District
Wankum
Wankum lies in the district of Kleve and makes up the south-western half of the municipality of Wachtendonk. Besides the village itself, the settlements of Aerbeck, Harzbeck, Langdorf, Müllem and Vorst belong to it. To the south the river Nette forms the natural boundary with Nettetal and Grefrath, while the Wankumer Heide nature reserve and the Blaue Lagune bathing lake lie to the south-west. Until 1969 Wankum was an independent municipality in the former district of Geldern.
Source: Wikipedia
History & notable facts
First mentioned in 1279 as "Wanchheim", Wankum looks back on a long administrative history.
Wankum first appears in the records on 28 August 1279 in connection with the Wankum land peace (Landfrieden), then noted as "Wanchheim". The name derives from the Frankish "Wankheim", roughly meaning "home among the meadows and pastures". From 1798 to 1814 the village was under French rule and administered as the Mairie Wankum within the Roer department. After the Congress of Vienna the Lower Rhine passed to Prussia in 1814, and in 1816 the mairie became the Prussian mayoralty of Wankum in the newly formed district of Geldern. In 1928 this gave rise to the Amt Wankum, which was dissolved in 1939; Wachtendonk, Wankum and Herongen then formed the Amt Wachtendonk until 1951. On 1 July 1969 Wankum finally became part of the municipality of Wachtendonk. Among its listed monuments are the former knight's estate Haus Langenfeld and numerous protected residential buildings. Local traditions are kept alive by the United St. Johannes & St. Martini Marksmen's Fraternity of 1532, and the village is connected to the A40 motorway via the Wankum junction.
Landmarks in the quarter
Haus Langenfeld
A former knight's estate and today one of Wankum's listed monuments, alongside numerous other protected residential buildings.
Wankumer Heide & Blaue Lagune
To the south-west of the village lie the Wankumer Heide nature reserve and the Blaue Lagune bathing lake. The river Nette forms the natural boundary with the neighbouring municipalities here.
Did you know?
The name Wankum derives from the Frankish "Wankheim", meaning "home among the meadows and pastures".
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