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Early spring at the Erkelenz Market. View of St. Lambert's Church and the Old Town Hall.

Key Information

Erkelenz (German pronunciation: [ˈɛʁkəlɛnts] ⓘ, Limburgish: Erkelens [ˈæʀ(ə)kəlæns])[tone?] is a town in the Rhineland in western Germany that lies 15 kilometres (9 miles) southwest of Mönchengladbach on the northern edge of the Cologne Lowland, halfway between the Lower Rhine region and the Lower Meuse. It is a medium-sized town (over 44,000) and the largest in the district of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Despite the town having more than 1,000 years of history and tradition, in 2006 the eastern part of the borough was cleared to make way for the Garzweiler II brown coal pit operated by RWE Power. This is planned to be in operation until 2045. Over five thousand people from ten villages have had to be resettled as a result. Since 2010, the inhabitants of the easternmost village of Pesch have left and most have moved to the new villages of Immerath and Borschemich in the areas of Kückhoven and Erkelenz-Nord.

Geography

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The Erkelenz countryside near Lövenich

Landscape

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The area is characterised by the gently rolling to almost level countryside of the Jülich-Zülpich Börde, whose fertile loess soils are predominantly used for agriculture. Settlements and roads cover about 20 per cent of the area of the borough and only 2 per cent is wooded.[3][4] The Wahnenbusch, the largest contiguous wooded area, is located south of the town of Tenholt and covers 25 hectares (62 acres). In the north the börde gives way to the forests and waterways of the Schwalm–Nette-Plateau, part of the Lower Rhine Plain. In the west on the far side of the town, lies the Rur depression, some 30 to 60 metres lower (100 to 200 ft). Its transition is part of the Baal Riedelland. Here, streams have created a richly varying landscape of hills and valleys. In the east is the source region of the River Niers near Kuckum and Keyenberg. To the south the land climbs up towards the Jackerath loess ridge. The lowest point lies at 70 metres (230 ft) above sea level (NN) (Niers region in the northeast and near the Ophover Mill in the southwest) and the highest point is 110 metres (361 ft) above NN (on the boundary of the borough near Holzweiler/Immerath in the south).

Climate

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The climate is influenced by the Atlantic Gulf Stream at the crossover between maritime and continental climates. The prevailing winds are from the southwest and there is precipitation all year round. Annual precipitation amounts to about 710 millimetres (28 in), whereby August is the wettest and September the driest month. Summers are warm and winters mild. In July the average temperature is 19 °C (66 °F) and, in January, 3 °C (37 °F). The length of the cold season with a minimum temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) is less than 60 days, the number of summer's days with temperatures above 25 °C (77 °F) averages 30, with an additional eight "tropical" days with daytime temperatures of more than 30 °C (86 °F) and night temperatures over 20 °C (68 °F), and there are an average of 20 days of thunderstorms. The onset of spring, which is reckoned from the budding of cherry, apple and pear trees, occurs between 29 April and 5 May. High summer, which begins with the harvest of winter rye, starts between 10 and 16 July.[5][6]

Climate data for Erkelenz
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Daily mean °F 37.2 38.5 43.9 50.4 57.4 64.6 67.5 66.0 60.1 52.2 45.7 38.7 51.9
Average precipitation inches 1.98 2.37 1.81 1.83 2.69 2.41 2.81 3.30 1.33 2.70 2.32 2.37 27.92
Daily mean °C 2.9 3.6 6.6 10.2 14.1 18.1 19.7 18.9 15.6 11.2 7.6 3.7 11.0
Average precipitation mm 50.3 60.2 45.9 46.4 68.4 61.3 71.4 83.9 33.9 68.7 59.0 60.3 709.7
Source: Erkelenz Weather Station, 2002 to 2006 data

Geology

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The Erkelenz Börde is the northernmost extent of the Jülich Börde and is formed from a loess plateau that has an average thickness of over eleven metres in this area. Beneath it are the gravels and sands of the main ice age terrace, laid down by the Rhine and the Meuse. Embedded in the loess in places are lenses of marl that were mined until the 20th century in order to obtain lime by driving shafts and galleries underground.[7] In the Tertiary period the Erkelenz horst was formed along geological fault lines. East of the horst runs the Venlo fault block (Scholle), to the west is the Rur Scholle, to the south the Erft Scholle and the Jackerath Horst. A small section of the horst is part of the Wassenberg Horst. Thick seams of brown coal from the Tertiary and of black coal from the Carboniferous are located underground. The Erkelenz Horst is part of the Cologne Lowland Earthquake Region.

Borough

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The town's administrative territory, or borough, is 20 kilometres (12 mi) across from east to west and 11 km (6.8 mi) from north to south. Its neighbouring administrative units, clockwise from the north, are:

Eastern villages that are to give way to the Garzweiler II open-cast coal mine.

The town of Erkelenz emerged in its present configuration as a result of the Aachen land reform bill of 21 December 1971 (the Aachen-Gesetz). According to this law inter alia the former districts of Erkelenz and Geilenkirchen-Heinsberg were to be merged on 1 January 1972. Erkelenz lost its status as the county town to Heinsberg and was amalgamated with the municipalities of Borschemich, Gerderath, Golkrath, Granterath, Holzweiler, Immerath, Keyenberg, Kückhoven, Lövenich, Schwanenberg and Venrath, as well as the parishes of Geneiken and Kuckum. The area of its borough increased from 25.22 to 117.45 square kilometres (9.7 to 45.3 sq mi).[8]

According to the law, the borough of Erkelenz is divided into nine districts with a total of 46 villages and hamlets (population as at 31 October 2009):[9]

Coat of arms

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The coat of arms is parted horizontally. The upper part is blue, and contains the golden lion of the duchy of Guelders (Geldern). In the silver (white) lower part is a red medlar, also called rose of Geldern. The coat of arms shows the centuries-old connection to the duchy. The colours from the shield became the colours of the city: blue and white.

History

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Pre- and early history

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There have been discoveries of Old and New Stone Age flint-knapping sites across the whole of the present area of the borough.[10] Near Haberg House, north of Lövenich, there is a site of national renown. Near Kückhoven a wooden well was discovered in 1990 that belonged to a settlement of the Linear Pottery culture and had been built around 5,100 B.C. This makes it one of the oldest wooden structures in the world.[11] North of the old village of Erkelenz, on the present day Mary Way (Marienweg), lay three cremation graves (Brandgräber), northwest to south of numerous fields of rubble. Roman bricks, hypocaust bricks and shards come from the marketplace south of the town hall. Here in the southwest corner and east of the chancel of the Roman Catholic parish church there are urn graves enclosed by glacial erratics of the early Frankish period from 300 to 500 A.D. On the south and southeast edge of the market, round jars were also found in the style of Badorf ceramics from Carolingian times.[12] In 1906 a Roman Jupiter Column from the beginning of the 3rd century A.D. was discovered in Kleinbouslar. The Erkelenz chronicler Mathias Baux wrote in the 16th century that "the bushes in the middle period were cleared and the soil turned into fertile fields, so that out of the harsh wilderness a corn-rich land and overall a breezy paradise was established."[13] From Mathias Baux's perspective, the middle period was the 8th century, which corresponds to the emergence of the Carolingian Empire. Under the present-day Catholic church lay Frankish and medieval graves without any grave goods as well as broken pieces of Badorf Ceramic and Roman bricks.[14]

"Herkelens" around 1560. The map by Jacob van Deventer shows the layout of streets in the town centre - still largely preserved - with the town defences, town hall and church

Origin of the name

[edit]

The overwhelming theory is that the name Erkelenz belongs to the group of Gallo-Romance -(i)acum placenames. According to this view the name of the town, which first appears in the records in a document dating to 966 A.D. sealed by Otto the Great as herclinze, comes from fundus herculentiacus: Herculentian estate (Estate of Herculentius). From the original adjectival character of the personal name the neuter noun Herculentiacum developed. However a continuity of settlement from Roman to Frankish times cannot be proven.[15] As a result, it is also postulated that the name does not have Roman, but Old High German origins, according to which the word linta = lime tree.[16] In 1118 A.D. the name of the place finally appears as Erkelenze.

Manorialism

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On 17 January 966, St. Mary's Abbey in Aachen (Marienstift zu Aachen) was given inter alia the settlements of Erkelenz and its neighbour, Oestrich, in the County of Eremfried in the Mühlgau as part of an exchange with the Lotharingian Count Immo. Emperor Otto the Great confirmed this exchange in the aforementioned deed at an imperial assembly (Hoftag) in Aachen.[17] From then on the abbey was the owner of the entire estate in Erkelenz and the surrounding villages with the proviso that territorial lordship was exercised by the count.[18] Later the estates owned by the abbey were divided between the provost and chapter. The farms were not managed independently, but were leased. Not until 1803 did the abbey lose these rights of ownership, when France introduced secularisation into the Rhineland.[19]

Coat of arms of the town of Erkelenz from the chronicle of Mathias Baux, 1562

Town rights

[edit]

Erkelenz received its town rights in 1326 from Count Reginald II of Guelders, as can be read in the town chronicle by Matthias Baux.[13][20] But no deed granting town rights exists, which is why it has been suggested that there was no fixed date but, instead, a long drawn-out process of becoming a town over many years that may have dragged on into the 14th century.[21][22] However, against that is the fact that there is a jury seal dating to the year 1331,[23] and that Erkelenz appears on the Guelders urban diet on 1 December 1343.[24] In 1359 Erkelenz is described in a document as a Guelders town[12] and bears the Guelders lions and rose on its seal and coat of arms.

