Iserlohn
Bauernkirche
Iserlohn
Location of the town of Iserlohn within Märkischer Kreis district
Coordinates	51°23′N 7°40′E / 51.38333°N 7.66667°E / 51.38333; 7.66667Coordinates: 51°23′N 7°40′E / 51.38333°N 7.66667°E / 51.38333; 7.66667
Administration
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Arnsberg
District	Märkischer Kreis
Town subdivisions	5
Mayor	Peter Paul Ahrens (SPD)
Basic statistics
Area	125.5 km2 (48.5 sq mi)
Elevation	106 - 494 m
Population	94,966 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	757 /km2 (1,960 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	MK, IS until 1974 LS until 1979
Postal codes	58636–58644
Area codes	02371 (Iserlohn) 02374 (Iserlohn-Letmathe) 02304 (Schwerte,Iserlohn-Hennen) 02352 (Altena,parts of Iserlohn-Kesbern) 02378 (Fröndenberg- Langschede, Iserlohn-Drüpplingsen)
Website	www.iserlohn.de

Seilersee

Town hall

Danzturm

Iserlohn (German pronunciation: [iːzɐˈloːn]) is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region.

Geography[link]

Iserlohn is located at the north end of the Sauerland near the Ruhr river.

History[link]

The Pancratius church (also called Bauernkirche) was founded in around 985, but the first written document mentioning lon dates only from 1150. In 1237 the Count of the Mark gave Iserlohn municipal rights. In 1975 the city, which had been an urban district before, incorporated the surrounding ex-municipalities of Letmathe, Hennen, Sümmern and Kesbern, and became part of the district "Märkischer Kreis". As a larger mid-sized city, Iserlohn, however, still has a special status as compared to most other municipalities in the district. This means that the city takes on tasks more usually performed by the district (e.g. social and youth affairs) so that in some ways it is comparable to an urban district.

As an important industrial city in the Ruhr region, during the post-WWII era starting in 1953 Canadian and British military under NATO were garrisoned here and in surrounding municipalities (Hemer, where a large Canadian Army housing area was located to house Canadian Army personnel and their families, and Deilinghofen where two of the Canadian Army barracks were located (Fort Prince of Wales and Fort McLeod). There were also garrisons stationed at Werl and Soest/Bad Sassendorf.

Within Iserlohn itself the Canadian Army had barracks in former tank barracks and renamed the Barracks Fort Beausejour and Fort Qu'Appelle.

After 1970, following the transfer of Canadian troops to the Black Forest Region, these barracks in Iserlohn and Deilinghofen, as well as the barracks located in Werl and Soest, were either transferred to British, back to the Bundeswehr, or converted to civilian use. The Canadian housing in Hemer (Private Married Quarters or "PMQs") was converted to civilian housing. A lot of women from Iserlohn married service personnel and left for Canada in the sixties.

Points of interest[link]

The Dechenhöhle was discovered in 1868 during the construction of the railway line Hagen-Iserlohn. 360m are accessible for visitors, and lots of stalactites make it a spectacular sight.

The Danzturm, located atop the southern hill overlooking the old city, is a landmark and featured on the logo of the local brewery (Iserlohner). The tower features spectacular views of the valley and surrounding hills and is open to the public with a small inn at the base.

Sports[link]

The city is home of the Iserlohn Roosters, a DEL (first-division) ice hockey team. They came into the DEL in 2000 and developed from a low-budget-team to a solid team, which battles every year for a Playoff-spot. The club plays its homegames at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn, which holds 4967 spectators. The original club EC Deilinghofen was founded in 1959 and went bankrupt in 1987, the second club ECD Sauerland existed from 1988 to 1994. 1994 the Iserlohner EC was founded whereof the Roosters came to the DEL.

Education[link]

In Iserlohn are 15 elementary schools and 13 secondary schools (4 Gymnasien, 1 Gesamtschule, 3 Realschulen, 5 Hauptschulen).

Also two universities of applied sciences are located in the city of Iserlohn. The headquarters plus a major branch of the South Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (also: Fachhochschule Südwestfalen (FH SWF)) offering engineering and informatics programmes are located in the town centre and on the so-called Alexanderhöhe.^[2] The Business and Information Technology School (BiTS) is a private state approved business school with a campus near the Seilersee.^[3]

Schützenfest[link]

Every year a part of the Iserlohner culture is the Schützenfest at Alexanderhöhe with its Parkhalle and the Friedensfest at Bauernkirche.

Coat of arms[link]

In the middle of the coat of arms is Saint Pancras (St. Pancratius), patron of the oldest church in Iserlohn. He is depicted between two towers of the historic city wall. The checked fess below is derived from the arms of the Counts of the Mark.

