View source for Solingen

{{distinguish|text=[[Söllingen]] in Lower Saxony}}
{{Infobox German place
| type               = City
| German_name        = {{small|{{nativename|li|Solich}}}}
| image_photo        = Solingen_Innenstadt_001.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Solingen-Mitte
| image_flag         = Flagge Solingen.svg
| image_coa          = Solingen wappen.svg
| coordinates        = {{Wikidatacoord|Q2942|display=inline,title}}
| image_plan         = 
| plantext           = 
| state              = North Rhine-Westphalia
| region             = Düsseldorf
| district           = urban
| elevation          = 53-276
| area               = 89.54
| area_metro         = 
| pop_metro          = 
| postal_code        = 42601-42719
| area_code          = 0212
| licence            = SG
| Gemeindeschlüssel  = 05122000
| divisions          = 
| mayor              = [[Daniel Flemm]]
| leader_term        = 2025&ndash;30
| Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
| party              = CDU
| ruling_party1      = 
| ruling_party2      = 
| ruling_party3      = 
| year               = 
| noautocat          = 
| website            = [https://www.solingen.de/ www.solingen.de]
}}

'''Solingen''' ({{IPA|de|ˈzoːlɪŋən|-|De-Solingen2.ogg}}; {{langx|li|Solich}}) is a city in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], Germany, 25&nbsp;km east of [[Düsseldorf]] along the northern edge of the [[Bergisches Land]], south of the [[Ruhr]]. After [[Wuppertal]], it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of the regional authority of the [[Rhineland]].

Solingen is called the "City of Blades", and has long been renowned for the manufacturing of fine swords, knives, scissors and razors made by firms such as [[WKC Stahl- und Metallwarenfabrik|WKC]], P.D Rasspe Söhne, DOVO, [[Wüsthof]], [[Zwilling J. A. Henckels]], [[Böker]], Güde, Hubertus, Diefenthal, Puma, Clauberg/Klauberg, Eickhorn, Linder, Carl Schmidt Sohn, Dreiturm, Herder, Martor Safety Knives, Wolfertz, Ralf Aust and numerous other manufacturers.

The medieval [[swordsmith]]s of Solingen designed the town's [[coat of arms]]. In the late 17th century, a group of swordsmiths from Solingen broke their guild oaths by taking their sword-making secrets with them to [[Shotley Bridge]], County Durham, in England. In the local dialect the Solinger Platt, a variety of the Limburgish language, the city is called Solich or Zóóliech.

==Geography==
[[File:Solingen Graefrath 2006 08 09 0093.jpg|thumb|Typical houses in Solingen-[[Gräfrath]]]]
[[File:Clemens.jpg|thumb|Solingen-Mitte: St. Clemens Church and Clemens Galerien]]
[[File:Mummenscheid1.jpg|thumb|Mummenscheid farmyard in the borough of Wald]]
[[File:SG-Gräfrath gesamter Markt.JPG|thumb|Historical marketplace in Gräfrath]]
[[File:Wupper bei Wupperbrücke Wiesenkotten 03 ies.jpg|thumb|River [[Wupper]]]]
Solingen lies southwest of [[Wuppertal]] in the [[Bergisches Land]]. The city has an area of {{convert|89.45|km2|sqmi}}, of which roughly 50% is used for agriculture, horticulture, or forestry. The city's border is {{convert|62|km|mi}} long, and the city's dimensions are {{convert|15.6|km|mi}} east to west and {{convert|11.7|km|mi}} north to south. The [[Wupper|Wupper river]], a right tributary of the [[Rhine]], flows through the city for {{convert|26|km|mi}}. The city's highest point at 276 metres (906&nbsp;ft) is in the northern borough of [[Gräfrath]] at the Light Tower, previously the [[water tower]], and the lowest point at 53 metres (174&nbsp;ft) is in the southwest.

===Neighbouring cities and communities===
The following cities and communities share a border with Solingen, starting in the northeast and going clockwise around the city:
* [[Wuppertal]] ([[Urban districts of Germany|unitary urban district]])
* [[Remscheid]] (unitary urban district)
* [[Wermelskirchen]] (within the [[Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis|Rheinisch-Bergischer district]])
* [[Leichlingen]] (Rheinisch-Bergischer district)
* [[Langenfeld, Rhineland|Langenfeld]] (within the [[Mettmann (district)|district of Mettmann]])
* [[Hilden]] (Mettmann)
* [[Haan]] (Mettmann)

===City administration===
Solingen currently consists of five Stadtbezirke, or [[Stadtbezirk|borough]]s. Each borough has a municipal council of either 13 or 15 representatives (''Bezirksvertreter'') elected every five years by the borough's population. The municipal councils are responsible for many of the boroughs' important administrative affairs.

The five city boroughs:
* [[Gräfrath]]
* Wald (Solingen)
* (Solingen-)Mitte
* Ohligs/Aufderhöhe/Merscheid
* Höhscheid/Burg

Ohligs/Aufderhöhe/Merscheid and Höhscheid/Burg are divided into sections ("Stadtteile") that were once separate towns and are still statistical and planning units but are no longer self-governing.