Territorial lordship

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From the end of the 11th century the counts of Guelders, the first being Gerard III of Wassenberg, also known as Gerard I, Count of Guelders,[25] also possessed the lordship in Erkelenz. They were advocates appointed by the Holy Roman Empire and exercise jurisdiction, trade protection and military command.[26] In 1339 Emperor Louis the Bavarian elevated Guelders to a dukedom, under Rainald II,[25] that was divided into four "quarters" (Quartiere). Erkelenz and its surrounding villages belonged to the upper quarter (Oberquartier) of Guelders with its main centre at Roermond and was an exclave of Guelders within the Duchy of Jülich. It formed the Amt of Erkelenz, together with the non-isolated villages of Wegberg, Krüchten and Brempt, headed by the Amtmann (Drossard).[27]

The town's constitution and administration was consistent with those of the other towns in Guelders. Seven magistrates (Schöffen) who, like the mayors, had to possess wealth in the town or the county, and ten common councillors put forward two candidates for the office of town mayor (Stadtbürgermeister) and two for that of county mayor (Landbürgermeister) for a period of office of one year, but they were elected only by the magistrates, who actually ran the administration of the town, whilst the council only fulfilled representative functions.[28]

Guelders stately castle (Landesburg) from the year 1349
Im Pangel street

Soon after its elevation to town status, work began on the brick fortifications of the place. These probably consisted of basic ramparts as had been common since time immemorial for the defence of settlements,[11] which had been started in the 11th century.[29] Although the castle was not documented until 1349,[30] the town appeared to have developed under the protection of the castle along the Pangel, the oldest mentioned street (in deme Pandale, 1398) which was in its immediate vicinity. The nearby Johannismarkt (alder mart , Engl.: old market, 1420) and the more distant square known today simply as Markt ("market"), then referred to as the niewer mart (Engl.: new market, 1480), were also mentioned.[31] In addition the castle had clearly been built within the town walls, so that it must have been there at least when town rights were granted in 1326.[32][33] It is also hardly likely that an undefended place would have been elevated to the status of a town. Finally, the first and strongest town gateway, the Brück Gate (Brücktor, on Brückstraße) was built in 1355 on the Cologne Military Road (Kölner Heerbahn) that came from Roermond to Erkelenz and ran along the Theodor-Körner Road, Mühlenstraße and Wockerath to Cologne.[34]

In a feud between Edward of Guelders, who was a son of Duke Reginald II and adversary of his elder brother, Reginald III,[25] Count Engelbert III of the Mark conquered the now insufficiently fortified town in 1371 and partly destroyed it.[35] The childless Edward fell in the same year on the battlefield of Baesweiler fighting on the side of his brother in law, Duke William II of Jülich, against Duke Wenceslaus I of Brabant.[36] When in that year his brother, Rainald III, also died without issue,[25] fighting broke out repeatedly over the inheritance and possession of the Duchy of Guelders under which Erkelenz, as an exclave of Guelders in the state of Jülich, suffered particularly severely from the burdens of war, quartering of soldiers, robbery and plundering.[37]

The construction of fortifications at Erkelenz was brought forward to meet the strategic requirements of its local lords. Built in 1416 under Reginald IV of Guelders, opposite the Brück Gate (Brücktor) on the other side of town, was the Maar Gate (Maartor, Aachener Strasse),[13] which faced the Jülich, south of the town. In 1423, the Duchy of Guelders, and thus the town of Erkelenz, fell to Arnold of Egmond,[34] and, in 1425, to Adolphus of Jülich-Berg.[25] After his nephew and successor, Gerhard II of Jülich-Berg had defeated Arnold of Egmond in the Battle of Linnich, the Oerath Gate (Oerather Tor, Roermonder Straße)) was completed in 1454,[13] that faced Roermond. Despite the increasing cost of work on the fortifications, the town was able to afford it. In 1458 it immediately started work on a new bell tower, that has survived until today, after the tower of the old Romanesque church had collapsed.

The Guelders exclave of Erkelenz in the manuscript atlas by Christian Sgrothen, before 1573

In 1473 the town came into the possession of Charles the Bold of Burgundy who, whilst at war against Lorraine in 1476, personally accepted the homage of the townsfolk of Erkelenz. In 1481 the town fell to Maximilian I of Austria and, in 1492, to the son of Arnold of Egmond, Charles of Egmond, who also presented himself personally in the same year at Erkelenz. At that time the fortress of Erkelenz was so strong that Maximilian I instructed the Dukes of Jülich and Kleve, who were allied with him against Guelders, not to engage in a bombardment of the town, but to take them with the aid of storming bridges (Sturmbrücken). Using that method, an army of 3000 foot soldiers and 1,000 horse under William IV of Jülich took them by surprise in August 1498.[38] In 1500 the town fell again to Charles of Egmond,[34] so that in 1514 the gate opposite the Oerath Gate opposite the Bellinghoven Gate (Bellinghovener Tor, Kölner Straße) was built,[13] which sealed a gap facing Julich. There were 14 defensive towers in the town wall with its four gate castles (Torburgen) and, in front of it was a second wall, separated by a moat.[13] The town was thus considered impregnable.

In 1538 Guelders fell to William of Jülich, Cleves and Berg[34] During that period the great town fire of 1540 occurred on 21 June of that year. The fire broke out during a summer heatwave, almost entirely razing the town apart from few houses by the Brück Gate and on Maarstraße. Help came from the neighbouring Guelders towns of Roermond and Venlo. Emperor Charles V who, in 1543, following the capture of Düren and Julich during his march on Roermond with a 30,000 strong army, stayed personally in Erkelenz.[39][40] ended the Guelders succession wars at the Treaty of Venlo. The town now ended up, together with the Duchy of Guelders, under to the Spanish House of Habsburg and was part of the Spanish Netherlands,[34] then the richest country in Europe. So, for example, the town was able, as the inscription on a rock near the entrance testifies, to replace the destroyed town hall as early as 1546 with a new building that is still standing.[41]

Siege of Erkelenz during the War of the Jülich succession in 1610

Lasting peace did not, however, return to the land and several times epidemics struck the town. In 1580 it was almost completely depopulated by the plague.[42] During the Spanish-Dutch War in 1607, Dutch troops took the town and plundered it. After Erkelenz had been unsuccessfully besieged in 1610 during the Jülich-Cleves War of Succession, the army of the French king, Louis XIV, allied with the troops of the Archbishop of Cologne, was finally in a position to take the town on the evening of 9 May 1674. This attack which took place during the French-Dutch War only succeeded on the fourth assault using the newly invented cannons, when two of the four gates fell. On that day, the town ceased to be a fortification. The attackers are reported to have lost 400 dead, the defenders just six. The invaders forced the townsfolk to breach the walls and blew up the Bellinghoven and Oerath gates, both of which blocked free passage to the Netherlands.[43][44]

In the War of Spanish Succession, Erkelenz was occupied by Prussian troops in 1702 who did not leave again until 1713. In the Treaty of Utrecht in 1714 Duke John William of Jülich and Elector Palatine (of Palatinate-Neuburg) was given Erkelenz; the town not paying him homage until 1719. The town thus lost its centuries-old affiliation with the Upper Quarter of Guelders. From 1727 to 1754 the territory of Erkelenz (Herrlichkeit Erkelenz) was pledged to Freiherr von Francken,[34] who also stayed from time to time in the town.

From 1794 to 1815 it belonged to France, along with the lands left of the Rhine, and was given a permanent contingent of French troops. Initially Erkelenz formed a municipality (Munizipalität), from 1800 a mairie (mayoralty) and, from 1798, was the seat of the canton of Erkelenz in the arrondissement of Crefeld, which was part of the département of Roer.[45] In 1815 the King of Prussia became the new landlord following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. In the years 1818/19 the tumbledown town walls and gates were demolished. Instead of walls the four present-day promenade streets were built, each named after their respective points of the compass.[46][47] From 1816 to 1972 Erkelenz was the seat of the rural district of Erkelenz (Kreis Erkelenz).

Industrialisation

[edit]

Around 1825 Andreas Polke from Ratibor took up residence in the town and founded a pin factory. The nearby region around Aachen was a leading light in this trade at the time. In 1841 Polke employed 73 workers in his factory, of whom 36 were child workers under 14; for those of school age he ran a factory school. Pins were made in Erkelenz until about 1870. In 1852 Erkelenz was connected to the Aachen–Mönchengladbach railway and, in addition to a railway station for passenger services, was also given a goods station with marshalling sidings, a hump and a turntable. The increased volume of traffic into Erkelenz station necessitated an upgrade of the four roads radiating from the town to something like chaussee standard[48] and in the succeeding decades a development of the town beyond its medieval town boundaries along the present Kölner Straße towards the station.

