ( Köppen : Cfb ; Trewartha : Dolk ). The average annual temperature in Solingen is 9.1 °C (48.4 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,046.1 mm (41.19 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 17.1 °C (62.8 °F), and lowest in January, at around 1.2 °C (34.2 °F). The Solingen weather station has recorded

440-459: Is currently operated by RheinRuhrBahn, a subsidiary of Transdev Germany . The Rhein-Wupper-Bahn (RB 48) runs over the Gruiten–Köln-Deutz line to Bonn-Mehlem via Opladen and Cologne . It has been operated by National Express as of 13 December 2015. Starting 11 December 2022, an additional line RE47, running from Remscheid to Düsseldorf via Solingen has been established. This line

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480-428: Is located on a hill overlooking the river. From the 15th century, the Wupper and its numerous streams gave birth to hundreds of workshops, mills and factories on their banks. Originally water was used for dyeing , bleaching and washing canvas and cloth; later it was used to power machines or transport waste. The Wupper thus facilitated the early industrial expansion of Wuppertal (German for "Wupper Valley") during

520-564: Is served by Regiobahn . Solingen has a trolleybus network, one of only three in Germany remaining besides Eberswalde and Esslingen am Neckar . The nearest airports are Düsseldorf Airport and Cologne Bonn Airport . Both airports can be reached by train from Solingen-Hauptbahnhof (change trains at Köln Messe/Deutz station for the S-Bahn 13 to Cologne Bonn Airport). Other easily reached airports are Frankfurt Airport ( ICE train stop ), Dortmund Airport (railway station " Holzwickede " on

560-595: Is the chairman of the council, the head of the city administration and the first representative of the city. Since 1999, the Lord Mayor has been directly elected by the electorate in a secret ballot. The current mayor of Solingen is Tim Kurzbach of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: The Solingen city council governs

600-682: Is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of the regional authority of the Rhineland . Solingen is called the "City of Blades", and has long been renowned for the manufacturing of fine swords, knives, scissors and razors made by firms such as WKC , DOVO, Wüsthof , Zwilling J. A. Henckels , Böker , Güde, Hubertus, Diefenthal, Puma, Clauberg/Klauberg, Eickhorn, Linder, Carl Schmidt Sohn, Dreiturm, Herder, Martor Safety Knives, Wolfertz, Ralf Aust and numerous other manufacturers. The medieval swordsmiths of Solingen designed

640-754: The New Apostolic Church also have communities in Solingen. Most of the Turkish immigrants belong to the Muslim faith and they have several mosques/worship places in Solingen: The Solingen Paladins  [ de ] is an American football club which was founded in 2006. Until its bankruptcy in 1990, SG Union Solingen was the main club, playing at the Stadion am Hermann-Löns-Weg . The Solingen Alligators are

680-581: The Prussian Rhine Province , 17 miles (27 km) by rail north of Cologne became part of Solingen. In World War II , the Old Town was completely destroyed by a bombing raid by the RAF in 1944; 1,800 people died and over 1,500 people were injured. As such, there are few pre-war sites in the centre. From 1945 to 1949 Solingen was part of the British occupation zone. Reconstruction of

720-472: The Schachbundesliga (Chess Bundesliga) , the top tier of the German chess league system, and is the most successful club in German chess history, having won a record 12 national titles (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1980/81, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1996/97 and 2015/16), three national cups (1986, 2006 und 2009) and 2 European cups (1976 and 1990). In handball , Solingen's most successful team

760-535: The plague with about 1,800 deaths in 1614–1619, Solingen was heavily fought over during the Thirty Years' War , repeatedly attacked and plundered, and the Burg Castle was destroyed. Early in the 20th century, Ohligs's chief manufactures were cutlery and hardware , and there were iron-foundries and flour mills . Other industries were brewing, dyeing, weaving and brick-making. In 1929, Ohligs located in