The city further comprises many neighborhoods with their own names, although they often lack precise borders:

: '''Aufderhöhe:''' Aufderbech, Börkhaus, Gosse, Horn, Holzhof, Josefstal, Landwehr, Löhdorf, Pohligsfeld, Riefnacken, Rupelrath, Siebels, Steinendorf, Ufer, Wiefeldick
: '''[[Burg an der Wupper|Burg]]:''' Angerscheid, Höhrath
: '''[[Gräfrath]]:''' Central, Flachsberg, Flockertsholz, Focher Dahl, Fürkeltrath, Heide, Ketzberg, Külf, Nümmen, Piepersberg, Rathland, Schieten, Zum Holz
: '''Höhscheid:''' Balkhausen, Bünkenberg, Dorperhof, Friedrichstal, Fürkelt, Glüder, Grünewald, Haasenmühle, Hästen, Katternberg, Kohlsberg, Meiswinkel, Nacken, Pfaffenberg, Pilghausen, Rölscheid, Rüden, Schaberg, Schlicken, Unnersberg, Weeg, Widdert, Wippe
: '''Merscheid:''' Büschberg, Dahl, Dingshaus, Fürk, Fürker Irlen, Gönrath, Hübben, Hoffnung, Limminghofen, Scheuren, Schmalzgrube
: '''Mitte:''' Entenpfuhl, Eick, Grunenburg, Hasseldelle, Kannenhof, Kohlfurth, Krahenhöhe, Mangenberg, Meigen, Müngsten, Papiermühle, Scheidt, Schlagbaum, Schrodtberg, Stöcken, Stockdum, Theegarten, Vorspel, Windfeln
: '''Ohligs:''' Brabant, Broßhaus, Buschfeld, Caspersbroich, Deusberg, Engelsberger Hof, Hackhausen, Keusenhof, Mankhaus, Maubes, Monhofer Feld, Poschheide, Scharrenberg, Schnittert, Suppenheide, Unterland, Wilzhaus, Verlach
: '''Wald:''' Bavert, Demmeltrath, Eschbach, Eigen, Fuhr, Garzenhaus, Itter, Kotzert, [[Lochbach (Itter)|Lochbachtal]], Rolsberg, Vogelsang, Weyer

===Climate===

Solingen's climate is classified as [[Oceanic climate|oceanic]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dolk''). The average annual temperature in Solingen is {{cvt|9.1|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1046.1|mm}} with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around {{cvt|17.1|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|1.2|C}}. 

The Solingen weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Highest Temperature {{convert|36.6|C|F}} on 18 June 2002.
* Warmest Minimum {{convert|23.6|C|F}} on 9 August 1992.
* Coldest Maximum {{convert|-14.0|C|F}} on 1 February 1956.
* Lowest Temperature {{convert|-23.6|C|F}} on 27 January 1942.<ref name=wetterzentrale/>
* Highest Daily Precipitation {{convert|84.1|mm|in|abbr=on}} on 17 April 1936.
* Wettest Month {{convert|267.8|mm|in|abbr=on}} in September 1957.
* Wettest Year {{convert|1420.0|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1954.
* Driest Year {{convert|720.6|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1959.
* Earliest Snowfall: 28 October 1950.
* Latest Snowfall: 3 May 1979.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Solingen (1961−1990 normals, extremes 1936–2002)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 14.2
|Feb record high C = 18.8
|Mar record high C = 23.9
|Apr record high C = 28.4
|May record high C = 31.6
|Jun record high C = 36.6
|Jul record high C = 36.2
|Aug record high C = 35.2
|Sep record high C = 33.0
|Oct record high C = 25.9
|Nov record high C = 19.5
|Dec record high C = 16.6
|year record high C = 36.6
|Jan avg record high C = 9.3
|Feb avg record high C = 10.9
|Mar avg record high C = 16.1
|Apr avg record high C = 21.6
|May avg record high C = 25.7
|Jun avg record high C = 28.8
|Jul avg record high C = 30.3
|Aug avg record high C = 29.7
|Sep avg record high C = 25.3
|Oct avg record high C = 21.3
|Nov avg record high C = 14.7
|Dec avg record high C = 10.8
|year avg record high C = 31.5
|Jan high C = 3.2
|Feb high C = 4.8
|Mar high C = 8.1
|Apr high C = 12.3
|May high C = 17.1
|Jun high C = 20.0
|Jul high C = 21.5
|Aug high C = 21.4
|Sep high C = 18.2
|Oct high C = 13.7
|Nov high C = 7.5
|Dec high C = 4.3
|year high C = 12.7
|Jan mean C = 1.2
|Feb mean C = 2.0
|Mar mean C = 4.7
|Apr mean C = 8.2
|May mean C = 12.6
|Jun mean C = 15.5
|Jul mean C = 17.1
|Aug mean C = 16.7
|Sep mean C = 13.7
|Oct mean C = 10.0
|Nov mean C = 5.1
|Dec mean C = 2.3
|year mean C = 9.1
|Jan low C = -0.8
|Feb low C = -0.4
|Mar low C = 1.9
|Apr low C = 4.5
|May low C = 8.5
|Jun low C = 11.3
|Jul low C = 13.0
|Aug low C = 12.9
|Sep low C = 10.4
|Oct low C = 7.3
|Nov low C = 2.9
|Dec low C = 0.3
|year low C = 6.0
|Jan avg record low C = -8.5
|Feb avg record low C = -6.9
|Mar avg record low C = -4.2
|Apr avg record low C = -1.2
|May avg record low C = 2.1
|Jun avg record low C = 5.7
|Jul avg record low C = 7.9
|Aug avg record low C = 7.8
|Sep avg record low C = 5.1
|Oct avg record low C = 1.6
|Nov avg record low C = -3.4
|Dec avg record low C = -6.9
|year avg record low C = -11.1
|Jan record low C = -23.6
|Feb record low C = -20.1
|Mar record low C = -11.6
|Apr record low C = -5.6
|May record low C = -2.2
|Jun record low C = 2.0
|Jul record low C = 5.0
|Aug record low C = 4.5
|Sep record low C = 1.2
|Oct record low C = -3.3
|Nov record low C = -8.2
|Dec record low C = -16.5
|year record low C = -23.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 94.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 66.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 90.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 70.8
|May precipitation mm = 82.6
|Jun precipitation mm = 95.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 99.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 82.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 80.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 78.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 96.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 107.5
|year precipitation mm = 1046.1
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 20.6
|Feb precipitation days = 15.8
|Mar precipitation days = 18.8
|Apr precipitation days = 16.3
|May precipitation days = 16.5
|Jun precipitation days = 16.3
|Jul precipitation days = 15.7
|Aug precipitation days = 15.5
|Sep precipitation days = 15.3
|Oct precipitation days = 15.3
|Nov precipitation days = 18.8
|Dec precipitation days = 20.0
|year precipitation days = 204.9
|Jan snow depth cm = 10.9
|Feb snow depth cm = 8.4
|Mar snow depth cm = 5.0
|Apr snow depth cm = 1.5
|May snow depth cm = 0.1
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 0
|Nov snow depth cm = 2.9
|Dec snow depth cm = 7.0
|year snow depth cm = 16.2
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 85.9
|Feb humidity = 80.7
|Mar humidity = 78.0
|Apr humidity = 73.1
|May humidity = 71.4
|Jun humidity = 73.3
|Jul humidity = 73.8
|Aug humidity = 75.5
|Sep humidity = 80.3
|Oct humidity = 82.8
|Nov humidity = 85.7
|Dec humidity = 86.4
|year humidity = 78.9
|source 1 = DWD Open Data<ref name=wetterzentrale>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.wetterzentrale.de/extremes_mon.php?station=4741&maand=6&country=1&order=1&extreem=X_TX
|title = Extremwertanalyse der DWD-Stationen, Tagesmaxima, Dekadenrekorde, usw.
|publisher = DWD
|language = de
|access-date = 26 October 2024}}</ref><ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 26 October 2024}}</ref>
}}