In the 19th century hand weaving with looms was the predominant activity of the surrounding villages. The Industrial Age in Erkelenz first began with the introduction of mechanical weaving looms for making cloth. In 1854 the Rockstoff Factory I.B. Oellers, was established on the present Parkweg; it was a mechanical weaving mill which, at times, employed 120 workers and 20 salesmen. In 1872 the mechanical plush weaving mill of Karl Müller (corner of Kölner Straße and Heinrich Jansen Weg) was founded; it employed 60 hand weavers in Erkelenz and another 400 in the regions of Berg and the Rhön area for the main Erkelenz operation. In 1897 the Halcour Textile Factory appeared on Neußer Straße, which had 67 male and 22 female workers in 1911 in its factory-owned health insurance department.[49]

Historic façades on the Kaiserstraße (Theodor-Körner-Straße) and the water tower, 1907

The town's actual step into the Industrial Age took place in 1897 when the industrial pioneer, Anton Raky, moved the head office of the International Drilling Company (Internationaler Bohrgesellschaft), known locally as the Bohr, to Erkelenz. Key factors in choosing this location were the favourable railway links to the Ruhr area and the Aachen Coalfield. In the years that followed industrial workers and engineers flocked to Erkelenz, creating a shortage of housing, a situation that could only be alleviated by establishing a charitable building association.[50] Between the town centre and the railway line, a new quarter emerged, known colloquially as Kairo (pronounced: Kah-ee-roh) due to the little foreign looking towers on many of the houses. In 1909 the drilling firm employed 50 staff and 460 workers. During the wartime year of 1916 it had as many as 1,600 employees. When, on 10 May 1898, a bronze statue of Emperor William I was erected on the market place, it was illuminated, at Raky's initiative, with electric lighting from arc lamps. That marked the introduction of electricity into the public arena in Erkelenz. In the same year the first street lamps were erected in Bahnhofstraße (today Kölner Straße) and the first mains electricity was delivered to houses.

Gründerzeit house façades are witnesses to the development at the turn of the century. In the next two decades the town built the waterworks on the present Bernhard-Hahn-Straße with its water tower visible for kilometres, the electricity works, the slaughterhouse, the swimming baths and a large school building for the gymnasium on the Südpromenade. The founding of a korn distillery, a brewery, a malthouse and a dairy acted as new outlets for agriculture. In 1910 Arnold Koepe built an engineering workshop in the former Karl Müller plush weaving mill in order to manufacture coal wagons for the mines. In 1916 Ferdinand Clasen took over the operation and in 1920 founded the Erkelenz Engineering Factory (Erkelenzer Maschinenfabrik) from this firm on Bernhard-Hahn-Straße that employed up to 200 workers.[51]

World wars and inter-war years

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During the First World War the local economy also ground to a halt as a result of conscription, the priority given to the transportation of troops and war materiel on the railways as well as the large contingents of troops that marched through the town with their resulting demands. To alleviate the lack of labour, prisoners of war, mainly Russians who had been interned in 1915 in a POW camp on the land of the International Drilling Company, were employed, mainly in agriculture. In order to meet the wartime demand for metal, the townsfolk had to give up relevant implements and the church had to donate some of its bells in return for little compensation. The lost war cost the lives of 142 Erkelenz townsfolk in Army service and another 155 were injured, some seriously.[52]

After this war, which also saw the end of the German Empire 2,000 soldiers were stationed here between 1918 and 1926. French troops were quartered here until 19 November 1919 and then Belgian troops took over from 1 December 1919. Huts were erected on Neusser Straße and Tenholter Straße as soldiers' quarters, in addition to commandeered houses, flats were built on Freiheitsplatz, on Graf-Reinald-Straße and Glück-auf-Straße for the officers and NCOs.[53] Because gold and silver had to be given up at the beginning of the war and the gold standard had been replaced by paper money, the cost of all goods rose dramatically, despite the command economy, to paper money prices that were scarcely affordable, so that the supply of paper money finally ran out and the communal authorities were permitted to print their own paper money. In 1921 the town had emergency money printed in the shape of paper notes with values of 50 and 75 pfennigs to a total value of 70,000 marks. This emergency currency went into partial circulation, but was withdrawn again in 1922.[54]

When the French and Belgians occupied the Ruhr in January 1923, in order to take coal and steel back to their own countries, there was passive resistance, which later became known as the Battle of the Ruhr (Ruhrkampf). In Erkelenz this passive resistance was carried out especially by railwaymen, in the course of which the Belgian secret police expelled 14 families, including small children, who had been reported by narks. They were abandoned, in some cases using force, in remote places at night and in fog.[55]

Right from the start of the occupation France and Belgium had tried unsuccessfully to annexe the Rhineland. Now, using the excuse of the resistance that had flared up, they tried to take it by force. In Aachen Separatist troops, which had established themselves by force of arms in various Rhenish towns, called for a Rhenish Republic. On 21 October 1923 such a force also appeared in Erkelenz, hoisted the Rhenish flag over the town hall and the courthouse by force of arms under the protection of the Belgians and demanded that the municipal and state officials now serve the Rhenish Republic. Officials and townsfolk refused and hauled down the separatist flag the following day. To the great joy of the population, the occupying troops pulled out a year later on 31 January 1926 in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles. The bells of all the churches rang at midnight, their hour of freedom,[56] and that year Erkelenz also celebrated the 600th anniversary of being granted its town rights.

After Hitler had seized power on 30 January 1933 and after the Reichstag and local elections had been held in March 1933, the Nazis in Erkelenz under the leadership of Nazi Kreisleiter, Kurt Horst, began, using the authority of the municipal "parliaments", to rename all the roads and squares after their own leaders.[57] For example, from April 1933 Erkelenz had an Adolf Hitler Platz (Johannismarkt), a Hermann Göring Platz (Martin Luther Platz) and a Horst Wessel Straße (Brückstraße).[58] In May 1933 they forced the incumbent democratic mayor, Dr. Ernst de Werth, out of office under threat of taking him into "protective custody", made Adolf Hitler an honorary citizen and pursued political dissidents, trades unionists and clergymen.[59]

In July 1933 a so-called Hereditary Health Court was established at the district courthouse in Erkelenz as in all districts in the German Empire, whose task was to direct the forced sterilisation of mentally and physically handicapped people as part of what later became Hitler's "Euthanasia Programme", known after the war as Action T4. This programme of Nazi violence saw the systematic murder of those seen by the Nazis as "asocial", "inferior" and "unworthy of living". In Erkelenz, such people ended up in Nazareth House in Immerath.[60]

By April 1933 the NSDAP had organised a boycott of Jewish businesses in the town,[61] whilst the 1938 November pogroms (the so-called Reichskristallnacht) finally led to anti-Semitic acts of violence. The synagogue on the Westpromenade was devastated by mobs commanded by the SS and SA, Jews were arrested and Jewish businesses in the town were plundered and demolished.[62] In March/April 1941 Jews all over Germany were evacuated from their homes and concentrated in so-called Jew houses (Judenhäusern), to which they were only permitted to take the absolute essentials from their property.[63] In Erkelenz on 1 April 1941 the Nazis forced the remaining Jews in the town of Erkelenz to leave their homes and take up residence in the Spiess Hof, a farmstead in Hetzerath, from where they were deported in 1942 via the Izbica Ghetto to the extermination camps.[64]

Towards the end of the Second World War, as the Allies advanced towards Germany's western border in the middle of September 1944, Erkelenz was gradually cleared out, like many other places in the Aachen region. Whilst long streams of refugees moved eastwards across the Rhine, as well as groups of fieldwork labourers there were large units of armed SA in the border region who tyrannised and robbed the remaining population.[65] As part of the "Rur Front", anti-tank ditches were dug two kilometres (1+1⁄4 miles) west of the town in a semi-circular arc, minefields were sewn and infantry positions were constructed with extensively branched trenches in order to create a strong hedgehog defence. The first major carpet bombing air raid took place on 8 October 1944 over the town. During the second air raid on 6 December 1944 44 people died. Between the major carpet bomb attacks, non-stop fighter bomber raids went on from dawn to dusk and often into the night, continuing the work of destruction by strafing and bombing. From December 1944 the town also came within the range of allied artillery. During a further bombing raid on 16 January 1945, 31 people were killed, including 16 in one bunker on Anton Raky Allee. Amongst the SS combat troops, the command was issued from the top to the lowest level to pull out and they did so, as did the local party functionaries, who had been burning their records for days. The fourth and heaviest air raid on the now abandoned town took place on 23 February 1945. About 90 four-engined bombers flew over in two waves. Everything that had survived the war to that point now lay in ashes: the churches, the community hall, the courthouse, the swimming baths, the hospital, the schools and the kindergarten; only the tower of the Roman Catholic parish church remained standing, albeit badly damaged. When, three days later, on 26 February 1945, American armoured units of the 102nd US Infantry Division of the 9th US Army entered the town and the surrounding villages, the warning signs on the minefields indicated the safe lanes because there was no one left who could have removed them. The Volkssturm troops gave themselves up without a fight. At the end of this war, Erkelenz was largely destroyed and counted 300 killed in air raids, 1,312 dead and 974 wounded within the county of Erkelenz.[66][67]

