Rheinisch-Bergisch District

The Rheinisch-Bergisch District (Rheinisch-Bergische Kreis) is a Kreis (district) in the Cologne Bonn Region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring are the Oberbergisch District and theRhein-Sieg District, and the district-free cities Cologne, Leverkusen, Solingen and Remscheid.

History
The area of the Bergisches Land belonged to the earldom Berg for most of medieval times, and still gives the district its name.

In 1816 after the whole Rhineland area did come to Prussia the districts of Wipperfürth, Mülheim, Lennep, Opladen and Solingen were created on the area now covered by the district. In 1819 Opladen and Solingen were merged into a bigger Solingen district. In 1929 a new Rhein-Wupper district was created, while several municipalities were incorporated into the cities Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen. 1932 the districts Mülheim and Wipperfürth were merged to form the old Rheinisch-Bergische Kreis. Finally, in 1975 most area of the two districts Rhein-Wupper and Rheinisch-Bergisch was merged to form the current district.

Geography
The district form the western part of the Bergisches Land, where the hills of the Sauerland descend into the Rhine valley.