Witten-Mitte

Nestled in the Ruhr Valley, Witten-Mitte has been the heart of Witten since its first mention in 1214. Witten-Mitte was initially two distinct settlements: the farming communities of Oberdorf and Unterdorf, and the Schultenhof, the largest farm in the area. While the Schultenhof is only documented from 1375, local historians believe a farm existed on the site centuries earlier. Around this farm, more homesteads appeared in the 14th century. Today, only Schultenhofstraße remains as a reminder of this historical landmark. Witten-Mitte’s rise to prominence is partly thanks to being granted market rights on April 22 or May 2, 1675. This attracted people from the surrounding region, bolstering its growth. When Herbede received similar rights in 1683, Witten, supported by Hattingen, successfully protested, resulting in Herbede losing its market rights in 1689. Facing the Rathausplatz stands the Johanniskirche, the oldest building in Witten-Mitte and a testament to the area’s enduring spirit. Built in 1752 on the foundations of its predecessor, potentially a chapel dating back to the 9th or 10th century, the church became Protestant with the Reformation’s arrival in 1582. Its current appearance reflects an 1845 expansion and post-World War II reconstruction completed in 1952. The iconic Witten Rathaus, with its tower that shapes the Witten-Mitte skyline alongside the Johanniskirche, has a unique story. After using a private house near the marketplace since 1862, Witten finally launched a design competition for a new town hall in 1911. Delayed by World War I, construction began in 1921 but faced further setbacks due to the French occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation. By 1924, the main building was ready, occupied hastily to prevent its seizure by French troops. The tower, a defining feature of Witten-Mitte, was completed in 1926 with a copper sheet finial instead of the planned bronze statue due to financial constraints. This “temporary” solution still graces the tower today. Witten-Mitte’s bustling Bahnhofstraße pedestrian zone and Ruhrstraße form the core of the city’s commercial activity. Yet, while the upper section of Bahnhofstraße thrives, the lower end faces challenges despite the 2004 arrival of Kaufland and the Novum, one of Germany’s largest second-hand stores. The former City-Center, never fully embraced by residents, was replaced by the StadtGalerie shopping mall in 2009. Witten-Mitte is also home to two hospitals, the Marienhospital and the Evangelisches Krankenhaus Witten, formerly known as the Diakonissenhaus.