The post-war period

[edit]

As Allied forces invaded the area, the inhabitants of the surrounding villages had to leave their houses and for many days and weeks, they were driven from one place to another or concentrated in camps without enough supplies, whilst their homes were plundered, wrecked and, in many cases, set on fire. In addition, former Russian forced labourers, who were concentrated into the nearby village of Hetzerath, armed themselves with war materiel that had been left lying around and threatened town and country by robbing, killing and starting fires. The logistic troops of the invading forces also stole on a grand scale. By the end of March 1945 about 25 people still lived in Erkelenz and, as the town gradually filled up with retreating evacuees, they lacked all the basic necessities.[68]

In early June 1945, British troops replaced the Americans. Several of the leading Nazis, who were found among those retreating, were arrested and placed on trial. So-called "Persil notes" (Persilscheine) were much sought after. The majority of the lower-ranking Nazis and their followers were forced into clearing rubble and cleaning up the town. But the remaining townsfolk, especially farmers who still had a horse or ox and cart, were also called upon to supply manual labour or transport. Even the youth were encouraged to volunteer for work details in order to help with the rebuilding of the town. The nature of most of the work was self-help and the newly reorganised town government only focussed on those building regulations that were absolutely necessary.

The first general municipal elections took place on 15 September 1946. From 1947‚ CARE Packages arrived in the town, filled with food and such like, mainly sent by Americans of German origin. Apart from the returning population of the town, increasing numbers of refugees from Germany's eastern territories had to be absorbed, so that in the 1950s a new quarter of the town, Flachsfeld, was built. At the same time, the town also spread out over the fields between the few houses of Buscherhof and the Oerath Mill, forming a new large quarter, the Marienviertel. Almost all its roads, which lay on both sides of the old Marienweg, a Marian pilgrimage route that ran to Holtum, bore the names of east German towns. Not until 1956 and 1957 did the town's population receive the last repatriates from the war and from POW camps at Erkelenz Station.

North Erkelenz and the bridge over Düsseldorfer Straße (the Nordtangente)

Chronological summary

[edit]
  • 966: Erkelenz was first mentioned in a document as Herclinze, 1118 as Erkelenze.
  • 1326: Erkelenz received town rights from the count of Guelders. (1339 the noble man became duke.) The area of Erkelenz was an exclave of the duchy of Guelders in the duchy of Jülich. The town belonged to the Upper Quarter Roermond.
  • 1543: The Spanish Netherlands (Spanish Habsburg) got Erkelenz.
  • 1713: After the War of the Spanish Succession the duke of Jülich, who was also prince of palatine (Pfalz-Neuburg) received the town.
  • 1794: France invaded the area, Erkelenz belonged to this state and became the capital of the district Canton Erkelenz in the Roer département.
  • 1815: After the defeat of Napoleon Erkelenz became part of Prussia. The district was now called Kreis Erkelenz.
  • 1818/1819: The medieval walls and gates of the town were demolished.
  • 1852: The railway Aachen–Düsseldorf was built
  • 1897: The engineer Anton Raky established a drilling machine factory, today WIRTH Group.
  • 1938: The synagogue was desecrated.
  • 26 February 1945: Erkelenz was captured by the 407th infantry regiment of the U.S. 102nd Infantry Division (Ozarks), US Ninth Army.
  • 1945: The machine factory Hegenscheidt relocated from Ratibor to Erkelenz.
  • 1972: The district Kreis Erkelenz was abolished, it became part of the Kreis Heinsberg. The area of the town Erkelenz was enlarged from 25.3 square kilometres (9.77 sq mi) to 117.35 square kilometres (45.31 sq mi).

Population development

[edit]
  • 1812: 3.370
  • 1861: 4.148
  • 1895: 4.168
  • 1900: 4.612
  • 1925: 6.605
  • 1935: 7.162
  • 1946: 6.348
  • 1950: 7.475
  • 1960: 11.876
  • 1970: 12.807
  • 1980: 38.175
  • 1990: 39.957
  • 2000: 43.194
  • 2005: 44.625
  • 2010: 44.457

Mayors since 1814

[edit]
  • 1814–1815 Heinrich Terstappen
  • 1815–1822 R. Erdmann
  • 1822–1827 Anton Jansenius
  • 1827–1851 Carl Hofstadt
  • 1851–1860 Theodor Büschgens
  • 1860–1861 H. Spieß
  • 1861–1900 Franz Reinkens
  • 1900–1916 Bernhard Hahn
  • 1916–1932 Johannes Spitzlei
  • 1932–1934 Ernst de Werth
  • 1934 Heinrich Feemers, temporary
  • 1934–1944 Gustav Meyer
  • 1945 Hermann Künkels
  • 1945 Peter Classen
  • 1945–1952 Josef Stehr
  • 1952–1969 Hermann Jansen
  • 1969–1994 Willy Stein (CDU)
  • 1994–1999 Theo Clemens (CDU)
  • 1999–2004 Erwin Mathissen (SPD)
  • 2004–2020 Peter Jansen (CDU)
  • since 2020 Stephan Muckel (CDU)

Twin towns – sister cities

[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Erkelenz is twinned with:[69]

Education

[edit]

In Erkelenz there are ten primary schools, two secondary schools (Hauptschule), 1 secondary modern school (Realschule), two high schools Cornelius-Burgh-Gymnasium, Cusanus-Gymnasium Erkelenz Europaschule), one business college (Berufskolleg des Kreises Heinsberg in Erkelenz) and one school for persons with learning disabilities.

Marketplace with Lambertus-Church.

Transport

[edit]

Buildings

[edit]

Museum

[edit]

There is a Fire-brigade museum in the village of Lövenich.

Notable people

[edit]

This section mentions some well-known persons who have been born and raised in Erkelenz, who have worked here or whose name is closely connected with the city:

Leo Heinrichs in 1905
  • Arnold von Harff (1471–1505), the knight and pilgrim lived from 1499 on a not survived castle behind today's estate Nierhoven at Lövenich
  • Theodoor van Loon (c. 1581–1649), Flemish painter of the Baroque
  • Reinhold Vasters (1827–1909), goldsmith for sacred art and master falsifiers
  • Leo Heinrichs (1867–1908), Father in the Franciscan Order, was shot by an anarchist in Denver during the Holy Mass in 1908, the beatification procedure is initiated.
  • Joseph Hahn (1883–1944), member of the German Center Party, editor of the newspaper Erkelenzer Kreisblatt , 1944 imprisoned for several weeks in the course of the Aktionthunder, died after his release in the same year the consequences of his concentration camp - imprisonment
  • Werner Müller (1900–1982), Director of the Bohr-company, was sentenced on 14 October 1943 by the Volksgerichtshof to death for Wehrkraftzersetzung, pardoned for life in February 1944, survived and rebuilt the drill rig after the war. From February 12 to October 12, 1946, he had been nominated by the British military government as district administrator of Erkelenz County
  • Dickie Peterson (1946–2009), co-founder of heavy metal band Blue Cheer, who lived in Germany for extensive periods. Died in Erkelenz
  • Lewis Holtby (born 1990), German-British footballer currently playing for Blackburn Rovers
  • Michael Bauer, the artist, was born here in 1973

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Erkelenz

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from Grokipedia

Erkelenz is a town and the largest municipality in the Heinsberg district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the Lower Rhine region approximately 15 kilometers southwest of Mönchengladbach, with a population of 45,315 as of 2024.
The settlement traces its origins to over a millennium of documented history, marked by medieval architecture including the Old Town Hall and St. Lambertus Church, reflecting its role as a historic market town.
Erkelenz serves as a hub for lignite extraction in the Rhineland coalfield, centered on the Garzweiler open-pit mine managed by RWE, where surface mining has necessitated the demolition and resettlement of around 20 villages since the mid-20th century to access coal reserves vital for electricity generation.
These operations have generated economic activity and employment but also drawn criticism for environmental impacts, including substantial carbon emissions and landscape alteration, fueling protests and legal challenges amid Germany's coal phase-out commitments.

