Was it truly a gift for the people? The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park in Essen stands before us. It is a testament to a bygone era. This park, a green lung in the district of Altenessen-Süd, offers a space for recreation. It spans approximately ten hectares.
In 1897, the park was inaugurated. It marked the 100th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I. This was a period of “Arbeiter-Fürsorge” or workers’ welfare. The park was expressly created for the relaxation of people. These people lived in a heavily industrialized area.
The grounds for the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park were acquired from farmers. Their names were Westerdorff and Holbeck. The municipality paid them 58,000 Marks for the land. Johann Heinrich Spindelmann donated additional land in 1898. The construction of the park cost an additional 27,500 Marks.
Fritz Gude, a garden architect from Düsseldorf, designed the park. His design included a pond with a fountain. It also included a poultry house, gravel paths and footbridges. The largest employers of the time financed the park’s maintenance. These were the Bergbau-Verein Neu-Essen and the Kölner Bergwerks-Verein. They ensured a gardener was employed. They also built a nursery and a greenhouse.
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park opened on March 21, 1897. However, construction continued into the autumn. The park received its name through a Reichskabinettsorder. Not every institution could simply be named after the Kaiser. An imperial oak was planted at the opening. Due to the emergency in the Second World War, it was used as firewood. Later, a new oak was planted in the same place.
From the beginning, the park suffered damage. It had to be fenced in and guarded at night. In September 1902, two people fired several shots at a park guard but missed him. The original Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park comprised today’s northern part.
Since the 1920s, it has extended to Palmbuschweg. Today, bike paths border the park. They follow the routes of former railway lines. These paths serve to access the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park.
A dance hall opened in May 1903. It was built in a country house style. After being destroyed in the Second World War, it was not rebuilt. The remains of the Kaiserbrunnen stand nearby. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1904. Citizen donations of 22,000 Marks financed the fountain. Emil Cauer, a sculptor from Berlin, designed the monument.
A miner and a metalworker stand on a red rock. They represent the most important professions of Altenessen at that time. The bronze relief of Kaiser Wilhelm I is no longer present. The actual fountain basin no longer exists either.
In 1904, the Kahnteich pond was created. Rowboats could be rented. There was also a rose island. Until 1927, there were tennis courts for the wealthy. After repeated silting, the Kahnteich was filled in after the Second World War. This created today’s large open space. The Ententeich pond has been preserved. Its outlines have been slightly altered several times. The adjacent playground has always been used as such.
The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park included animal enclosures. They housed various birds and monkeys. At times, visitors had to pay admission. The municipality began to develop the area into an upscale residential area. Some villas in Stankeitstraße still testify to this.
In the 1980s, the city of Essen purchased the stone group. It was created by the Persian artist Oveis Saheb Djawaher. The artwork shows three basalt lava columns. They hold many small stones in their center. They are surrounded by a circle of other stones.
A memorial was inaugurated on July 21, 2018. It honors Chester Bennington. He was the deceased rock singer of the band Linkin Park. Artists renovated an old pavilion. They decorated its walls with graffiti of the singer.
In 2014, Storm Ela felled 94 trees. 65 trees were replanted. Some areas were intentionally left unplanted. This allowed for sight lines and infiltration possibilities for heavy rain.
The most recent redesign of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park was a project. It involved the city’s Grün und Gruga department. A citizen survey took place in July 2019 regarding ideas for the redesign. Work began in autumn 2020. The minigolf course was removed. The play area was rebuilt. The more than one-hundred-year-old pedestrian tunnel was removed. In June 2022, the park was reopened for its 125th anniversary.
Today, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park continues to serve as a vital green space. It provides recreation and leisure opportunities for the community. It stands as a symbol of the past. It is also a commitment to the well-being of the present and future residents of Essen.