Iserlohn

Iserlohn is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located at the north end of the Sauerland near the Ruhr river, at 51° 23' North, 7° 40' East. Population: 102,456 (2001). Area: 125.50 km². It's the biggest city in the Märkischer Kreis, both by area and population.

History

Around 985 the Pancratius church (also called Bauernkirche) the founded, however the first written document mentioning lon dates back to 1150. In 1278 the Count of the Mark did give Iserlohn the city rights. In 1975 the city was merged with Letmathe, Hennen, Sümmern and Kesbern, and was integrated into the Märkischer Kreis.

Points of interest

The Dechenhöhle in Letmathe was discovered in 1868 during the construction of the railway line Hagen-Iserlohn. 360m are accessible for visitors, and lots of stalactites make it a spectacular sight.

Coat of arms In the middle of the coat of arms is the St. Pancratius[?], patron of the oldest church in Iserlohn. He is depicted between two towers of the historic city wall. The checked bordure below is derived from the sign of the Counts of the Mark.

External links official Webpage (http://www.iserlohn.de)