Geography

Location and Administrative Divisions

Erkelenz is a municipality in the western part of , situated in the state of within the district. The town's geographic coordinates are approximately 51° 5' N latitude and 6° 19' E longitude. It occupies a position on the northern margin of the Cologne Lowland, roughly 15 kilometers southwest of and near the border with the to the west. As the largest municipality in district by population, Erkelenz covers an area of 117.2 square kilometers. Administratively, it functions as a unitary municipality (Einheitsgemeinde), incorporating the central of Erkelenz and numerous surrounding rural localities known as Ortsteile or Stadtteile. These include Bellinghoven, Berverath, Borschemich, Commerden, Etgenbusch, Fronderath, Genehen, and many others, encompassing a total of about 46 villages and hamlets grouped into nine broader districts. The structure reflects historical amalgamations of former independent communes into the modern municipality.

Landscape and Geology

Erkelenz occupies the northern fringe of the Jülich-Zülpicher Börde within the Embayment, presenting a of flat to gently rolling plains that support fertile agricultural soils. The terrain averages elevations of 80 to 120 meters above , with the Niers originating in the district of Kuckum and draining northward. These deposits, primarily of Pleistocene age, form a plateau that has facilitated but is increasingly modified by anthropogenic features such as excavations. Geologically, the region underlies the Erkelenz Horst, a tectonic uplift block bounded to the southwest by the Rurrand-Sprung fault, which separates it from the subsiding Rur Graben. Subsurface strata include coal measures overlain by Tertiary lignite-bearing sediments of to age, characteristic of the Rhenish lignite district. Surface exposures are dominated by loess and associated paleosols, as evidenced by stratigraphic profiles at sites like Erkelenz-Herzogenrath, where grain size analyses reveal multiple depositional phases linked to paleoenvironmental shifts during the Last Glacial. Lignite extraction, particularly at the adjacent Garzweiler opencast mine, has profoundly reshaped the local and landscape since the mid-20th century, creating vast depressions exceeding 200 meters in depth and relocating villages such as . These operations expose and redistribute older sediments, while post-mining reclamation efforts aim to restore contours approximating the original . The structural configuration of the Erkelenz Horst has concentrated minable seams, driving but posing ongoing challenges to hydrological and in the embayment.

Climate

Erkelenz has a (Köppen Cfb), featuring mild without extreme seasonal variations and throughout the year. The annual mean is 10.8 °C, with summers mild and winters cool but rarely severe. Average monthly high temperatures range from 5.6 °C in to 23.3 °C in , while lows vary from 0.6 °C in and to 13.9 °C in . Snowfall occurs infrequently, typically limited to a few light events in winter months, with minimal accumulation. Annual precipitation totals approximately 800–834 mm, distributed fairly evenly but with peaks in summer (e.g., June averages 53 mm) and winter (e.g., December around 51 mm). The region experiences about 140–142 rainy days per year, influenced by its proximity to the North Sea and westerly winds.

Demographics

The population of Erkelenz grew substantially from the late onward, driven primarily by employment in the expanding mining sector and associated industrial activities in the Rhenish district, which drew migrant workers and supported suburban development. By the , the town had reached approximately 40,000 residents, reflecting post-war industrialization and territorial expansions that incorporated surrounding mining communities.
YearPopulation
199239,900
199742,788
200243,728
200744,781
201242,901
201743,392
202244,215
A temporary dip occurred around 2012, potentially linked to early relocations from villages affected by expansions, such as Immerath, though the overall trend rebounded with net inflows from resettlements and regional migration. As of December 31, 2024, the stood at 45,315, marking continued modest growth despite the ongoing phase-out of mining. Projections from state demographic models anticipate a gradual decline to around 41,233 by 2050, attributed to an aging and lower birth rates outpacing migration gains.

Ethnic and Social Composition

As of the 2022 , 92.2% of Erkelenz's residents held German , with the remaining 7.8% comprising foreign nationals totaling approximately 3,460 individuals. This foreign population reflects patterns typical of former industrial towns in , including guest workers from , , and drawn to mining in the mid-20th century, though recent data lacks a detailed nationality breakdown. Socially, the town's household structure includes 35.4% single-person households out of 20,295 total households reported in the census. Erkelenz's socioeconomic profile is shaped by its mining heritage, with a historically working-class base transitioning amid the phase-out of lignite extraction; employment data indicate modest shares in agriculture (under 2%) and manufacturing, alongside services. The median age stands at around 44.5 years, with a balanced gender distribution of 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

History

Prehistory and Early Settlement

Archaeological evidence indicates that the Erkelenz area was first settled during the Early period by communities of the (LBK), which flourished from approximately 5300 to 4900 BC in the region. A key discovery supporting this is a wooden well unearthed at Erkelenz-Kückhoven, radiocarbon dated to around 5090 BC, constructed using split timbers in a block-lined that demonstrates sophisticated Neolithic capabilities. This structure, preserved due to waterlogging, ranks among the earliest known wooden constructions in and reflects the LBK settlers' adaptation to the soils of the Aldenhovener Platte for agriculture and water management. The Kückhoven settlement likely functioned as a dispersed farmstead cluster, with evidence of lithic production and resource distribution networks linking it to broader LBK economies. Later Neolithic occupation is attested in the district of Katzem, where excavations have yielded artifacts associated with the , dating to circa 4400–3500 BC. These finds, including and tools, indicate continued human presence in the region during the Middle Neolithic, potentially involving enclosure sites and diversified subsistence strategies amid shifting environmental conditions. While and evidence remains limited and not extensively documented for Erkelenz specifically, the area's proximity to major trade routes suggests intermittent use, though without dense settlements. Roman-era activity is sparsely represented, with isolated graves discovered in the Commerden district pointing to peripheral rural occupation rather than urban centers, consistent with the hinterland character of the plain. The place name Erkelenz may trace to a Roman predecessor, Herculentius or Herculentiacum, implying some continuity of nomenclature if not settlement density into post-Roman times. However, no archaeological proof exists for unbroken habitation from Roman to early medieval Frankish phases, marking a potential gap before formalized early medieval foundations.

Medieval Foundations and Town Development

The earliest documented reference to Erkelenz dates to 17 January 966, when Emperor Otto I granted the settlement, recorded as "Herclinze," to the chapter in a donation charter. This mention indicates an established community under ecclesiastical lordship, with the name likely deriving from the Roman-era "Herculentius," evolving to forms such as "Herculentiacum" and later "Erkelenze" by 1118. Erkelenz received its town charter in 1326 from Count Reinald II of Guelders, marking the formal transition to urban status despite opposition from the provost and chapter. The charter's original document is lost, but archival records preserve its privileges, which included elements typical of Low Rhenish towns. By this period, the town had come under the influence of the Counts of Guelders, to whose lordship it belonged from at least the 12th century onward. Town development accelerated post-charter due to Erkelenz's strategic position at the intersection of major trade routes, including those linking to and to , fostering commerce in and regional exchange. Defensive structures emerged as integral to urban expansion; the Burg Erkelenz, serving as the ducal residence and integrated into the fortifications, was first explicitly documented in 1377, though likely predating the town rights. The encircling city walls, constructed in the medieval period, enclosed key institutions like St. Lambertus Church, underscoring the settlement's consolidation as a fortified market center amid feudal rivalries in the .

Early Modern Period

In the , Erkelenz experienced relative prosperity as part of the Duchy of Jülich-Cleves-Berg under Duke Wilhelm V (known as the Rich), who ruled from 1539 to 1592 and fostered economic stability through trade and agriculture in the . The city's fortifications, initiated in the medieval period, were completed during this era, enhancing its defensive capabilities amid shifting territorial allegiances following the (1538–1543), in which Jülich-Cleves contested imperial claims under Charles V. Local chronicler Mathias Baux, serving as mayor in 1560–1561, documented municipal administration and urban life, highlighting a structured governance with a focus on communal welfare, including market regulations and guild activities centered on linen production. Reformatory ideas spread in the surrounding areas during the mid-16th century, but Erkelenz maintained its Catholic character, with episcopal authorities rejecting Protestant-leaning candidates, such as in a 1602 parish election under Bishop Hendrik van Cuyck. This adherence persisted under the last duke, Johann Wilhelm (r. 1592–1609), whose childless death on March 25, 1609, triggered the Jülich-Cleves-Berg inheritance dispute between and the , escalating into armed conflict from 1610. A notable skirmish occurred in Erkelenz on May 10, 1610, involving imperial and rival forces vying for control of territories, with local accounts attributing tactical advantages to provisions like Erkelenz beer sustaining troops. The 1614 partition treaty awarded the Duchy of Jülich, including Erkelenz, to the Catholic Palatinate-Neuburg line, solidifying its religious and political alignment amid the prelude to the Thirty Years' War. Witch persecutions, reflective of early modern anxieties, were limited locally, with only six documented trials in Erkelenz and environs during the 16th and 17th centuries, resulting in a single execution—far fewer than in neighboring areas—due to restrained communal and ecclesiastical oversight. By the late 17th century, the town functioned as a regional administrative center under Palatinate rule, with ongoing agricultural focus and minimal industrialization until later periods.