==History==
===Middle Ages===
[[File:Noć muzeja 2023, Čakovec - mač s pištoljem.jpg|thumb|A sword with built-in flint wheellock pistol made in Solingen in 1575]]
Solingen was first mentioned in 1067 by a chronicler who called the area "Solonchon". Early variations of the name included "Solengen", "Solungen", and "Soleggen", although the modern name seems to have been in use since the late 14th and early 15th centuries.

Blacksmiths' smelters, dating back over 2000 years, have been found around the town, adding to Solingen's fame as a Northern Europe blacksmith centre. Swords from Solingen have turned up in places such as the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the British Isles. Northern Europe prized the quality of Solingen's manufactured weaponry, and they were traded across the European continent. Solingen today remains the knife-centre of Germany.

It was a tiny village for centuries, but became a fortified town in the 15th century.

===Thirty Years' War===
After being ravaged by the [[Plague (disease)|plague]] with about 1,800 deaths in 1614–1619, Solingen was heavily fought over during the [[Thirty Years' War]], repeatedly attacked and plundered, and the Burg Castle was destroyed.

===Modern Age===
[[File:SOL001.JPG|thumb|150px|Coins issued in 1919 by the City of Solingen]]
[[File:Stadt Solingen 1922.jpg|thumb|150px|Bond of the City of Solingen, issued 1 July 1922]]
Early in the 20th century, Ohligs's chief manufactures were [[cutlery]] and [[household hardware|hardware]], and there were iron-foundries and [[flour mill]]s. Other industries were brewing, dyeing, weaving and brick-making.<ref>{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Ohligs|volume=20|page=34 }}</ref>
In 1929, Ohligs located in the [[Prussia]]n [[Rhine Province]], {{convert|17|mi|km}} by rail north of [[Cologne]] became part of Solingen.

In [[World War II]], the Old Town was completely destroyed by a [[Strategic bombing during World War II|bombing raid]] by the [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] in 1944; 1,800 people died and over 1,500 people were injured.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://solinger-bote.de/nachrichten/2014/11/05/solingen-gedenken-an-solinger-bombenopfer-vor-70-jahren/ |title=Solingen: Gedenken an Solinger-Bombenopfer vor 70 Jahren &#124; |access-date=6 November 2014 |archive-date=6 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106165734/http://solinger-bote.de/nachrichten/2014/11/05/solingen-gedenken-an-solinger-bombenopfer-vor-70-jahren/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> As such, there are few pre-war sites in the centre.

From 1945 to 1949 Solingen was part of the British occupation zone. Reconstruction of the old town began in 1949. The newly built Protestant church in Fronhof was consecrated in 1954, and the destroyed towers of the Catholic church of St. Clemens were rebuilt in a different style. By the end of the 1970s, the city's population had increased due to numerous new housing developments in all parts of the city. The city's infrastructure continued to grow, with the opening of the theatre and concert hall in 1963 and the construction of the Viehbachtalstraße motorway through the city in the late 1970s. In 1975, the city grew again with the incorporation of the previously independent town of Burg an der Wupper. In 1993, Solingen made international headlines for a [[1993 Solingen arson attack|right-wing extremist arson attack]] in which five Turkish girls and women were killed. The attack was followed by demonstrations and riots in the city.

