Remember the year 1860. That’s when the story of Langendreer-Alter Bahnhof truly begins. This area in Bochum exemplifies urban expansion during Germany’s industrial boom. It showcases city planning architecture and social history from 1860 to 1918.
Langendreer-Alter Bahnhof stands as a testament to Bochum and the Ruhr area’s past. The city is committed to preserving its unique urban and architectural heritage. A landmark preservation statute protects the district’s key features. This statute took effect on November 19 2018.
The statute safeguards the district’s layout building stock and spatial structure. The original triangular street layout shapes the area. It consists of Ümminger Straße Mansfelder Straße and Alte Bahnhofstraße. This layout formed the district’s original urban framework. A geometric grid of straight streets was added during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This grid defines Langendreer-Alter Bahnhof today.
Langendreer-Alter Bahnhof includes 353 buildings. Most are two to four stories high. These buildings fall into four categories. Some date from 1860 to 1918 and 1920 to 1930. Others from 1860 to 1918 have been significantly altered. There are also post-1945 reconstructions aligning with historical building lines. Finally some post-1945 buildings deviate from these lines.
The district’s streetscapes were designed to be representative. This design is still visible. Urban design elements emphasize corners and sightlines. This creates public spaces with complex spatial arrangements. The towers of the Protestant and Catholic churches define the skyline. They shape the distant view of Langendreer-Alter Bahnhof.
In 1860 the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company opened the first station in Langendreer. It was the temporary end of the line from Witten Central Station. Connections to Dortmund and Duisburg followed in 1862. These lines are now part of Germany’s busiest routes. Also in 1862 a line to Laer opened. Initially it only carried coal from the Dannenbaum mine. Passenger trains started in 1870 after the line extended to Dahlhausen.
The original station was near today’s Langendreer West stop. Freight was prioritized especially access to mines. Passenger traffic was secondary. The station had a large building and freight sheds. A roundhouse with a turntable and water tower was built north of the tracks. The BME built a small shunting yard in 1874 which expanded over the years.
In 1874 the Rhenish Railway Company opened another station. It was east of the BME station near today’s Kulturzentrum Bahnhof Langendreer. This six-track station was on the Bochum Nord to Dortmund Süd line. Competition between the railway companies was fierce.
Both companies became state-owned in 1879 and 1880. The stations were renamed Langendreer Süd and Langendreer Nord. Increased traffic led to a redesign. Passenger and freight lines were separated.
A new shunting yard was built from 1906 for freight. Six platforms were built for passengers at Langendreer Nord station. The station building finished in 1908 was designed by architect Schlomeyer. It features three Jugendstil structures with vaulted roofs. Its location was controversial. Housing had grown around the old southern station.
Langendreer joined Bochum in 1929. The station became Bochum-Langendreer. The line to Bochum was expanded to four tracks. Langendreer became a Ruhrschnellverkehr stop. The station suffered little damage during World War II.
Coal mining declined in the 1950s. Freight traffic decreased. The western hump yard closed in 1962. Trains were assembled in Bochum-Dahlhausen and Wanne-Eickel. Opel plants in Bochum boosted freight traffic from 1962. A container terminal opened in 1967 but closed in 2000.
Passenger services on branch lines declined in the 1970s. In 1982 Langendreer lost its express train stop. The ticket office closed the next year. Since 1983 the S1 S-Bahn line has run from Bochum through Langendreer to Dortmund. The new S-Bahn line runs south of the freight tracks. The old station is to the north. The passenger station closed with the opening of the new S-Bahn line.
In 1985 an initiative saved the station building from demolition. It became a listed building and was renovated. In 1986 it reopened as the Kulturzentrum Bahnhof-Langendreer. Today this historic area stands as a reminder of Bochum’s dynamic past. Its buildings and streets tell stories of industry innovation and community.