International relations[link]

Iserlohn is twinned with:

• Almelo, Netherlands since 1954
• Biel/Bienne, Switzerland - since 1959
• Hall in Tirol, Austria - since 1967
• Wrexham, Wales, United Kingdom - since 1970
• Auchel, France - since 1975
• Laventie, France - since 1975
• Nyíregyháza, Hungary since 1989
• Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast Russia - since 1990
• Glauchau, Saxony, Germany - since 1991
• Chorzów, Poland - since 2004

Literature[link]

• Götz Bettge: Iserlohn-Lexikon. Iserlohn 1987. ISBN 3-922885-37-3
• Ernst Dossmann: Iserlohner Tabaksdosen erzählen. Ein Einblick in die wirtschaftlichen, gesellschaftlichen, politischen und militärischen Verhältnisse und das Aufblühen von Gewerbe, Industrie und Handel im märkisch-westfälischen Wirtschaftsraum während der Regierungszeit Friedrichs des Großen, dargestellt an bekannten Iserlohner Industrieerzeugnissen. 1981. ISBN 3-922885-01-2
• Margret Kirchhoff: Pulsschläge einer Stadt. Die Oberste Stadtkirche Iserlohn - Zeitbilder und Momentaufnahmen. 2003. Eigenverlag Dr. Margret Kirchhoff.
• Fritz Kühn: Liebes altes Iserlohn. (released about 1956). Westfalenverlag Dortmund
• Peter Müller und Günter Stalp: Unsere gute alte Straßenbahn. Eine Reise in die Vergangenheit. Iserlohn 1995. ISBN 3-922885-78-0
• Hans-Herbert Mönnig Verlag Iserlohn (no author mentioned): Iserlohn - unsere lebendige Stadt. Ein Bildband von Iserlohnern für Iserlohner. Iserlohn 1997. ISBN 3-922885-93-4
• Heinz Stoob (†): Westfälischer Städteatlas; Band: I; 9 Teilband (Stadtmappe Iserlohn). Im Auftrage der Historischen Kommission für Westfalen und mit Unterstützung des Landschaftsverbandes Westfalen-Lippe; edited by Heinz Stoob and Wilfried Ehbrecht. Dortmund-Altenbeken, 1975. ISBN 3-89115-336-8

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iserlohn

• Official site (English)
• Official site (German)
• Newspaper Iserlohner Kreisanzeiger und Zeitung (German)

v t e Towns and municipalities in Märkischer Kreis Altena Balve Halver Hemer Herscheid Iserlohn Kierspe Lüdenscheid Meinerzhagen Menden Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde Neuenrade Plettenberg Schalksmühle Werdohl

Abu Dujana Simak bin Kharasha (died 632) was a sahaba and a skilled swordsman who is mentioned in Hadith narrations from the six major Hadith collections of Sunni Islam.

Skilled in melee combat[link]

Abu Dujana is remembered as being one of Prophet Muhammad most skilled companions in the battlefield, highly excelling in melee combat. He frequently distinguishing himself in battle by wearing a red band on his head, and engaged in bravado before fighting by strutting in front of his adversaries.^[1] In the Battle of Uhud, Prophet Muhammad gave Abu Dujana his sword as the often cited hadith narration reads:

Anas reported that prophet Muhammad took hold of his sword on the Day of Uhud and said: Who would take it from me? All the persons stretched their hands saying: I would do it, I would do it. He (Muhammad) said: Who would take it in order to fulfil its rights? Then the people withdrew their hands. Abu Dujana said: I am here to take it and fulfil its rights. He took it and struck the heads of the polytheists. (Sahih Muslim 31:6040)

During the Battle of Uhud, Abu Dujana pierced into the enemy's lines, and even came within striking distance to the notorious Quraish leader, Hind bint Utbah who was encouraging others to mutilate the body of dead Muslims. According to various accounts, Abu Dujana spared her since he did not want to stain Muhammad's sword with the blood of a woman.^[2]

Abu Dujana, during the Battle of Uhud, received several wounds in his back after placing himself around Prophet Muhammad so as to act as a protection from arrows.

Mentioned in various hadiths[link]

After the Battle of Uhud, the skilled warrior Ali spoke highly of his sword, though in a stunning pronouncement, Muhammad told Ali(Radi Allahu Anhu)that Abu Dujana had likewise fought just as courageously.^[3]

Abu Dujana is mentioned in other hadiths including in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim (see also 23:4887) he is found being served a drink by Anas alongside Abu Suhail bin Al-Baida' made from unripe and ripe dates. When the prohibition came on alcoholic drinks, Anas promptly rid them of this drink (he spilt it).

Death[link]

He died in Battle of Yamama in 632. He was one of the two warriors (the other was Wahshy ibn Harb) who killed the self proclaimed Prophet Musailima.^[4]

See also[link]

• Sunni view of the Sahaba

References[link]

External links[link]

• Wearing the Band of Bravery
• The Red Banded Warrior
• Abu Dujana has Worn the Red Band of Death