Industrialization and Lignite Mining Boom

The industrialization of Erkelenz began modestly in the early 19th century, transitioning from agriculture and small crafts to mechanized production. Initial efforts included small-scale manufacturing from around 1825, bolstered by the town's connection to the Aachen–Mönchengladbach railway line in 1852, which enhanced access to markets and raw materials. This infrastructure development facilitated the introduction of mechanical weaving looms for cloth production, with the Rockstoff factory established in 1854 to process textiles, later expanding to its current site by 1878. By the late , Erkelenz saw the rise of larger industrial establishments, including two major factories that emerged toward the century's end, diversifying beyond textiles into other sectors. These developments aligned with broader regional trends in the , where rail expansion and mechanization drove factory growth, though Erkelenz's scale remained smaller compared to nearby textile hubs like . Brick production also gained prominence, leveraging local and deposits, with operations continuing into the mid-20th century. The lignite mining boom profoundly shaped Erkelenz's economy in the 20th century, as the town lies in the northern Rhenish lignite district (Rheinisches Braunkohlerevier). Small-scale lignite extraction dated to the 19th century, but industrial opencast mining accelerated from around 1900, driven by demand for fuel in electricity generation. Early 20th-century advancements, including large power stations like Frimmersdorf (commissioned 1926), relied on nearby deposits, with mining fields such as Frimmersdorf-West and Frimmersdorf-Süd initiating operations in the 1950s to support post-war reconstruction. These fields later merged into the Garzweiler mine in 1983, exemplifying the scale-up. Production peaked in the during the –1980s, with annual output exceeding 90 million tons by , employing thousands regionally through companies like RWE's predecessor Rheinbraun. In Erkelenz, the boom brought economic prosperity via mining-related jobs and infrastructure but also environmental challenges and village relocations, as opencast operations expanded into the . This period underscored lignite's role as a low-cost energy source fueling Germany's industrial recovery, though it intensified debates over long-term sustainability.

World Wars and Nazi Era

During the First World War, Erkelenz experienced economic disruptions from military conscriptions and the prioritization of for troop movements and supplies, limiting goods and shipments from local mines. Following the on November 11, 1918, Belgian occupation troops arrived in the town on the evening of December 2, 1918, initially detaining local notables as hostages to secure compliance. The occupation by Belgian and French forces, part of the Allied control over the , imposed restrictions and repressions on the population, including requisitions and curfews, fostering resentment that persisted until the troops' withdrawal in the mid-1920s. At least one local Jewish soldier from Erkelenz, Albert Leyens, serving in the 4th 25, was on April 4, 1915. The Nazi seizure of power extended to Erkelenz shortly after January 30, 1933, with National Socialists assuming control of local administration and suppressing opposition, including the dissolution of trade unions in May 1933, which dismantled workers' organizations and redirected labor toward party-aligned groups. In July 1933, a was established at the district courthouse to enforce policies, including forced sterilizations under the Reich's laws. Mid-1930s initiatives included the formation of an NS Culture Community to promote Nazi ideology through cultural and activities, while Jewish residents faced escalating , culminating in deportations documented by 23 Stolpersteine in the town center commemorating victims. Local figures like Jakob Herle, active in administration, have been scrutinized for potential involvement in Nazi-era crimes, though archival evidence remains limited. As the Second World War intensified, Erkelenz was ordered evacuated on September 14, 1944, in anticipation of the advancing Western Allies, displacing much of the population eastward. A major bombing raid by Allied aircraft on February 23, 1945, devastated the inner city, reducing historic structures to rubble and causing significant civilian hardship amid resource shortages. forces from the Division of the entered and captured the town on February 26, 1945, after brief resistance from German defenders, marking the effective end of hostilities in Erkelenz. The surrounding district fell fully under Allied control by late 1945.

Post-War Reconstruction

Erkelenz sustained extensive damage during , primarily from Allied air raids and the ground offensive leading to its capture by the 102nd Infantry Division of the Ninth Army on 26 February 1945. The town center was reduced to rubble, with numerous buildings destroyed or severely compromised, including parts of the historic St. Lambertus Church, whose Gothic nave was lost to bombing. Casualties in the Erkelenz district totaled over 1,300 dead and nearly 1,000 wounded, reflecting the intensity of the fighting in the region during and the subsequent advance toward the . Reconstruction efforts began in earnest immediately after the war's end on 8 , under Allied occupation and the challenges of material scarcity, rationing, and labor shortages. Local inhabitants, often women organized in clearing brigades similar to the national "Trümmerfrauen" initiative, manually sorted and removed debris from streets and sites using basic tools and carts, enabling the salvage of reusable bricks and stones. Priority was given to restoring critical public structures: the town hall, schools, churches, and residential-commercial were repaired or rebuilt between 1945 and the early 1950s, with provisional measures like emergency housing supplementing formal reconstruction amid limited resources in 1945–1946. The St. Lambertus Church saw rapid post-war repairs to its surviving elements, allowing partial functionality soon after liberation. Economic recovery accelerated with the influx of displaced persons and expellees from eastern territories, repopulating the town from its near-evacuation state—where only about 25 residents remained by late —and providing workforce for and industry. , a pre-war staple in the Rhenish coalfield surrounding Erkelenz, resumed and expanded in the late and 1950s, fueling power generation critical to West Germany's ; local pits contributed to national output growth, with production in the district rising from wartime lows to support industrial rebuilding and energy needs. This resurgence, alongside federal aid and currency reform in 1948, underpinned housing expansion and infrastructure modernization, transforming Erkelenz from wartime devastation to a growing commuter and extractive economy hub by the mid-1950s.

Late 20th to Early 21st Century Developments

During the late 20th century, Erkelenz's economy remained heavily dependent on within the Rhenish Brown Coal District, where operations by Power provided significant employment and contributed to regional energy production. The town's stabilized around 42,500 by 1990, reflecting sustained growth from industrial activities but limited further expansion amid broader economic shifts in . In the 1990s, planning advanced for the Garzweiler II opencast mine expansion, critical for extending extraction towards Erkelenz. The Committee approved the Garzweiler II plan on December 20, 1994, followed by official framework operating plan approval on December 22, 1997, enabling progression despite environmental opposition. in the 48 km² Garzweiler II sector commenced in 2006, intensifying landscape alteration and foreshadowing community displacements. Into the early 21st century, the expansion necessitated relocating Erkelenz districts, including Immerath starting in 2006 and Pesch from 2010, with residents resettled to new villages like Immerath-Neu to accommodate the mine's advance. These moves, affecting historic sites such as St. Lambertus Church in Immerath demolished in 2018, underscored the trade-offs of prioritizing baseload power generation over preserved settlements, even as national debates on coal's role intensified. resistance grew, yet mining sustained economic vitality until phase-out discussions gained traction post-2010.

Recent Events and Mining Phase-Out (2000s–2025)

The 2000s saw continued expansion of lignite mining operations in Erkelenz, particularly with the advancement of the Garzweiler II surface mine, which began excavation in 2006 and necessitated the relocation of villages such as Immerath, where residents progressively evacuated their homes starting in the early 2000s, with the last leaving by 2017. This expansion, operated by RWE, involved the displacement of thousands of residents across the region to accommodate the growing open-pit operations, which reached depths below groundwater levels requiring continuous dewatering. Throughout the 2010s, mining activities intensified amid Germany's , with temporary increases in use following the 2011 nuclear phase-out, though environmental opposition grew, including against village demolitions and ecosystem destruction. Relocations continued, with villages like Keyenberg granted reprieves until 2026 for resettlement to enable further mine growth. In 2022–2023, the hamlet of in Erkelenz became a focal point of contention, as activists occupied the site to its clearance for ; police evictions culminated in January 2023, with notable involvement from figures like , amid clashes that drew thousands of demonstrators. The phase-out of mining accelerated in the early 2020s following Germany's 2019 coal commission recommendation for a national exit by 2038, but committed to halting production at Garzweiler by 2030 as part of a 2022 agreement with authorities, sparing five villages and three farmsteads while allowing Lützerath's demolition. This timeline included short-term expansions, such as the 2023 dismantling of operational wind turbines to access additional reserves before closure. By 2030, plans to cease extraction at the site, transitioning the pit into a reservoir lake through controlled flooding to stabilize and support regional , with recultivation efforts projected over decades. As of 2025, operations persist under the accelerated exit framework, balancing needs amid geopolitical pressures like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which prompted temporary plant reactivations elsewhere but reinforced long-term commitments.

Economy

Agriculture and Traditional Sectors

remains a foundational sector in Erkelenz, historically shaping the local economy through arable farming on fertile soils. As of December 31, 2022, constitutes 7,911 hectares, representing 67.4% of the municipality's total area of 11,734 hectares. This dominance reflects the region's suitability for crop production, supported by a conducive to high yields. Arable farming predominates, accounting for 69% of agricultural operations, with fodder production at 12% and mixed plant-animal systems at 10%. Key crops include (46% of cultivated area), sugar beets (24%), (9%), and potatoes (7%), alongside such as strawberries and . Farms often integrate sustainable practices and , producing regional specialties like fresh potatoes and for local consumption. The sector sustains significant employment, with approximately one in eight local jobs linked to , even as has historically overshadowed it economically. Traditional activities extend to processing and food industries, bolstering the amid structural shifts from . Challenges include variability, as evidenced by below-average harvests in due to conditions.

