Lüdenscheid is located on the saddle of the watershed between the Lenne and Volme rivers which both empty into the Ruhr river, with three smaller valleys leading to them. The saddle has a height of 420 meters, higher elevations on the watershed are an unnamed hilltop of 505 meters in the north, and the 663 meters high Nordhelle in the Ebbegebirge mountain range. In the surrounding mountainous area, six dams created reservoirs to regulate the water flow in the Ruhr river and supply drinking water. The mountainous nature of the city's territory gave rise to the nickname "Bergstadt". The original settlement circles around the church built on a ledge of the slope above the saddle.
History
While first settlement in the Lüdenscheid area is confirmed for the 9th century, the first mention of the place as a village was made in 1067 and as a city in 1268. In the 15th and 16th century Lüdenscheid was a member of the Hanseatic League. Since 1609 the town belonged to the Electorate of Brandenburg, the later Prussia. In 1815 it became part of the new Prussian Province of Westphalia, and 1975, with the creation of the Märkischer Kreis, became seat of its administration. In 1898 the aluminium framework of the first Zeppelin airship was built in the factory of Carl Berg in Lüdenscheid.
Economy
Lüdenscheid is a predominantly industrial town with small and medium-sized firms in the metal and plastics industry. The largest company employs 2000 people in Lüdenscheid, with other firms employing 800 people or less. The economic importance came to the fore in the Middle Ages, when the town became a centre for metal ore mining in the surrounding area, through the. The ore was processed by the hammers and wire drawers o Lüdenscheid, serviced by water power in the surrounding valleys. A number of artisanal smitheries in Lüdenscheid made finished products out of those materials. In order to market these products to a wider area, Lüdenscheid joined the Hanseatic League. With the emergence of the industrial age, the production of buttons and buckles played a large role, reflected in the "Knopfmuseum". Later, new materials like aluminium, bakelite, and plastics were adopted. A supporting industry producing the forms for the stamping, blanking, pressing and casting emerged and still plays an important part in Lüdenscheid's industry. Production of parts of the auto industry and of fittings for electrical installations play an important role as well as continuous casting of aluminium profiles. Products notable to end consumers are lamps and lighting systems and toys.
The coat of arms shows Saint Medardus as the patron of the city. Below it has the red-and-white checked fess from the arms of the Counts of the Mark. The city wall at the bottom denotes the city rights that Lüdenscheid received in 1287.