Since the beginning of the new millennium, the ''Klingenstadt'' has undergone a massive transformation as a result of urban development projects such as Regionale 2006 and City 2013. For example, the new Korkenzieherstrasse cycle path was created and the demolition of the Turmhotel and the former Karstadt Passage made it possible to build a new shopping centre on Neumarkt in Solingen-Mitte. After the closure of the old central station in Solingen-Mitte, Ohligs station was officially named the new Solingen central station by [[Deutsche Bahn AG]] on 10 December 2006.

On 23 August 2024, during the city's 650th founding anniversary festival, an [[Islamic State]] terrorist [[2024 Solingen stabbing|stabbed eleven people]], killing three, marking the first IS-claimed attack since the 2016 [[2016 Berlin truck attack|Breitscheidplatz truck attack]] in [[Berlin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bewarder |first=Manuel |last2=Mussawy |first2=Amir |date=22 May 2025 |title=Solingen-Anschlag - Recherchen zeigen, wie sich Issa Al H. auf die Tat vorbereitete |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/investigativ/ndr-wdr/solingen-anschlag-is-102.html |access-date= |website=Taggesschau |language=de}}</ref>

==Population==
Solingen's population doubled between the years 1880 and 1890 due to the incorporation of the town of Dorp into Solingen in 1889, at which time the population reached 36,000. The population again received a large boost on 1 August 1929 through the incorporation of Ohligs, Wald, Höhscheid, and Gräfrath into the city limits. This brought the population above the 100,000 mark, which gave Solingen the distinction of being a "large city" (''Großstadt''). The number of inhabitants peaked in 1971 with 177,899 residents, and the 2006 population figure was 163,263.

The following chart shows the population figures within Solingen's city limits at the respective points in time. The figures are derived from census estimates or numbers provided by statistical offices or city agencies, with the exception of figures preceding 1843, which were gathered using inconsistent recording techniques.
{{div flex row}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- class="Hintergrundfarbe5"
! Year
! Population
|-
| 1747 || style="text-align:right;"| ca. 2,000
|-
| 1804 || style="text-align:right;"| ca. 2,871
|-
| 1818 || style="text-align:right;"| ca. 4,000
|-
| 3 December 1846{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 6,127
|-
| 3 December 1861{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 10,100
|-
| 3 December 1864{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 11,800
|-
| 3 December 1867{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 13,000
|-
| 1 December 1871{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 14,040
|-
| 1 December 1875{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 15,142
|-
| 1 December 1880{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 16,900
|-
| 1 December 1885{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 18,641
|-
| 1 December 1890{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 36,540
|-
| 2 December 1895{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 40,843
|-
| 1 December 1900{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 45,260
|-
| 1 December 1905{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 49,018
|-
| 1 December 1910{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 50,536
|-
| 1 December 1916{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 45,720
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|- class="Hintergrundfarbe5"
! Year
! Population
|-
| 5 December 1917{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 47,459
|-
| 8 October 1919{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 48,912
|-
| 16 June 1925{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 52,002
|-
| 16 June 1933{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 140,162
|-
| 17 May 1939{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 140,466
|-
| 31 December 1945 || style="text-align:right;"| 129,440
|-
| 29 October 1946{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 133,001
|-
| 13 September 1950{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 147,845
|-
| 25 September 1956{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 161,353
|-
| 6 June 1961{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 169,930
|-
| 31 December 1965 || style="text-align:right;"| 175,634
|-
| 27 May 1970{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 176,420
|-
| 31 December 1975 || style="text-align:right;"| 171,810
|-
| 31 December 1980 || style="text-align:right;"| 166,085
|-
| 31 December 1985 || style="text-align:right;"| 157,923
|-
| 25 May 1987{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 159,103
|-
| 31 December 1990 || style="text-align:right;"| 165,401
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|- class="Hintergrundfarbe5"
! Year
! Population
|-
| 31 December 1995 || style="text-align:right;"| 165,735
|-
| 31 December 2000 || style="text-align:right;"| 164,973
|-
| 31 December 2005 || style="text-align:right;"| 163,581
|-
| 31 December 2006 || style="text-align:right;"| 162,948
|-
| 31 December 2007 || style="text-align:right;"| 162,575
|-
| 31 December 2008 || style="text-align:right;"| 161,779
|-
| 30 April 2009 || style="text-align:right;"| 160,242
|-
| 9 May 2011{{efn|name=fn1}} || style="text-align:right;"| 155,265
|-
| 31 December 2012 || style="text-align:right;"| 155,316
|}
{{Div flex row end}}
{{notelist|notes=
{{efn|name=fn1|Census results}}
}}
30.9% of the population of Solingen has foreign roots (statistics 2012).

{| class="wikitable"
|+Largest groups of foreign residents
|-
! Nationality || Population (31 December 2022)
|-
|{{flag|Italy}} || 6,130
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}} || 5,945
|-
|{{flag|Syria}} || 1,854
|-
|{{flag|Poland}} || 1,660
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}} || 1,573
|-
|{{flag|Greece}} || 1,370
|-
|{{flag|Bulgaria}} || 1,227
|-
|{{flag|Morocco}} || 1,093
|-
|{{flag|Romania}} || 971
|-
|{{flag|Serbia}} || 945
|}

==Politics==
===Mayor===
The people of Solingen have been able to elect a council and a mayor since 1374, the year the town was granted its charter. The mayor changed annually on 24 June. Solingen has had a mayor since 1896. During the [[Nazi era]] (1933–1945), the mayor was appointed by the [[NSDAP]] and not democratically elected by the people of Solingen.