Lignite Mining and Energy Production

Erkelenz is situated in the Rhenish mining district, where open-cast extraction of has historically driven local economic activity through direct employment and supply to energy infrastructure. The adjacent Garzweiler mine, managed by , represents one of Europe's largest such operations, covering approximately 3,200 hectares currently with plans for expansion before closure. Annual output at Garzweiler reached an estimated 20 million tonnes in 2023, down from prior levels of 20-25 million tonnes amid production adjustments. Lignite extracted from Garzweiler is conveyed directly to nearby power stations, including Neurath and Frimmersdorf, enabling efficient production for the national grid. Neurath features -fired units with a total capacity exceeding 2,200 MW, while Frimmersdorf historically operated at up to 2,413 MW across multiple blocks, though several have been retired progressively since the early . These facilities have supplied baseload power, with the broader Rhenish plants collectively offering over 8 GW of lignite-based generation as of recent assessments. Germany's policy mandates the end of in the by 2030, aligning with national targets to eliminate coal power by 2038 at the latest. RWE has committed to halting operations at Garzweiler accordingly, with additional decommissioning of 2,100 MW of capacity executed in 2024 to comply. This transition poses challenges for Erkelenz's economy, historically reliant on -related jobs, prompting structural shifts toward alternative sectors amid environmental pressures from high CO2 emissions associated with combustion.

Modern Industries and Transition Efforts

Erkelenz hosts a diverse array of modern industries centered on manufacturing, logistics, and services, with significant employment in machinery engineering and related fields. Key sectors include mechanical engineering firms producing specialized equipment, such as rail maintenance technology by Hegenscheidt-Mannis and industrial machinery by MHWirth GmbH and Pneumatech. Plastics processing, glass manufacturing, and packaging solutions are also prominent, exemplified by Koenen Kunststofftechnik GmbH, Erkelenz Glas GmbH, and Mauser Packaging Solutions. Logistics operations thrive in commercial zones like Gewerbegebiet Ost, supporting global supply chains, while recycling initiatives, such as the NCG Plastic Recycling Centre, process industrial waste into reusable materials. The service sector, including healthcare via Hermann-Josef-Krankenhaus, complements these, with over 27% of local economic output from producing industries as of recent assessments. Transition efforts in Erkelenz are driven by the accelerated phase-out in the Rhenish Revier, targeting completion by 2030 instead of 2038, preserving villages like Keyenberg, Kuckum, Oberwestrich, Unterwestrich, and Berverath from . This shift, part of North Rhine-Westphalia's (Strukturwandel) strategy, allocates approximately €14.8 billion regionally for economic diversification, , and repurposing, including potential integration and community revitalization projects. Local initiatives emphasize transforming former -affected areas into sustainable economic hubs, with federal and state commissions guiding job retention and new opportunities in services and technology amid the broader . These measures aim to mitigate job losses—estimated at thousands in —by fostering relocation to areas like Gewerbe- und Industriepark Commerden and enhancing regional connectivity.

Government and Administration

Local Governance Structure

Erkelenz operates under the standard municipal governance framework of North Rhine-Westphalia, featuring a directly elected mayor (Bürgermeister) as the chief executive and a city council (Stadtrat) as the legislative body. The Stadtrat comprises 52 members elected every five years through proportional representation in multiple electoral districts. The council's most recent election took place on September 14, 2025, resulting in representation by six factions: CDU (the largest with the most seats), Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (9 seats), SPD, AfD (newly entering with seats gained), FDP, Bürgerpartei, and Freie Wähler–UWG Erkelenz. The council oversees policy-making, approves budgets, and supervises the administration, meeting regularly in the Rathaus. The executive branch is led by the full-time , Stephan Muckel (CDU), who was re-elected on September 14, 2025, with nearly 70% of the vote in a runoff against challengers including Hans-Josef Dederichs (Grüne). Muckel chairs the Verwaltungsvorstand, the executive board comprising the mayor and three deputies responsible for day-to-day administration. The deputies are Dr. Hans-Heiner Gotzen (first deputy, Dezernat II: personnel, legal, social services, education), Martin Fauck (technical deputy, Dezernat III: technical and infrastructure matters), and Norbert Schmitz (treasurer, Dezernat IV: finance, economy, properties). Muckel oversees Dezernat I, covering citizen services, climate protection, structural change, and economic promotion. The municipal administration is structured into four main departments (Dezernate), each managing specialized offices (Ämter) and referats:
DezernatLeaderKey Responsibilities
IStephan MuckelCitizen bureau, climate protection, structural transformation and , equality office.
IIDr. Hans-Heiner GotzenPersonnel, legal and public order (including civil registry), youth/family/social services, education and sports.
IIIMartin FauckTechnical planning, building, environment, roads, and utilities.
IVNorbert Schmitz, communal , properties, and local auditing.
This decentralized structure facilitates efficient handling of local affairs, including responses to regional challenges like lignite mining phase-out. The and collaborate on decisions, with the Verwaltungsvorstand executing policies while remaining accountable to the Stadtrat.

Mayors and Political History

Erkelenz received its town charter in 1326 from Count Reinald II of Geldern, establishing a municipal structure led by a and that persisted through shifts in overlordship, including to the in 1713 and Prussian control after 1815. Early modern administration focused on local autonomy amid feudal obligations, with mayoral roles emphasizing judicial, fiscal, and defensive duties until 19th-century reforms centralized authority under Prussian bureaucracy. In the late 19th century, Franz Reinkens served as from November 5, 1860, to January 31, 1900, guiding the town's industrialization by integrating the 1852 railway connection, expanding cemeteries in 1864 and 1885, and implementing street naming and in 1898 to modernize . His successor, Bernhard Hahn, held office from February 13, 1900, to June 1, 1916, advancing infrastructure with a municipal in 1903, in 1908, and the founding of a community building association in 1903 to foster housing development. Johannes Spitzlei led from April 26, 1916, to 1932, navigating aftermath and Weimar-era economic strains by elevating the local Progymnasium to a full Gymnasium in 1919, establishing the Westdeutsche Licht- und Kraftwerke utility in 1923, and constructing a sports hall in 1928–1929 alongside a public bath in 1930. Following Ernst de Werth's brief 1932–1933 tenure, National Socialist authorities assumed control in 1933, aligning local governance with regime directives through appointed officials until 1945. Postwar reconstruction featured transitional leadership, including Hermann Künkels and Peter Classen in 1945, amid Allied occupation and efforts. Stability returned with longer-serving mayors, such as Willy Stein (CDU) from 1969 to 1994, who oversaw municipal expansions including library facilities opened in 1988. The 1975 kommunalreform incorporated surrounding municipalities, expanding Erkelenz's administrative scope under continued CDU dominance. Recent mayors reflect conservative continuity: Peter Jansen served from 2004 to 2020, followed by Stephan Muckel (CDU), elected in 2020 and re-elected on September 14, 2025, with approximately 70% of votes in a contest against challengers from the Greens and SPD. The city council comprises six factions, led by CDU as the largest, alongside Greens, SPD, and independents, addressing issues like phase-out and .

International Relations

Erkelenz maintains a single international town twinning partnership with Saint-James, a commune in the department of , . The partnership originated from informal contacts in 1969, when members of the local sports club Sparta Gerderath visited the nearby town of Pontorson, leading to exploratory exchanges that evolved into a formal agreement. Following municipal reorganizations in both regions and a reciprocal visit in 1973, the official "Freundschaftliche Vereinbarung" (Friendly Agreement) was signed on October 12, 1974, by Erkelenz Mayor Willy Stein and Saint-James officials. The partnership emphasizes cultural and educational exchanges, including youth and student programs, reciprocal citizen visits, and collaborative societal events to promote mutual understanding and Franco-German reconciliation in the post-World War II era. These activities are coordinated by the nonprofit Erkelenz International e.V., which organizes events such as joint festivals and supports ongoing dialogue. In 2019, Erkelenz hosted a "Europa bringt uns zusammen" (Europe Brings Us Together) jubilee event funded by the EU's "Europe for Citizens" program, highlighting the partnership's role in . Marking the 50th anniversary in 2024, approximately 360 residents from Erkelenz traveled to Saint-James in June for celebrations, including festive gatherings and reaffirmation of ties, underscoring the enduring commitment despite geographical and cultural differences—Saint-James lies near the Mont Saint-Michel, contrasting Erkelenz's lignite-mining landscape. No other formal international partnerships or significant diplomatic engagements are documented for Erkelenz, reflecting its status as a municipal-level entity focused on local and regional priorities.

