# Westerwaldkreis

The Westerwaldkreis ("District of Westerwald") is a district (Kreis) in the north-east of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Neighbouring districts are (from north clockwise) Altenkirchen, Lahn-Dill, Limburg-Weilburg, Rhein-Lahn, the district-free city Koblenz, Mayen-Koblenz and Neuwied.

## History

When the area became part of Prussia in 1866 two districts covering the area were created. The northern part was covered by the Oberwesterwaldkreis with capital in Marienberg, the Unterwesterwaldkreis with capital in Montabaur covering the southern part. In 1886 a third district was added with the Westerburg district with area from both of the other two districts. In 1932 the districts structure was reformed again, the Oberwesterwaldkreis and the Westerburg district were merged to a new Oberwesterwaldkreis with capital in Westerburg. In 1974 in another reform the districts Oberwesterwaldkreis and Unterwesterwaldkreis were merged to form the Westerwaldkreis.
Together with the neighboring Rhein-Lahn district a partnership with the English county Northamptonshire was started in 1981. As part of the partnership of Rhineland-Palatinate with Rwanda the district had a partnership with the municipality Mugesera since 1983. As in 2001 this municipality was included in the district Mirenge the partner changed.

## Geography

The district is located in the Westerwald mountains. Its highest elevation is the Fuchskaute, at 657 m, the lowest is near Diez in the valley of the Gelbach, at 150 m.

## Coat of arms

The bottom part of the coat of arms show basalt pillars, as the Westerwald is of volcanic origin. There are seven pillars representing the seven Verbandsgemeinden of the district which have basalt or quartzite in their area. The green band in the middle represents the forests, the jug in the upper part the traditional pottery industry in the district.

## Towns and municipalities

Verbandsgemeinden :
| 1. Bad Marienberg Bad Marienberg$^{1,2}$ Bölsberg Dreisbach Fehl-Ritzhausen Großseifen Hahn bei Marienberg Hardt Hof Kirburg Langenbach bei Kirburg Lautzenbrücken Mörlen Neunkhausen Nisterau Nistertal Norken Stockhausen-Illfurth Unnau 2. Hachenburg Alpenrod Astert Atzelgift Borod Dreifelden Gehlert Giesenhausen Hachenburg$^{1,2}$ Hattert Heimborn Heuzert Höchstenbach Kroppach Kundert Limbach Linden Lochum Luckenbach Marzhausen Merkelbach Mörsbach Mudenbach Mündersbach Müschenbach Nister Roßbach Steinebach an der Wied Stein-Wingert Streithausen Wahlrod Welkenbach Wied Winkelbach | 3. Höhr-Grenzhausen Hilgert Hillscheid Höhr-Grenzhausen$^{1,2}$ Kammerforst 4. Montabaur Boden Daubach Eitelborn Gackenbach Girod Görgeshausen Großholbach Heilberscheid Heiligenroth Holler Horbach Hübingen Kadenbach Montabaur$^{1,2}$ Nentershausen Neuhäusel Niederelbert Niedererbach Nomborn Oberelbert Ruppach-Goldhausen Simmern Stahlhofen Untershausen Welschneudorf 5. Ransbach-Baumbach Alsbach Breitenau Caan Deesen Hundsdorf Nauort Oberhaid Ransbach-Baumbach$^{1,2}$ Sessenbach Wirscheid Wittgert | 6. Rennerod Bretthausen Elsoff Hellenhahn-Schellenberg Homberg Hüblingen Irmtraut Liebenscheid Neunkirchen Neustadt Niederroßbach Nister-Möhrendorf Oberrod Oberroßbach Rehe Rennerod$^{1,2}$ Salzburg Seck Stein-Neukirch Waigandshain Waldmühlen Westernohe Willingen Zehnhausen bei Rennerod 7. Selters Ellenhausen Ewighausen Freilingen Freirachdorf Goddert Hartenfels Herschbach, Selters Krümmel Marienrachdorf Maroth Maxsain Nordhofen Quirnbach Rückeroth Schenkelberg Selters$^{1,2}$ Sessenhausen Steinen Vielbach Weidenhahn Wölferlingen | 8. Wallmerod Arnshöfen Berod bei Wallmerod Bilkheim Dreikirchen Elbingen Ettinghausen Hahn am See Herschbach, Wallmerod Hundsangen Kuhnhöfen Mähren Meudt Molsberg Niederahr Oberahr Obererbach Salz Steinefrenz Wallmerod$^1$ Weroth Zehnhausen bei Wallmerod 9. Westerburg Ailertchen Bellingen Berzhahn Brandscheid Enspel Gemünden Girkenroth Guckheim Halbs Härtlingen Hergenroth Höhn Kaden Kölbingen Langenhahn Pottum Rotenhain Rothenbach Stahlhofen am Wiesensee Stockum-Püschen Weltersburg Westerburg$^{1,2}$ Willmenrod Winnen 10. Wirges Bannberscheid Dernbach Ebernhahn Helferskirchen Leuterod Mogendorf Moschheim Niedersayn Ötzingen Siershahn Staudt Wirges$^{1,2}$ |
| $^1$seat of the Verbandsgemeinde; $^2$town ||||