After the Second World War, the military government of the British occupation zone appointed a [[Lord Mayor]]. From 1946, the Solingen City Council elected an honorary Lord Mayor and a full-time Lord Mayor from among its members. Until 1997, the honorary lord mayors had mainly representative functions, while the full-time lord mayors were the chief administrative officers of the city of Solingen. In 1997, the dual leadership of the city administration was abolished. Since then there has been only one full-time Lord Mayor. He is the chairman of the council, the head of the city administration and the first representative of the city. Since 1999, the Lord Mayor has been directly elected by the electorate in a secret ballot.

The current mayor of Solingen is Daniel Flemm of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU), elected in 2025. 

{{update section|date=September 2025}}
Previous mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Candidate
! Party
! Votes
! %
|-
| {{party color cell|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
| align=left| Tim Kurzbach
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 31,836
| 55.4
|-
| {{party color cell|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}
| align=left| Carsten Heinrich Becker
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 15,776
| 27.4
|-
| {{party color cell|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}
| align=left| Raoul Torben Brattig
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 2,869
| 5.0
|-
| {{party color cell|Alternative for Germany}}
| align=left| Andreas Lukisch
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 2,499
| 4.3
|-
| {{party color cell|The Left (Germany)}}
| align=left| Adrian Scheffels
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 2,172
| 3.8
|-

| 
| align=left| Jan Michael Lange
| align=left| Citizens' Association for Solingen
| 1,624
| 2.8
|-
| 
| align=left| Arnold Falkowski
| align=left| Free Citizens' Union
| 700
| 1.2
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 57,476
! 99.1
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 523
! 0.9
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 57,999
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 126,301
! 45.9
|-
| colspan=5| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/b122000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

===City council===
[[File:2020 Solingen City Council election.svg|thumb|350px|Results of the 2020 city council election]]
The Solingen city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/−
! Seats
! +/−
|-
| {{party color cell|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 17,326
| 30.2
| {{decrease}} 3.9
| 16
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| {{party color cell|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 16,229
| 28.3
| {{decrease}} 1.3
| 15
| ±0
|-
| {{party color cell|Alliance 90/The Greens}}
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 10,428
| 18.2
| {{increase}} 7.0
| 9
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| {{party color cell|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 3,178
| 5.5
| {{increase}} 0.6
| 3
| ±0
|-
| {{party color cell|Alternative for Germany}}
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 2,892
| 5.0
| {{increase}} 2.1
| 3
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| {{party color cell|The Left (Germany)}}
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 2,435
| 4.2
| {{decrease}} 0.7
| 2
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Citizens' Association for Solingen (BfS)
| 1,842
| 3.2
| {{decrease}} 1.1
| 2
| ±0
|-
| {{party color cell|Die PARTEI}}
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]] (PARTEI)
| 1,367
| 2.4
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Alternative Citizens' Initiative (ABI)
| 635
| 1.1
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey|
|-
| 
| align=left| Free Citizens' Union (FBU)
| 531
| 0.9
| {{decrease}} 0.5
| 0
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Solingen Active (Aktiv)
| 417
| 0.7
| {{decrease}} 0.7
| 0
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent politician}}
| align=left| Independents
| 34
| 0.1
| –
| 0
| –
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 57,314
! 98.8
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 695
! 1.2
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 58,009
! 100.0
!
! 52
! ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 126,301
! 45.9
! {{increase}} 2.2
!
!
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/a122000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

==Transport==
===Rail===
[[Solingen Hauptbahnhof]] is served by [[Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn]] [[S1 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|line S1]] from [[Düsseldorf]] and [[Düsseldorf Airport]] Station. S-Bahn [[S7 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|line S7]] links Solingen (including the station nearest the city centre, [[Solingen Mitte station|Solingen Mitte]], and [[Solingen Grünewald station|Solingen-Grünewald]]) to [[Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof|Wuppertal]] via [[Remscheid Hauptbahnhof|Remscheid]], [[Remscheid-Lennep station|Remscheid-Lennep]] and [[Wuppertal-Ronsdorf station|Wuppertal-Ronsdorf]]. This line is currently operated by RheinRuhrBahn, a subsidiary of [[Transdev Germany]]. The [[Rhein-Wupper-Bahn]] (RB 48) runs over the [[Gruiten–Köln-Deutz railway|Gruiten–Köln-Deutz line]] to Bonn-Mehlem via [[Opladen station|Opladen]] and [[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]]. It has been operated by [[National Express Germany|National Express]] as of 13 December 2015. Starting 11 December 2022, an additional line RE47, running from [[Remscheid-Lennep station|Remscheid]] to [[Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof|Düsseldorf]] via [[Solingen Hauptbahnhof|Solingen]] has been established.<ref>{{cite web |title=Fahrplanjahr 2023: Neue Linien RE 47 und RE 34 stärken Regionalverkehr |url=https://www.vrr.de/de/magazin/fahrplanjahr-2023-neue-linien-re-47-und-re-34-staerken-regionalverkehr/ |website=vrr.de |access-date=5 July 2024 |archive-date=1 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240801114908/https://www.vrr.de/de/magazin/fahrplanjahr-2023-neue-linien-re-47-und-re-34-staerken-regionalverkehr/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This line is served by [[Regiobahn GmbH|Regiobahn]].

