Mönchengladbach is a city in Germany, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, close to the German border with the Netherlands. The city is west of the River Rhine. Its estimated population is 266,684 inhabitants. Formerly known as Münchengladbach
The original name of the town was Gladbach, which is still applied to the town today. To distinguish itself from another city of the same name, the current Bergisch Gladbach, its name was changed to München-Gladbach in 1888. Later, to avoid being confused with a neighborhood of Munich (München in German), its name was changed to Mönchen Gladbach in 1950 and Mönchengladbach in 1960.
The Gladbach Stream, which currently runs underground, gave the city its name, which originated from an abbey established in 974. The abbey and surrounding villages became a city in the 14th century. The town of Rheydt, located nearby, is nowadays incorporated into Mönchengladbach.