Willingen

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title: "Willingen" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["waldeck-frankenberg", "principality-of-waldeck-and-pyrmont"] topic_path: "general/waldeck-frankenberg" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willingen" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox German place"]

Field	Value
image_coa	DE-HE 06-6-35-022 Willingen COA.svg
image_photo	Willingen-Panorama.jpg
image_caption	Panorama of Willingen
coordinates
image_plan	Willingen (Upland) in KB.svg
state	Hessen
region	Kassel
district	Waldeck-Frankenberg
elevation	584
area	80.26
postal_code	34508
area_code	05632
licence	KB
Gemeindeschlüssel	06 6 35 022
website	www.gemeinde-willingen.de
mayor	Thomas Trachte
leader_term	2022–28
party	Independent
::

Geography

Location

Willingen is found in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in the Upland. Its main town stretches between two river valleys, the Hoppecke in the west and the Itter in the east. The ski resort Skigebiet Willingen is near. It is located 60 km west of Kassel. Mühlenkopfschanze ski jump is also located here.

Neighbouring municipalities

Willingen borders in the north on the municipality of Diemelsee, in the east on the town of Korbach, in the south on the municipality of Medebach, and in the west on the towns of Winterberg, Olsberg and Brilon (all three in the Hochsauerlandkreis in North Rhine-Westphalia).

Constituent municipalities

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Usseln.jpg" caption="View from the Kahlen Pön (774 m) over Usseln"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Schwalefeld_pano_stitch-h25p.jpg" caption="Panoramaview over Schwalefeld"] ::

Willingen consists of the following centres:

Bömighausen, 300 inhabitants (as of 1 September 2003)
Eimelrod, 582 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2006)
Hemmighausen, 100 inhabitants
Neerdar, 100 inhabitants
Rattlar, 400 inhabitants
Schwalefeld, 900 inhabitants
Usseln, 2,100 inhabitants
Welleringhausen, 100 inhabitants
Willingen, 3,500 inhabitants

History

Willingen was founded in 1874 in the second municipal reform by uniting the villages of Bömighausen, Eimelrod, Hemmighausen, Neerdar, Rattlar, Schwalefeld, Welleringhausen and the climatic spas of Usseln and Willingen. Until 1929, Willingen belonged to the Free State of Waldeck, after which it passed to Prussia.

Politics

Municipal council

Willingen's council is made up of 31 councillors, with seats apportioned thus, in accordance with municipal elections held on 6 March 2016: ::data[format=table]

FWG	5 seats
::

Note: FWG is a citizens' coalition.

Coat of arms

The field is parted horizontally, below the middle, by a row of interlocking arrows between the gold above and the green below. It is meant, of course, to look like treetops, and refers to the Upland's extensive woods. There are two charges, one inside the other. The eight-pointed black star is the ubiquitous – in terms of the local civic heraldry – Star of Waldeck, borne centuries ago by the Counts of Waldeck when they held sway over the area. The snowflake is included as a charge within the star and is representative of the municipality's status as a winter resort.

The municipality was granted this coat of arms on 12 June 1974.

Culture and sightseeing

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Mühlenkopfschanze.jpg" caption="''[[Mühlenkopfschanze]]'' at World Cup 2002"] ::

Willingen's landmark is the great railway bridge, "Das Viadukt", built about 1918. The municipality thrives mainly on tourism. There were 1.3 million overnight stays in 2003, and attractions include winter sports and bowling clubs.

Regular events

Among Willingen's sports events are the International Ski Federation's annual FIS Ski Jumping World Cup competition at the Mühlenkopfschanze, and the annual Mountainbike-Event at the Ettelsberg. Nearby lie the trails of Bike Arena Sauerland.

Transport

Willingen lies on the Uplandbahn railway line between Korbach and Brilon-Wald.

Gallery

Image:Willingen, kerk1 foto3 2010-08-10 12.14.JPG|Willingen, bar/restaurant in former church building Image:Willingen, spoorviadukt foto1 2010-08-10 12.22.JPG|Willingen, viaduct Image:Usseln, kerk foto4 2010-08-10 12.44.JPG|Usseln, church Image:Tussen Usseln en Dudighausen, panorama foto2 2010-08-10 12.53.JPG|Between Usseln and Düdinghausen, panorama

Notable people

Heinrich Vogeler (born 1872), architect of Stryckhaus in Willingen
Karl Schüßler (1924–2023), former cross-country skier, born in Willingen
Wolfgang Paul (born 1940), former football trainer at SC Willingen
Jochen Behle (born 1960), former cross-country skier and trainer in the cross-country skiing, lives in the district Schwalefeld and started for the SC Willingen
Klaus Huber (born 1968), former ski jumping, ski jumping trainer at the SC Willingen
Inga Schneider (born 1968), former biathlete, born in Willingen
Petra Behle (born 1969), former biathlete, started for SC Willingen
Anna Häfele (born 1989), ski jumping champion, started for SC Willingen
Stephan Leyhe (born 1992), former ski jumper, born in Willingen
Nadine Horchler (born 1986), former biathlete, started for SC Willingen

References

(5 September 2022). "Ergebnisse der letzten Direktwahl aller hessischen Landkreise und Gemeinden". [[Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt]].
[https://www.fallingrain.com/world/GM/08/Willingen.html Willingen, Germany Page]
"Deutsche Wappen (Gemeindewappen Kreiswappen) - WILLINGEN (UPLAND)".

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