that in 1987 the Krebsöge dam could be inaugurated. In the same year the B 237 bypass was opened. In 1990 Radevormwald tried to live up to its reputation as a sports town with the inauguration of the stadium in the Kollenberg and the indoor swimming pool Aquafun. However, these efforts suffered a setback in 2004 when the State sports school closed down. Coat of arms The coat of arms was granted on 7 November 1934. It consists of a lion grasping a key. The oldest seal of the city, dating from the 14th century, already shows the lion with a key. All later seals show the same image, the lion in the arms being that of the Counts von Berg. The origin of the key is not clear. It may have had a religious meaning, but it has also been speculated that it symbolises the iron industry (particularly locksmithing) in the town. (In the early 20th century the arms were shown in the Kaffee Hag albums [a standard reference for German civic arms] with the same composition, but in different colours). General description Origin of the name Radevormwald means "clearing in front of the wood". The town's older name, Rotha, also means "clearing". The clearing, at an altitude of more than 400 metres, is thought to have been made to help defend against raiding Saxons in prehistoric times. Character Radevormwald is characterised by its small and medium-sized businesses, predominantly in the service industries. With regard to the rail connections to Cologne and Düsseldorf to the west and to transport connections generally the town is in a marginal position. This leaves scope for the exploitation of resources for leisure and the enjoyment of nature, and gives the town a relatively high quality of life. Older historical buildings, as in many other places in the Bergischen country, have not survived. An exception is the historical garden house in the town park which survived the last big town fire in the year 1802. Population Culture Places To Go In the area are many different dams and reservoirs, among them: Wuppertal dam, Bevertal dam, Neyetal dam (Wipperfürth), Ennepe dam (Breckerfeld), Heilenbecker dam and Schevelinger dam. Uelfebad, former outdoor swimming pool (an ice rink in winter, with suitable weather) and restaurant Leisure resort Kräwinklerbrücke, which is also a starting point for footpaths around the Wuppertal dam. Churches Radevormwald has a distinctive skyline with four