800-748: The New Animals , after Neal Morse ( Spock's Beard ) left the band. In late 2001, their drummer Aynsley Dunbar was replaced by his old friend Bernie Pershey . Gerschwitz stayed with Burdon and his new Animals until late 2005 and played on four albums with them. Since 2005 he has played with the psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly , both as a singer and keyboardist. In the 2000s, he formed "Martin Gerschwitz & Friends", including Dieter Rubach on bass, Jan Mengeling on lead guitar and his childhood friend Martin Schwebel on drums. They also recorded

840-639: The RE7 trainline) and the low cost Weeze Airport (coaches from Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof). Solingen has belonged from its beginnings to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne ( Erzbistum Köln ), and more specifically to the Archdeaconry of the Probst ( provost ) of St. Kunibert , the deanery of Deutz. For reasons that are unclear, the city has long been associated with St. Clement,

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880-481: The Solingen City Council elected an honorary Lord Mayor and a full-time Lord Mayor from among its members. Until 1997, the honorary lord mayors had mainly representative functions, while the full-time lord mayors were the chief administrative officers of the city of Solingen. In 1997, the dual leadership of the city administration was abolished. Since then there has been only one full-time Lord Mayor. He

920-564: The automobile company Studebaker , trace their lineage to bladesmen from the region who emigrated to America in 1736. Wupper The Wupper is a right tributary of the Rhine in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany . Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous region of the Bergisches Land in Berg County and enters the Rhine at Leverkusen , south of Düsseldorf . Its upper course

960-587: The beginning of the new millennium, the Klingenstadt has undergone a massive transformation as a result of urban development projects such as Regionale 2006 and City 2013. For example, the new Korkenzieherstrasse cycle path was created and the demolition of the Turmhotel and the former Karstadt Passage made it possible to build a new shopping centre on Neumarkt in Solingen-Mitte. After the closure of

1000-405: The boroughs' important administrative affairs. The five city boroughs: Ohligs/Aufderhöhe/Merscheid and Höhscheid/Burg are divided into sections ("Stadtteile") that were once separate towns and are still statistical and planning units but are no longer self-governing. The city further comprises many neighborhoods with their own names, although they often lack precise borders: Solingen's climate

1040-463: The city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: Solingen Hauptbahnhof is served by Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn line S1 from Düsseldorf and Düsseldorf Airport Station. S-Bahn line S7 links Solingen (including the station nearest the city centre, Solingen Mitte , and Solingen-Grünewald ) to Wuppertal via Remscheid , Remscheid-Lennep and Wuppertal-Ronsdorf . This line

1080-477: The construction of the Viehbachtalstraße motorway through the city in the late 1970s. In 1975, the city grew again with the incorporation of the previously independent town of Burg an der Wupper. In 1993, Solingen made international headlines for a right-wing extremist arson attack in which five Turkish girls and women were killed. The attack was followed by demonstrations and riots in the city. Since

1120-1038: The district synod of Lennep, today part of the city Remscheid . A new synod was established in Solingen in 1843, and the city acquired its own superintendent , a form of church administrator. This formed the basis for the present-day Church District of Solingen, a member of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland . With the exception of the free churches , most Protestant churches belong to the Church District of Solingen. Today approximately 34% of Solingen's population belongs to Protestant churches, and roughly 26% belong to Catholic churches. Other church communities in Solingen include Greek Orthodox , Evangelical Free (including Baptist and Brethren ), Methodist , Seventh-day Adventist , Pentecostal , Salvation Army , and free churches. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Jehovah's Witnesses and

1160-409: The following extreme values: Solingen was first mentioned in 1067 by a chronicler who called the area "Solonchon". Early variations of the name included "Solengen", "Solungen", and "Soleggen", although the modern name seems to have been in use since the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Blacksmiths' smelters, dating back over 2000 years, have been found around the town, adding to Solingen's fame as

