Erftstadt
Erftstadt is a town located about 20 km south-west of Cologne in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name of the town derives from the river which flows through it, the Erft. Carl Schurz, a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War was born in Erftstadt-Liblar on March 2, 1829, as was Joseph Kentenich, a Catholic Priest of the Pallottine order and founder of the Schoenstatt Movement, on 16 November 1885. He is also remembered as a thinker, theologian, and educationalist.Erftstadt is twinned with:
- Ahrem
- Blessem/Frauenthal
- Bliesheim
- Borr
- Dirmerzheim
- Erp
- Friesheim
- Gymnich
- Herrig
- Kierdorf
- Köttingen
- Lechenich
- Liblar
- Niederberg
Personalities
- Carl Schurz, politician and first German-born cabinet secretary in the US
- Jean Bungartz, animal artist, specialist author, photographer, breeder, lived from 1886 to 1913 in Lechenich
- Josef Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Apostolic Movement
- Bernd Alois Zimmermann, composer, born in Bliesheim
- Hennes Weisweiler, football coach, born in Lechenich
- Manfred Donike, cyclist, chemist and well-known doping investigator
- Manfred Donike, cyclist and functionary