{|class=wikitable
|+Railway stations of Solingen
|-
! Station
! Lines served
! Destinations
! Notes
|-
| rowspan=10|[[Solingen Hauptbahnhof]]
|[[File:Deutsche Bahn AG-Logo.svg|15px]] ICE42
|[[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof|Dortmund]] – '''Solingen''' – [[Mannheim Hauptbahnhof|Mannheim]] – [[Munich Hauptbahnhof|Munich]] (''InterCity Express'')
| rowspan=10|Interchange with ''Obus Solingen'' (trolleybus) lines 681, 682.
|-
||[[File:Deutsche Bahn AG-Logo.svg|15px]] ICE43
|[[Hannover Hauptbahnhof|Hannover]] – '''Solingen''' – [[Köln Hauptbahnhof|Cologne]] – Mannheim – [[Basel SBB station|Basel]] (''InterCity Express'')
|-
||[[File:Deutsche Bahn AG-Logo.svg|15px]] ICE91
|Dortmund – '''Solingen''' – [[Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof|Frankfurt]] – [[Wien Westbahnhof railway station|Vienna]] (''InterCity Express'')
|-
||[[File:Deutsche Bahn AG-Logo.svg|15px]] IC31
|[[Hamburg Hauptbahnhof|Hamburg]] – '''Solingen''' – Cologne – Frankfurt (''InterCity'')
|-
||[[File:Deutsche Bahn AG-Logo.svg|15px]] IC55
|[[Leipzig Hauptbahnhof|Leipzig]] – Hannover – '''Solingen''' – Cologne
|-
||[[File:National Express Logo.svg|100px]] [[Rhein-Münsterland-Express|RE7]]
|[[Krefeld Hauptbahnhof|Krefeld]] – Cologne – '''Solingen''' – Wuppertal – [[Hagen Hauptbahnhof|Hagen]] – [[Hamm station|Hamm]] – [[Münster Hauptbahnhof|Münster]] – [[Rheine]] (''RegionalExpress'')
|-
|[[File:Regiobahn.svg|50px]] RE47
|[[Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof|Düsseldorf]] – '''Solingen''' – [[Remscheid Hauptbahnhof|Remscheid]] – [[Remscheid-Lennep station|Remscheid Lennep]]
|-
||[[File:National Express Logo.svg|100px]] [[Rhein-Wupper-Bahn|RB48]]
|Wuppertal-Oberbarmen – '''Solingen''' – Cologne – [[Bonn Hauptbahnhof|Bonn-Mehlem]] (''RegionalBahn'')
|-
||{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn}} [[S1 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S1]]
|''S-Bahn'' to [[Dortmund Hauptbahnhof|Dortmund]]
|-
||{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn}} [[S7 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S7]]
|''S-Bahn'' to Wuppertal via [[Remscheid Hauptbahnhof|Remscheid]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Solingen Mitte station|Solingen Mitte]]
||{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn}} [[S7 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S7]]
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Nearest station to historic centre.<br />Interchange with trolleybus lines 681, 683, 684, 686.
|-
|[[File:Regiobahn.svg|50px]] RE47
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Solingen Grünewald station|Solingen Grünewald]]
||{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn}} [[S7 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S7]]
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Interchange with trolleybus line 682.
|-
|[[File:Regiobahn.svg|50px]] RE47
|-
|[[Solingen Vogelpark station|Solingen Vogelpark]]
||{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn}} S1
| colspan=2 |
|-
|[[Solingen-Schaberg station|Solingen Schaberg]]
||{{ric|Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn}} [[S7 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S7]]
| colspan=2 |
|-
|}

===Trolleybus===
{{main|Trolleybuses in Solingen}}
Solingen has a [[trolleybus]] network, one of only three in Germany remaining besides [[Trolleybuses in Eberswalde|Eberswalde]] and [[Trolleybuses in Esslingen am Neckar|Esslingen am Neckar]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=Wuppertal Schwebebahn Album |author=Groneck, Christoph |author2=Lohkemper, Paul |year=2007 |publisher=Robert Schwandl |location=Berlin |pages=58–61 }}</ref>

===Air transport===
The nearest airports are [[Düsseldorf Airport]] and [[Cologne Bonn Airport]]. Both airports can be reached by train from Solingen-Hauptbahnhof (change trains at [[Köln Messe/Deutz station]] for the S-Bahn 13 to Cologne Bonn Airport). Other easily reached airports are [[Frankfurt Airport]] ([[Frankfurt Airport long-distance station|ICE train stop]]), [[Dortmund Airport]] (railway station "[[Holzwickede station|Holzwickede]]" on the RE7 trainline) and the low cost [[Weeze Airport]] (coaches from Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof).

==Religion==
===Christianity===
Solingen has belonged from its beginnings to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne]] (''Erzbistum Köln''), and more specifically to the [[Archdeacon]]ry of the [[Probst]] (''provost'') of [[Cunibert|St. Kunibert]], the [[deanery]] of Deutz. For reasons that are unclear, the city has long been associated with St. Clement, the third Pope, symbols of whose martyrdom appear on the city’s shield.
Although the [[Protestant Reformation]] gradually made gains in the city, which was under the control of the [[Berg (state)|Counts of Berg]], the population by and large remained Roman Catholic for a while. The Catholic community was newly endowed by the local lord in 1658 and in 1701 received a new church building. In 1827 Solingen became the seat of its own deanery within the newly defined Archdiocese of Cologne, to which the city's current parishes still belong.

