Imagine you are transported back to 1150. Annen was first mentioned as a small village named Anadopo. But historians believe Annen is much older. Nearby Salingen had farm settlements in 801. Persebeck had them in 820.
Annen is now Witten-Annen. It is the biggest borough of Witten. Annen became part of Witten in 1929. Before that, Annen was part of Landkreis Hoerde. Today, Annen has about 19000 residents.
Let’s jump to the 19th century. Annen-Wullen was connected to the Hagen-Witten-Dortmund railway in 1848. The railway boosted Annen’s economy. The Langendreer to Löttringhausen railway in 1878 was also crucial. It gave Annen’s mines a direct rail link.
Coal mining’s start in Annen is debated among historians. But deep mines opened in Annen in the mid-19th century. The Hamburg mine in 1851 and Ringeltaube in 1864 brought more people. In 1875, Annen-Wullen had 5643 residents. By 1890, it had 8342. Many men worked in heavy industry. Besides mining, glassworks and brick factories arose. In 1870, the F. Asthöwer & Co. steelworks opened. Krupp took it over in 1886. The Annener Gussstahlwerk opened in 1873.
The 20th century brought challenges. Many small mines closed in the Ruhr valley. Annen’s big mines declined as mining shifted north. Mining companies moved production to more profitable mines.
In November 1906, the Roburit explosives factory exploded near Annen. Forty-one people died. Annen suffered more damage than Witten because of the terrain. Property damage reached 2.5 million marks. No state aid was given. Donations covered only a sixth of the damage.
After World War I, Annen’s economy worsened. All coal mines closed. Fried. Krupp AG sold its Annen factory. In 1922, Rüdinghausen merged with Annen. This increased tax revenue. But Annen lacked city rights. It was only a matter of time before Annen lost its independence. In 1929, Annen became part of Witten.
During World War II, Allied bombs heavily damaged Annen, especially near the armaments factory. From September 1944 to March 1945, the Annener Gussstahlwerk had a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. The men in the camp were forced to work. Today, a small memorial marks the camp’s site.
After the war, housing was built for British soldiers from Dortmund. When the barracks closed in the early 1990s, the British houses were sold.
Today, Annen is Witten’s biggest borough. About 18300 people live here. The city moved its technical town hall to the Wickmann-Werke building. The JobAgentur-EN is in the Ostermann company’s main building. A library branch and QuaBeD are also there.
Annen boasts several landmarks. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Josef was built in stages. The first stage was from 1880 to 1881. The second was from 1903 to 1904. The Protestant Erlöserkirche was completed in 1874. The sculpture of the market woman stands in the Annener Marktplatz. The Georg-Hotel features organic architecture.
For recreation, you can cycle the “Rheinischer Esel” path. The Steinbruch Imberg is a youth hangout.
Annen has many sports clubs. There is the Sport-Union Annen with facilities for various sports. Also VfB Annen and DJK Blau Weiss Annen. The Annener Freibad is on the site of the former Steinbachtalsperre. The Freibad was built by unemployed people. It opened on August 19 1928. A special stamp honors the pool’s shape.
Annen has seen many changes. It evolved from a small village to an industrial center. Now, it is a vibrant part of Witten. It has a rich history. Annen’s story reflects the broader history of the Ruhr region.