# Rösrath

Rösrath (German:; Kölsch: Röhsroth) is a town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (district) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The earliest known documents mentioning the settlement Rösrath can be found in documents dated to 1356. There have been findings of Paleolithic and Mesolithic tools in the town area Forsbach. The community was elevated to the town status in 2001.

## Geography

Rösrath is located in the immediate vicinity of Cologne. The municipal area of Rösrath is bordering on the south-eastern city limits of Cologne. Therefore, from Cologne's point of view Rösrath is called a Gateway to the Berg region (Bergisches Land). The municipal area partly extends over the nature reserves of the Wahner Heide and Königsforst.

## Local government

Council, elections in May 2014:
* CDU 17 seats
* SPD 12 seats
* Alliance 90/The greens 6 seats
* FDP 4 seats
* Alternative für Deutschland / AfD 2 seats
* The Left 2 seats
* BfR (Bürger für Rösrath-Citizens for Rösrath) 1 seat
* Dieter von Niessen 1 seat
* Kacem Bitich (independent), 1 seat

### Mayors

| Mayors | Start of office | End of office | Party | comments |
| Franz Leyhausen | August 1878 | June 1905 | | |
| Max Haumann | October 1905 | March 1931 | | |
| Max Steinsträßer | April 1931 | April 1945 | | |
| Gottfried Fuhrmann | May 1945 | February 1946 | CDU | |
| Robert Vierkötter | March 1946 | October 1946 | SPD | |
| Josef Arens | November 1946 | March 1947 | CDU | |
| Wilhelm Beinhoff | April 1947 | October 1948 | CDU | |
| Paul Leibner | November 1948 | December 1950 | SPD | |
| Günther Runkel | February 1951 | November 1951 | FDP | |
| Kurt Adenauer | December 1951 | December 1954 | CDU | |
| Erwin Schiffbauer | January 1955 | April 1963 | SPD | |
| Matthias Großmann | May 1963 | October 1964 | CDU | |
| Erwin Schiffbauer | November 1964 | February 1972 | SPD | |
| Siegfried Tews | March 1972 | April 1975 | SPD | |
| Karlheinz Krakau | May 1975 | September 1989 | CDU | |
| Dieter Happ | October 1989 | November 2008 | SPD | First full-time mayor since October 1, 1999 |
| Marcus Mombauer | December 2008 | September 2020 | CDU | |
| Bondina Schulze | September 2020 | in office | Grüne | |

### Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Rösrath consists of two areas:
* The upper area shows the red lion of Berg with blue crown, tongue and claws. The lion appears in most of the coats of arms in the district of the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis.
* The lower area shows a hunting horn with a green background. It symbolizes the Königsforst, in former times a popular hunting district of the earls of Berg.

## Culture

Rösrath is known for the Rose Monday Parade, organized every year.

## Landmarks

The gateway of Eulenbroich Castle is virtually the landmark of Rösrath. This "gateway to the Berg region" (Bergisches Land) is used as logo on the letterheads and internet pages of the town council.

## Twin towns – sister cities

Rösrath is twinned with:
* Veurne, Belgium (1974)
* Chavenay, France (1998)
* Crespières, France (1998)
* Feucherolles, France (1998)
* Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, France (1998)

## Notable people

* Chris Howland (1928–2013), entertainer, actor and author, lived in Rosrath
* Wolfgang Bochow (1944–2017), badminton player
* Rainer Brüninghaus (born 1949), jazz pianist and composer, has been living in Rösrath since 1976
* Anke Engelke (born 1965), actor and comedian, graduated from the Freiherr-vom-Stein-Schule in Rösrath in 1984