1200-461: The lowest point at 53 metres (174 ft) is in the southwest. The following cities and communities share a border with Solingen, starting in the northeast and going clockwise around the city: Solingen currently consists of five Stadtbezirke, or boroughs . Each borough has a municipal council of either 13 or 15 representatives ( Bezirksvertreter ) elected every five years by the borough's population. The municipal councils are responsible for many of

1240-534: The newly defined Archdiocese of Cologne, to which the city's current parishes still belong. As mentioned, the Reformation only gradually gained a foothold in Solingen. A reformed church affiliated with the Bergisch synod was established in 1590, and the city's parish church became reformed in 1649. Lutherans had been present in Solingen since the beginning of the 17th century, and a Lutheran congregation

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1280-410: The old central station in Solingen-Mitte, Ohligs station was officially named the new Solingen central station by Deutsche Bahn AG on 10 December 2006. On 23 August 2024, a mass stabbing occurred during a festival for the city's 650th founding anniversary. Solingen's population doubled between the years 1880 and 1890 due to the incorporation of the town of Dorp into Solingen in 1889, at which time

1320-540: The old town began in 1949. The newly built Protestant church in Fronhof was consecrated in 1954, and the destroyed towers of the Catholic church of St. Clemens were rebuilt in a different style. By the end of the 1970s, the city's population had increased due to numerous new housing developments in all parts of the city. The city's infrastructure continued to grow, with the opening of the theatre and concert hall in 1963 and

1360-555: The opportunity to play with German entertainer Howard Carpendale , from 1974 to 1977. In 1978 he founded Break Point, a band playing rock and roll in the USAF Europe Club Circuit, recording an album in 1981. In 1985, he moved to the United States. From 1987 to 1989 he was the keyboard player for Lita Ford (who amongst others also supported Bon Jovi around that time, where a concert at Wembley Stadium

1400-403: The population reached 36,000. The population again received a large boost on 1 August 1929 through the incorporation of Ohligs, Wald, Höhscheid, and Gräfrath into the city limits. This brought the population above the 100,000 mark, which gave Solingen the distinction of being a "large city" ( Großstadt ). The number of inhabitants peaked in 1971 with 177,899 residents, and the 2006 population figure

1440-557: The third Pope, symbols of whose martyrdom appear on the city’s shield. Although the Protestant Reformation gradually made gains in the city, which was under the control of the Counts of Berg , the population by and large remained Roman Catholic for a while. The Catholic community was newly endowed by the local lord in 1658 and in 1701 received a new church building. In 1827 Solingen became the seat of its own deanery within

1480-494: The town's coat of arms . In the late 17th century, a group of swordsmiths from Solingen broke their guild oaths by taking their sword-making secrets with them to Shotley Bridge , County Durham, in England. Solingen lies southwest of Wuppertal in the Bergisches Land . The city has an area of 89.45 square kilometres (34.54 sq mi), of which roughly 50% is used for agriculture, horticulture, or forestry. The city's border

1520-465: Was 163,263. The following chart shows the population figures within Solingen's city limits at the respective points in time. The figures are derived from census estimates or numbers provided by statistical offices or city agencies, with the exception of figures preceding 1843, which were gathered using inconsistent recording techniques. 30.9% of the population of Solingen has foreign roots (statistics 2012). The people of Solingen have been able to elect

1560-562: Was founded in 1635. In 1672 a formalized religious agreement was reached between the city's religious groups. The Reformation was also introduced in Gräfrath in 1590, where a church council was apparently established in 1629. The Reformed and Lutheran churches were formed into a united church community in 1838 following the general merger of Reformed and Lutheran churches in Prussia in 1817. The Protestant parishes originally belonged to

1600-494: Was shot); in 1989 and 1990, he played with Meat Loaf 's Neverland Express . In 1991, he played with Vanilla Fudge on the album "Back On Stage", and in 1991 and 1992, he was a permanent member of "The Doughboys/PFR." In 1991 he also played with Kingdom Come . From 1993 to 1998 he played in the Walter Trout Band, where he met drummer Bernie Pershey. In 1999, he was asked to be the keyboardist for Eric Burdon &

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