Location
City and district profiles
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Breckerfeld
relaxation is the key
The town of Breckerfeld, reduced by half of its population and area to 59 square kilometres as the result of a municipal restructuring project in 1975, consists of the districts of Breckerfeld and Waldbauer. Since the early 1970s, companies from a variety of sectors have settled in Breckerfeld, increasing the number of local jobs. The new industrial zone has made a significant contribution to consolidating the town's economic situation. As the area allowed no further development, it was expanded by an industrial estate east of the L528 country road, providing space for the consolidation and expansion of companies from Breckerfeld to safeguard existing jobs.Attractive living
Parallel to the development of new industrial and residential areas, Breckerfeld has concentrated on the conservation of its historic town centre with its many listed buildings in the west and eastern ring districts, and - based on the 1976 development plan - developed the residential environment improvement programme Breckerfeld's Historic Old Town for the years 1985 to 1990, achieving a number of positive trends in the public road systems - such as traffic-reduced areas - and in the privately-owned buildings sector.
Quality of life and family friendliness
Breckerfeld has a population of around 9,000, and this figure is currently increasing. It features all the infrastructural facilities of an attractive, modern small town. There are one primary school, one secondary school and one comprehensive school under the auspices of the Protestant national church and six kindergartens. Sports are very popular and the town features a number of excellent sports facilities, such as a modern gymnasium and indoor swimming baths. The smallest, but certainly one of the most attractive towns of the Ennepe-Ruhr region, Breckerfeld is an area popular for recreation close to the conurbations of the Ruhr. The town's significance was emphasized in February 1986, when Breckerfeld was awarded the title of ‘state-approved resort town’. The town features an extensive network of marked paths for walking and hiking, many of them linked to the nature trails in the surrounding countryside. There are a number of parking facilities in Breckerfeld and Waldbauer for hikers arriving by car.
Breckerfeld's municipal area includes three dams, with the Glör dam as a regional recreation highlight featuring a youth hostel and a natural swimming pool. In winter, 10.5 kilometres of cross-country ski-tracks and a ski lift invite skiing enthusiasts to visit Breckerfeld. The local history museum is located in the historic blacksmith's buildings, and art lovers like to visit the protestant Jakobus church with its valuable carved altar, and the Catholic church with its pieta. Since 1972, the French town of Gencay (Vienne) has been Breckerfeld's twin town. The town's European activities earned Breckerfeld the European Diploma in 1993 and the European flag in 1996 awarded by the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy in Strasbourg.
Commercial and trading estates
The town of Breckerfeld in close cooperation with the Ennepe-Ruhr district has developed the commercial and trading area Südlich Königsheide - Section I -, which adjoins the existing commercial estate.
A major proportion of the area has been classed as a trading estate, and the rest as an industrial area. The A1, A45 and A46 autobahns are only 15 kilometres away, and the L528 country road is in close proximity.
Traditional festivals and events
Breckerfeld offers many interesting events, such as putting up the Maypole and the traditional annual Jakobus fair with its shooting festivals, among them a shooting festival for unmarried men.
Agricultural and forestry products are offered at Breckerfeld's farmers' market at the end of September. The Breckerfeld Christmas market on the second weekend of Advent, which takes place in the church square around the time-honoured Jakobus church, surrounded by picturesque scenery, is one of the region's most popular.