As mentioned, the Reformation only gradually gained a foothold in Solingen. A [[reformed church]] affiliated with the Bergisch [[synod]] was established in 1590, and the city's [[parish church]] became reformed in 1649. [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]] had been present in Solingen since the beginning of the 17th century, and a Lutheran congregation was founded in 1635. In 1672 a formalized religious agreement was reached between the city's religious groups. The Reformation was also introduced in Gräfrath in 1590, where a church council was apparently established in 1629. The Reformed and Lutheran churches were formed into a [[United and uniting churches|united church community]] in 1838 following the general [[Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)|merger of Reformed and Lutheran churches]] in [[Prussia]] in 1817.

The [[Protestant]] parishes originally belonged to the district synod of Lennep, today part of the city [[Remscheid]]. A new synod was established in Solingen in 1843, and the city acquired its own [[Superintendent (ecclesiastical)|superintendent]], a form of church administrator. This formed the basis for the present-day Church District of Solingen, a member of the [[Evangelical Church in the Rhineland]]. With the exception of the [[free churches]], most Protestant churches belong to the Church District of Solingen.

Today approximately 34% of Solingen's population belongs to Protestant churches, and roughly 26% belong to Catholic churches. Other church communities in Solingen include [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodox]], [[Union of Evangelical Free Church Congregations in Germany|Evangelical Free]] (including [[Baptist]] and [[Plymouth Brethren|Brethren]]), [[United Methodist Church|Methodist]], [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]], [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]], [[The Salvation Army|Salvation Army]], and [[Free church|free]] churches. [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and the [[New Apostolic Church]] also have communities in Solingen.

===Gallery===
<gallery widths="180">
Solingen St. Clemens.jpg|Catholic Church St. Clemens
Walder Kirche 1.jpg|Protestant Church Wald
Rupelrath kapelle 01.jpg|Protestant Chapel of St. Reinoldi in Rupelrath
Lutherkirche Solingen.jpg|Martin-Luther-Church in Solingen-Mitte
Evangelische Kirche Solingen-Unterburg.jpg|Protestant Church Burg
Solingen-Gräfrath Historischer Ortskern E 39.JPG|Protestant Church Gräfrath
DorperKircheSG 004.JPG|Protestant Church, Dorp
</gallery>

==Main sights==
[[File:Schloss-burg-20040223-135s.jpg|thumb|Burg Castle, Burg-on-Wupper]]
[[File:Solingen Müngstener Brückenpark asv2024-05 img1.jpg|thumb|Müngsten Bridge]]
* [[Burg Castle (Solingen)|Burg Castle]], the castle of the counts of Berg
* [[Müngsten Bridge]], a railway bridge connecting Solingen with the neighbour town of [[Remscheid]]. Standing at 107 m above the ground, it is the highest railway bridge in Germany. It was constructed in 1897 and originally named the ''Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke'' after [[Wilhelm I of Germany|Wilhelm I]]
* ''Klosterkirche'', former convent church (1690)

===Museums===
* Rhineland Industrial Museum [[Hendrichs Drop Forge]], an Anchor Point of ERIH, The [[European Route of Industrial Heritage]]
* German Blade Museum, presenting swords and cutlery of all epochs
* Art Museum Solingen (Museum of Art)
* Museum Plagiarius, the Plagiarius exhibition shows more than 350 product units – ''i.e.'', original products and their brazen plagiarisms – in direct comparison. The registered society conducts an annual competition that awards the anti-prize "Plagiarius" to those manufacturers and distributors that a jury of peers have found guilty of making or selling "the most flagrant" imitations.
* [[Laurel and Hardy]] Museum
* [https://plus61j.net.au/plus61j-voices/a-towns-atonement-for-generations-of-hate/ Zentrum für verfolgte Künste] (Center for Persecuted Arts)

===Parks and gardens===
* [[Botanischer Garten Solingen]], a [[botanical garden]]
* Bärenloch
* Walder Stadtpark in Solingen-Wald
* Gustav-Coppel-Park
* Süd-Park
* Brückenpark beneath the [[Müngsten Bridge]]

==Sports==
===American football===
The {{ill|Solingen Paladins|de}} is an [[American football]] club which was founded in 2006.

===Association football===
Until its bankruptcy in 1990, [[SG Union Solingen]] was the main club, playing at the [[Stadion am Hermann-Löns-Weg]].

===Baseball===
The [[Solingen Alligators]] are a baseball and softball club from Solingen. The club was founded in 1991 and the first men's team was promoted to the first division of the Baseball Bundesliga for the 2003 season. It has played there in every season since, winning the league championship in 2006 and 2014. The club claims over 250 members.

===Chess===
The ''Schachgesellschaft Solingen e.V. 1868'' is best known for its chess team, which plays in the [[Chess Bundesliga|Schachbundesliga (Chess Bundesliga)]], the top tier of the German chess league system, and is the most successful club in German chess history, having won a record 12 national titles (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1980/81, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1996/97 and 2015/16), three national cups (1986, 2006 und 2009) and 2 European cups (1976 and 1990).

===Handball===
In [[Team handball|handball]], Solingen's most successful team is ''[[Bergischer HC]]'', playing in the top-tier [[Handball-Bundesliga]] which they were promoted to for the second time in 2013, reaching 15th place in the [[2013–14 Handball-Bundesliga|2013–14 campaign]] and therefore staying in the top flight for a second consecutive season. ''BHC'' originates from a 2006 cooperation between the ''SG Solingen'' and rivals ''LTV Wuppertal'' from the nearby [[Wuppertal|city of the same name]]. The club advertises itself as a representative of the entire [[Bergisches Land]] region. The team plays its home games at both Solingen's ''Klingenhalle'' (2,600 seats) and Wuppertal's ''Uni-Halle'' (3,200 seats).

