Adenau

Adenau
1630 Fachwerk house in marketplace
Coat of arms
Adenau
Location of Adenau within Ahrweiler district
Coordinates: 50°23′N 6°56′E / 50.383°N 6.933°E / 50.383; 6.933Coordinates: 50°23′N 6°56′E / 50.383°N 6.933°E / 50.383; 6.933
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Ahrweiler
Municipal assoc.	Adenau
Government
• Stadtbürgermeister	Bernd Schiffarth (CDU)
Area
• Total	18.56 km2 (7.17 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	2,947
• Density	160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	53511–53518
Dialling codes	02691
Vehicle registration	AW
Website	www.stadt-adenau.de

Adenau (  ) is a town in the High Eifel in Germany. It is known as the Johanniterstadt because the Order of Saint John was based there in the Middle Ages. The town's coat of arms combines the black cross of the Electorate of Cologne with the lion of the lords of Nürburg. The northern loop of the Nürburgring lies just outside the town.

The Breidscheid section of Adenau was a separate municipality until 1952. The lords of Breidscheid are mentioned in the 13th Century. The chapel of Breidscheid is dedicated to Saints Roch and Sebastian and was built in 1630 as a plague chapel.

Adenau is mentioned for the first time in 992, under the name Adenova. In 1162, Ulrich, Count of Are donated his manor to the Order of St. John (also called the Order of Malta). Adenau was the third oldest settlement of this order in Germany. The members of the order cared for paupers and pilgrims. Until 1518, the Komtur of the order also served as the parish priest.

In 1816 Adenau became the seat of an independent district. The District of Adenau was one of the poorest districts in Prussia. In 1927 the Nürburgring opened, built on the initiative of local magistrate Dr. Otto Creutz. In 1932 the district of Adenau was merged into the district of Ahrweiler.