Infrastructure and Transport

Road and Rail Networks

Erkelenz benefits from direct access to the Bundesautobahn 46 (A46), a major east-west motorway connecting the to the area, with dedicated exits at Erkelenz-Süd and Erkelenz-Ost providing entry points for local traffic. The A46 intersects with the north-south Bundesautobahn 61 (A61) at the nearby Wanlo interchange, approximately 10 kilometers southeast of the town center, enabling efficient links to , , and international routes toward the and . These motorways support tied to the region's mining and sectors, handling significant volumes of heavy goods vehicles, though ongoing maintenance and expansion projects aim to address congestion and capacity constraints in North Rhine-Westphalia's dense network. Federal roads complement the motorway system, with Bundesstraße 57 (B57) running through Erkelenz and linking it northward to and southward toward , facilitating commuter and regional traffic on a two-lane alignment with speed limits typically at 70-100 km/h. Local road infrastructure includes urban arterials and rural connectors, maintained by the municipality as part of broader initiatives post-mining, emphasizing sustainable mobility and integration with . The rail network centers on Erkelenz station, a category 4 facility under classification, serving hourly regional services on the –Geilenkirchen line. Key connections include the RE4 (Wupper-Express) toward and the Valley, with journey times of about 50-60 minutes to , and the RB33 (Rhein-Niers-Bahn) to Aachen Hauptbahnhof, covering 38 kilometers in roughly 45 minutes. Additional RE services extend eastward to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, integrating Erkelenz into the VRR (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr) tariff zone for seamless regional travel, though the single-track sections limit frequencies and higher-speed options compared to major corridors. Freight lines parallel passenger routes, supporting industrial logistics but facing disruptions from mining relocations in the Garzweiler area.

Public Utilities and Energy Infrastructure

The water supply in Erkelenz is managed by the Kreiswasserwerk Heinsberg GmbH, which draws from groundwater sources via four deep wells and delivers to approximately 135,000 residents across Erkelenz, Hückelhoven, Wegberg, and Wassenberg through a 900 km pipe network serving 45,000 household connections. A new water treatment facility in Mennekrath-Erkelenz, operational since recent expansions, processes 1,025 cubic meters per hour using two oxidators to ensure reliable drinking water provision. Historical centralization began in the early 1900s, with the town's first water tower and distribution system established by 1909 alongside early electricity infrastructure. Electricity distribution falls under the basic supply tariff of NEW Niederrhein Energie und Wasser GmbH, the designated regional provider for Erkelenz, with network operations handled by affiliated entities like NEW Netz for maintenance and expansion of grids supporting photovoltaic integrations. Local tariffs from the basic supplier averaged around 0.46 euros per kWh as of recent market data, though competitive alternatives exist from providers like enercity. The town's initial electricity works, constructed in – opposite the , marked the onset of municipal power generation before integration into broader regional systems. Natural gas supply is similarly provided under NEW Energie's basic , extending to Erkelenz as part of its Niederrhein coverage, with tracing back to a high-pressure gas line from installed in 1923. Emerging energy includes a pioneering hydrogen-based system at Hermann Josef Hospital, where a 100 kW (SOFC) array, comprising ten units, generates electricity and heat from , augmenting an existing combined heat and power plant since 2023 to demonstrate low-carbon alternatives. Sewage treatment is overseen by the city's Abwasserbetrieb, operating the Erkelenz-Mitte purification plant, which processes effluents in compliance with the local Entwässerungssatzung regulating discharge and prohibiting untreated industrial substances. from the facility undergoes thermal disposal to meet waste regulations. Waste management combines municipal and private services, with Drekopf Entsorgung handling collections for residual waste (gray bins), bio-waste (brown bins), paper (blue bins), and bulky items, coordinated via annual calendars covering Erkelenz's districts. The system emphasizes separation and , with additional options for hazardous materials at regional depots.

Culture and Society

Education System

The education system in Erkelenz follows the structure of North Rhine-Westphalia, with compulsory schooling from age 6 to 18, comprising primary education (Grundschule, grades 1–4) and secondary education differentiated by ability and orientation (Hauptschule, Realschule, and Gymnasium). The city serves as the primary school authority, maintaining six Grundschulen across nine locations to serve its approximately 43,000 residents, including schools such as the Astrid-Lindgren-Schule, Franziskus-Schule, and Gemeinschaftsgrundschule. These primary schools emphasize foundational skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and social development, with recent initiatives integrating climate protection education. Secondary education is provided through one (leading to a basic qualification after grade 9 or 10), one Realschule (awarding a mid-level certificate after grade 10), and two Gymnasien preparing students for university via the after grade 12 or 13. The Cusanus-Gymnasium, a certified Europaschule with all-day offerings, enrolls about 1,605 students and 120 teachers, focusing on European themes across subjects and international projects. The Cornelius-Burgh-Gymnasium complements this with its own comprehensive programs. For the 2025/26 school year, the Realschule welcomed 149 new fifth-graders, while the Cornelius-Burgh-Gymnasium admitted 137, reflecting stable enrollment amid regional demographic trends. Vocational and special needs education falls under the Heinsberg district, which operates a Berufskolleg in Erkelenz for apprenticeships and technical training, alongside a school and a Förderschule for learning support. Inclusive measures ensure students with access general s where feasible, supported by dedicated resources. No higher education institutions are located in Erkelenz, with students typically pursuing studies in nearby cities like or Düsseldorf.

Cultural Heritage and Symbols

The of Erkelenz is divided per pale into blue and silver, featuring in the upper field a striding, double-tailed golden lion with red tongue and claws, derived from the arms of the , and in the lower field a blue abbatial crosier terminating in a lily, referencing historical influence from the Abbey of Rolduc. This design in its present form originated in the , building on earlier seals and grants tracing to the Dukes of Guelders in the medieval period. The arms were officially approved by the President of the Government of on September 3, 1973. Erkelenz's , granted by the same authority on , 1972, consists of a 3:5 armorial banner displaying the municipal on a field divided horizontally into blue over white stripes. The town's cultural heritage encompasses 313 protected architectural monuments and 166 archaeological sites as documented in the official register as of June 2023, reflecting layers from prehistoric settlements to medieval fortifications. Evidence of Bandkeramik culture habitation dates to 5300–4900 BCE, evidenced by a well excavation near the city center. Key structures include Burg Erkelenz, a over 600 years old serving as a and event venue, and the remnants of the medieval city walls. Local traditions preserve this heritage through organizations like the St. Sebastianus Schützenbruderschaft Keyenberg, established in 1449, which upholds marksmanship customs integral to regional identity. Annual events such as the Lambertusmarkt continue medieval market practices, fostering communal ties to historical practices.

Notable Buildings and Museums

The Altes Rathaus, constructed from 1545 to 1546 in late Gothic brick architecture after a devastating city fire on 21 June 1540 destroyed its predecessor, exemplifies the burghers' civic pride and serves as a central on the Erkelenzer Markt. Today, the restored building hosts municipal council sessions, concerts, exhibitions, and receptions. St. Lambertus Church, originating from an 11th-century Frankish hall church and rebuilt in Gothic style, features a prominent 83-meter tower erected starting in 1458 in the Flemish-Brabanter style, making it a defining element of the town's . Burg Erkelenz, first recorded in 1377 as a fortified residence of the Duke of Geldern, integrates into the medieval city defenses and represents early noble in the region, though largely reduced to remnants following later demolitions. Remains of the Stadtmauer, part of the 14th- to 15th-century fortifications, persist in the historic core, underscoring Erkelenz's defensive past before partial dismantling in the early . The Rheinisches Feuerwehrmuseum in the Lövenich district, opened in in a monument-protected former factory, exhibits historical equipment and techniques drawn from the collection of local enthusiast Peter Höpgens, offering insights into regional fire service evolution. It operates weekends from 11:00 to 17:00 on Sundays and 14:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays. Haus Spiess functions as a gallery for rotating exhibitions of contemporary art, contributing to the town's cultural offerings within its historic framework.

Famous Residents

Erkelenz has been the birthplace of several individuals who achieved recognition in sports, film, and religion. Lewis Holtby, born on 18 September 1990 in Erkelenz, is a professional footballer who rose through the youth ranks of VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04, later playing for Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, and Hamburger SV, earning 3 caps for the German national team. Burhan Qurbani, born on 15 November 1980 in Erkelenz to Afghan refugee parents, is a whose works include the 2020 adaptation of , which premiered at the and received acclaim for its modern take on the classic novel. Lutz Mommartz, born on 6 March 1934 in Erkelenz, was a pioneering experimental filmmaker known for contributions to "other cinema," beginning with 16mm films in 1967 while working in local government; his works include Anziehen (1968) and he later taught film at the . Leo Heinrichs, born Joseph Heinrichs on 15 August 1867 in Oestrich (now part of Erkelenz), was a who served and was murdered on 23 February 1908 in Denver, Colorado; his cause for as a was opened in 1938, recognizing his devotion to the and service to immigrants. Josef Lennartz (1868–1943), a lifelong resident of Erkelenz, was a landscape painter specializing in oil and watercolor depictions of local scenes, as well as a local historian awarded the Rheinlandtaler in 2011 for his research on 19th-century elementary schools in the area.

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