==Reception==
[[File:Hapag cargo ship Solingen in 1966 at the West Indies, Central America - Island - Service.jpg|thumb|The cargo ship ''Solingen'' in 1966]]
In May 1955, the city of Solingen took over the partnership of the German general cargo ship ''Solingen'' of the [[Hamburg America Line|Hamburg-American Packet Transit Actien-Gesellschaft (Hapag)]].

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Solingen is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=twins>{{cite web |title=Städtepartnerschaften und Patenschaft |url=https://www.solingen.de/de/dienstleistungen/10-1-staedtepartnerschaften/ |website=solingen.de |publisher=Solingen |language=de |access-date=31 March 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126100404/https://www.solingen.de/de/dienstleistungen/10-1-staedtepartnerschaften/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|NED}} [[Gouda, South Holland|Gouda]], Netherlands (1957)
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Chalon-sur-Saône]], France (1960)
* {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Blyth, Northumberland|Blyth]], England, United Kingdom (1962)
* {{flagicon|NCA}} [[Jinotega]], Nicaragua (1985)
* {{flagicon|ISR}} [[Ness Ziona]], Israel (1986)
* {{flagicon|SEN}} [[Thiès]], Senegal (1990)
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Aue, Saxony|Aue]], Germany (1990)
{{div col end}}

Since 1990, Solingen also sponsors [[Złotoryja County]] in Poland.<ref name=twins/>

==Notable people==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Johann Wilhelm Meigen]] (1764–1845), entomologist
* [[J. C. C. Devaranne]] (1784–1813), helped to lead resistance against Napoleonic occupation in 1813
* [[Karl Mager]] (1810–1858), school educator and school politician
* [[Karl Adams (mathematician)|Karl Adams]] (1811–1849), mathematician and teacher
* [[Albert Bierstadt]] (1830–1902), landscape painter
* [[Adolf Kamphausen]] (1829–1909), biblical scholar
* [[Carl Klönne]] (1850–1915), banker
* [[Ernst Otto Beckmann]] (1853–1923), chemist
* [[Ludwig Woltmann]] (1871–1907), anthropologist, zoologist and neo-Kantian
* [[Artur Möller van den Bruck]] (1876–1925), writer
* [[Albert Müller]] (1891–1954), communist and politician
* Paul Voss (1894–1976), designer
* [[Paul Franken]] (1894–1944), socialist politician, victim of Stalinism
* [[Karl Allmenröder]] (1896–1917), fighter pilot
* [[Hanns Heinen]] (1895–1961), writer, journalist and publicist
* [[Erwin Bowien]] (1899–1972), painter and writer
* [[Hermann Friedrich Graebe]] (1900–1986), manager and engineer, 'Righteous Among the Nations' by Israel
* [[Josef Dahmen]] (1903–1985), actor
* [[Adolf Eichmann]] (1906–1962), major organiser of the [[Holocaust]]
* [[Georg Meistermann]] (1911–1990), painter of sacred and secular glass windows
* [[Jürgen Thorwald]] (1915–2006), writer, journalist and historian
* [[Christel Rupke]] (1919–1998), swimmer
* [[Walter Scheel]] (1919–2016), politician ([[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|FDP]]), the 4th [[President of Germany]] (1974–1979)
* [[Bettina Heinen-Ayech]] (1937–2020), painter and publicist
* [[Klaus Lehnertz]] (born 1938), athlete
* [[Adolf Weil (motorcyclist)|Adolf Weil]] (1938–2011), motocross rider
* [[Christoph Wolff]] (born 1940), musicologist
* [[Pina Bausch]] (1940–2009), dancer and choreographer
* [[Ulay]] (1943–2020), artist
* [[Wolfgang Schwerk]] (born 1955), [[Ultramarathon]] runner
* [[Timotheus Höttges]] (born 1962), CEO of Deutsche Telekom
* [[Richard David Precht]] (born 1964), philosopher, writer and publicist
* [[Veronica Ferres]] (born 1965), actress
* [[Sebastian Thrun]] (born 1967), entrepreneur, educator and computer scientist
* [[Jens Weidmann]] (born 1968), President of [[Deutsche Bundesbank]]
* [[Mola Adebisi]] (born 1973), TV-presenter
* [[Marco Matias (musician)|Marco Matias]] (born 1975), German-Portuguese singer
* [[Fahriye Evcen]] (born 1986), actress
* [[Kevin Kampl]] (born 1990), Slovenian footballer
* [[Christoph Kramer]] (born 1991), footballer
{{div col end}}

The founders of Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, which later became the automobile company [[Studebaker]], trace their lineage to bladesmen from the region who emigrated to America in 1736.<ref>{{cite web |last1=DeWitt |first1=Bill |title=Family Origins and The Wagon Business |url=http://www.stude100.com/stu/Pg1/pg1.php |website=Studebaker 100 |access-date=17 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031140635/http://www.stude100.com/stu/Pg1/pg1.php |archive-date=31 October 2016 |language=en |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Studebaker Family and Company |url=http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history/ |publisher=Studebaker Family National Association |access-date=17 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402004358/http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history/ |archive-date=2 April 2016 |language=en |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
* [https://www.die-bergischen-drei.de/stadt-solingen.html Travel guide from ''die-bergischen-drei.de''] {{in lang|de}}
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage inline}}
* {{Cite NIE |wstitle=Ohligs |short=x}}

{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Germany districts north rhine-westphalia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Solingen| ]]
[[Category:Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Urban districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Members of the Hanseatic League]]
[[Category:Düsseldorf (region)]]