Editing Hochsauerlandkreis

{{Infobox German district
|name=Hochsauerlandkreis
|state=North Rhine-Westphalia
|image_flag=Flagge Hochsauerlandkreis.svg
|image_coa=DEU Hochsauerlandkreis COA.svg
|capital=[[Meschede]]
|regierungsbezirk=[[Arnsberg (region)|Arnsberg]]
|area=1,958.71
|Kreisschlüssel    = 05958
| district_admin    = Karl Schneider
| admin_party       = CDU
|carsign=HSK
|url=http://www.hochsauerlandkreis.de
|map={{Germany district OSM map |parent_subdivision = Q1198}}
}}
'''Hochsauerlandkreis''' ({{IPA|de|ˈhoːxzaʊɐlantˌkʁaɪs}}, {{lit|High [[Sauerland]] District}}) is a {{Lang|de|[[Districts of Germany|Kreis]]}} (district) in the east of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]]. Neighboring districts are [[Soest (district)|Soest]], [[Paderborn (district)|Paderborn]], [[Höxter (district)|Höxter]], [[Waldeck-Frankenberg]], [[Siegen-Wittgenstein]], [[Olpe (district)|Olpe]], [[Märkischer Kreis]].

The district is named “High Sauerland” because two of the highest mountains of the [[Sauerland|Sauerland mountainous landscape]], [[Langenberg (Rothaar)|Langenberg]] and [[Kahler Asten]] are in its territory. With 2,766&nbsp;ft / 843 m (Langenberg) and 2,762&nbsp;ft / 842 m (Kahler Asten) these are also the highest mountains of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]].

== History ==
The district was established in 1975 in the reorganization of the districts in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] by merging the previous districts Arnsberg, Brilon and Meschede.

== Geography ==
Geographically the district covers a big part of the [[Sauerland]] mountains, including the highest and third highest elevation – the [[Langenberg (Rothaar)|Langenberg]] near [[Olsberg, Germany|Olsberg]] with 2,766&nbsp;ft / 843 m, and the better known [[Kahler Asten]] with 2,762&nbsp;ft / 842 m near [[Winterberg]]. These are also the two highest mountains of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]].

== Coat of arms ==
The coat of arms was inherited from the former district [[Arnsberg]]. It shows the eagle as the symbol of the Earls of Arnsberg. When their county lost independence in 1368 it fell to the bishops of [[Cologne]], thus the sign on the breast of the eagle shows the Cologne cross.

== Towns and municipalities ==
{{Imagemap Germany district HSK|Municipalities in HSK.svg|300px{{!}}thumb{{!}}Clickable map of towns and municipalities in the district}}
{|
!colspan=2 align=left|Towns
!align=left|Municipalities
|- valign=top 
|width=33%|
# [[Arnsberg]] (73,897)
# [[Brilon]] (25,644)
# [[Hallenberg]] (4,435)
# [[Marsberg]] (20,110)
# [[Medebach]] (7,876)
|width=33%|
<ol start=6>
<li> [[Meschede]] (30,358)
<li> [[Olsberg, Germany|Olsberg]] (21,577)
<li> [[Schmallenberg]] (25,149)
<li> [[Sundern]] (28,165)
<li> [[Winterberg]] (12,918)
</ol>
|width=33%|
#[[Bestwig]] (11,446)
#[[Eslohe]] (8,936)
|}

== Town twinnings ==
Hochsauerland is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with the following areas:

* {{Flagicon|Scotland}} [[West Lothian|West Lothian, Scotland]]

==Notable persons==
*[[Franz Hoffmeister]] (died 1943), Roman Catholic priest
*[[Friedrich Merz]], current leader of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]

==Notable places==
*[[Abbey Bergkloster]], Bestwig <ref>[http://www.smmp.de/spirituell/angebote/gast_in_bestwig.asp Herzlich willkommen Bergkloster Bestwig im Hochsauerlandkreis/Nordrhein-Westfalen] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011121232/http://www.smmp.de/spirituell/angebote/gast_in_bestwig.asp |date=2007-10-11 }}</ref>
*[[Grafschaft Abbey|Abbey Grafschaft]], Schmallenberg
*[[Abbey Königsmünster]], Meschede <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.koenigsmuenster.de/aktuelles/anfahrtbahn.shtml |title=Anfahrt mit der Bahn |access-date=2008-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081104114134/http://www.koenigsmuenster.de/aktuelles/anfahrtbahn.shtml |archive-date=2008-11-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Official website|http://www.hochsauerlandkreis.de}} {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.sauerland-touristik.de Touristic website] {{in lang|de}}

{{Germany districts north rhine-westphalia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|51.25|8.33|display=title|format=dms}}

[[Category:Hochsauerlandkreis| ]]
[[Category:Districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Arnsberg (region)]]
[[Category:Sauerland]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in West Germany]]