Schwerte

Schwerte is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.GeographySchwerte is situated in the Ruhr valley, at the south-east border of the Ruhr Area. South of Schwerte begins the mountainous Sauerland region.Division of the townAfter the local government reforms of 1975 Schwerte consists of the following districts: Schwerte Holzen Westhofen Ergste Geisecke Villigst WandhofenTwin townsSchwerte is twinned with:HistorySchwerte received civic rights in the 12th century.The railway facility in the eastern district of Schwerte became a branch of the Buchenwald concentration camp in April 1944. The camp had 445 prisoners in August and 670 in November 1944. The number of escapees was comparatively high, in November 1944 48 prisoners escaped. The camp in Schwerte was disbanded in December 1944 and the remaining prisoners were brought back to Buchenwald.Main sightsThe Romanesque church of St. Victor has a carved altar of 1523, and stained glass of the 14th and 15th centuries.The Wuckenhof is a timber framed house built in the 16th century.The Ruhrtalmuseum is situated in a former town hall, that was built in 1547.The Rohrmeisterei was built in 1889 by a water purification company. It was a pumping station until 1924. Today it is part of the German route of industrial heritage.