Rheinbach

Rheinbach
Aerial view of Rheinbach
Coat of arms
Rheinbach
Location of Rheinbach within Rhein-Sieg-Kreis district
Coordinates: 50°38′N 6°57′E / 50.633°N 6.950°E / 50.633; 6.950Coordinates: 50°38′N 6°57′E / 50.633°N 6.950°E / 50.633; 6.950
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Cologne
District	Rhein-Sieg-Kreis
Government
• Mayor	CDU
Area
• Total	69.74 km2 (26.93 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	27,224
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	53359
Dialling codes	02226
Vehicle registration	SU
Website	www.rheinbach.de

Rheinbach is a town in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis district (Landkreis), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It belongs to the administrative district (Regierungsbezirk) of Cologne.

Situated 15 km (9 mi) south-west of Bonn and 35 km (22 mi) south of Cologne, Rheinbach lies at the edge of the Eifel region and within the borders of Rhineland's nature reserve.

Around 80 AD, the Eifel Aqueduct, one of the longest aqueducts of the Roman Empire, was running through what is today Rheinbach's town centre. The first written documentation of Rheinbach dates back to 762, when Pepin the Short, then King of the Franks, gave lands to the Prüm Abbey. In the Middle Ages, Rheinbach came to prominence because of its witch-hunts.

First referred to as a town in 1298, the Archbishop of Cologne purchased Rheinbach and the surrounding villages in 1343. Till 1789, Rheinbach was part of the Electorate of Cologne. In 1794, Rheinbach was incorporated into France within the Département de Rhin-et-Moselle before coming under the auspices of Prussia in 1815.

Around 1947, a considerable number of displaced people from the Sudetenland settled in Rheinbach. Having brought their traditions of glasscraft, Rheinbach became famous for its glass art and today hosts a glass art museum and a specialized school.