# Neunkirchen (Siegerland)

Neunkirchen (German: ); English: "Nine Churches") is a municipality in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

## History

Neunkirchen had its first documentary mention on 23 August 1288.

### Religion

Neunkirchen has been shaped by the great influence of various Free-Church-Evangelical (freikirchlich-evangelisch) religious communities. This even, and especially, applies to the economic field, making its mark on the kind of approaches to management seen in the community. This practice works anachronistically, and for uninitiated atheists – and even for Christians of both greater denominations in Germany – it can be quite incomprehensible. Those from outside seeking jobs are well advised to make inquiries as to the leadership style to be expected here, as well as to be sure of getting the most generous possible probationary period.

## Geography

Neunkirchen lies on the river Heller, about 10 km south of Siegen.

### Neighbouring communities

Neunkirchen neighbours the communities of Burbach, Wilnsdorf, Herdorf and Daaden.

### Constituent communities

Neunkirchen consists of the following centres:
* Altenseelbach
* Neunkirchen
* Salchendorf
* Struthütten
* Wiederstein
* Zeppenfeld
Until 1 January 1969 all these places were independent municipalities, before they were all merged to form today's greater community of Neunkirchen.

### Climate

Neunkirchen's climate is classified as oceanic (Köppen: Cfb; Trewartha: Dobk). The average annual temperature in Neunkirchen is 10.0 °C (50.0 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,006.7 mm (39.63 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 18.3 °C (64.9 °F), and lowest in January, at around 2.3 °C (36.1 °F).
The Neunkirchen weather station has recorded the following extreme values:
* Highest Temperature 38.4 °C (101.1 °F) on 25 July 2019.
* Warmest Minimum 22.2 °C (72.0 °F) on 2 July 2015.
* Coldest Maximum −11.2 °C (11.8 °F) on 8 January 1985.
* Lowest Temperature −21.6 °C (−6.9 °F) on 18 January 1963.
* Highest Daily Precipitation 68.7 mm (2.70 in) on 14 September 1998.
* Wettest Month 239.1 mm (9.41 in) in December 1965.
* Wettest Year 1,335.4 mm (52.57 in) in 1966.
* Driest Year 666.7 mm (26.25 in) in 1971.
* Earliest Snowfall: 4 November 1966.
* Latest Snowfall: 4 May 1979.
* Longest annual sunshine: 1,909.4 hours in 2018.
* Shortest annual sunshine: 1,418 hours in 2013.
Climate data for Neunkirchen (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1962–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.4 (59.7) | 20.5 (68.9) | 25.3 (77.5) | 29.2 (84.6) | 32.5 (90.5) | 35.0 (95.0) | 38.4 (101.1) | 36.8 (98.2) | 32.3 (90.1) | 26.1 (79.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 38.4 (101.1) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 11.8 (53.2) | 13.3 (55.9) | 18.1 (64.6) | 23.5 (74.3) | 26.8 (80.2) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.8 (87.4) | 25.9 (78.6) | 21.0 (69.8) | 15.5 (59.9) | 12.0 (53.6) | 33.3 (91.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.8 (40.6) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 14.8 (58.6) | 18.5 (65.3) | 21.5 (70.7) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.2 (73.8) | 19.1 (66.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 8.7 (47.7) | 5.4 (41.7) | 14.1 (57.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.3 (36.1) | 2.8 (37.0) | 5.9 (42.6) | 9.7 (49.5) | 13.4 (56.1) | 16.4 (61.5) | 18.3 (64.9) | 17.7 (63.9) | 14.1 (57.4) | 10.1 (50.2) | 6.0 (42.8) | 3.1 (37.6) | 10.0 (50.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) | −0.3 (31.5) | 1.8 (35.2) | 4.5 (40.1) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.0 (51.8) | 13.1 (55.6) | 12.6 (54.7) | 9.7 (49.5) | 6.6 (43.9) | 3.2 (37.8) | 0.6 (33.1) | 5.9 (42.6) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −8.8 (16.2) | −8.0 (17.6) | −5.3 (22.5) | −2.7 (27.1) | 0.8 (33.4) | 5.0 (41.0) | 7.4 (45.3) | 6.8 (44.2) | 4.0 (39.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | −3.3 (26.1) | −6.7 (19.9) | −11.8 (10.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −21.6 (−6.9) | −18.0 (−0.4) | −12.8 (9.0) | −8.0 (17.6) | −1.6 (29.1) | −0.5 (31.1) | 3.0 (37.4) | 2.4 (36.3) | −0.4 (31.3) | −5.1 (22.8) | −10.4 (13.3) | −16.4 (2.5) | −21.6 (−6.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 93.9 (3.70) | 80.8 (3.18) | 77.6 (3.06) | 56.6 (2.23) | 75.3 (2.96) | 88.5 (3.48) | 87.5 (3.44) | 93.9 (3.70) | 79.3 (3.12) | 83.2 (3.28) | 88.3 (3.48) | 101.8 (4.01) | 1,006.7 (39.63) |
| Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 5.7 (2.2) | 5.8 (2.3) | 2.2 (0.9) | 0.1 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.9 (0.4) | 3.6 (1.4) | 9.2 (3.6) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 18.7 | 17.5 | 16.9 | 13.2 | 15.1 | 15.0 | 16.2 | 14.8 | 14.7 | 17.0 | 18.9 | 20.3 | 198.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 85.1 | 81.5 | 76.6 | 70.2 | 71.7 | 73.5 | 74.0 | 76.1 | 80.8 | 84.4 | 87.0 | 87.3 | 79.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 50.5 | 70.6 | 128.8 | 185.5 | 202.2 | 209.0 | 215.2 | 191.0 | 153.9 | 104.7 | 47.3 | 41.3 | 1,599.9 |
| Source: DWD Open Data ||||||||||||||

## Politics
### Municipal council

The council's 28 seats are apportioned thus, in accordance with municipal elections held on 26 September 2004:
| | CDU | SPD | Greens | FDP | UWG | total |
| 2004 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 28 |
Note: UWG is a citizens' coalition.

### Coat of arms

Neunkirchen's civic coat of arms might be described thus: Or three lozenges in bend sable.
The greater community's current arms are the same as those formerly borne by Altenseelbach before amalgamation. They were adopted as Neunkirchen's arms in 1969. The charge of the three lozenges comes from the arms borne by the Lords of Seelbach in the Middle Ages. A similar charge – in the same colours – can be seen in nearby Burbach's arms.

### Partnerships

* Pausa, Saxony, since 1990
* Gainsborough, United Kingdom, friendship links since 1972; partnership since 1991
* Falkensee, Brandenburg

## Economy and infrastructure
### Established businesses

* Heinrich Baumgarten KG – special plant for making handles for the cookware industry
* Baumgarten automotive technics GmbH
* Schäfer Werke
* EMW Eisen- und Metallhandel
* Karl Sauer GmbH
* K. Sauer GmbH - lamps and contents
* F. WEIDT GMBH Logistics Consulting

## Literature

Otto Braun: 700 Jahre Neunkirchen. Neunkirchen 1988.