Rotthausen

What secrets does Rotthausen hold? We’re standing at the edge of a district steeped in history. Rotthausen whispers tales of transformation, from a quaint farming village to a bustling industrial hub. Rotthausen’s story begins around 700 AD. Saxon settlers arrived, followed by the Franks. Three settlements, Scheven, Weindorf, and Rotthausen itself, formed the heart of this community. The name “Rotthausen” comes from “Rothhuson,” meaning a cleared area in the Emschertal valley. This valley was at the edge of the Bochumer Lössporn, a forested area that had been cleared. This area provided a crucial resource for the early settlers: a source of fresh water. Imagine Rotthausen in 1800. It was still a small village with only 45 houses and 350 inhabitants. Life revolved around farming and livestock. The villagers would sell their goods at markets in Essen and Steele. A few craftsmen, like weavers, shoemakers, and carpenters, also plied their trade. Rotthausen’s rural character began to shift with the discovery of coal in 1846 and the arrival of the Cologne-Minden railway in 1847. This marked the start of industrialization. A passenger station was added in 1876, later becoming a freight station. By 1906, Rotthausen was a municipality in its own right. It became part of Gelsenkirchen in 1923. This integration into a larger city cemented its destiny as an industrial powerhouse. The Zeche Dahlbusch colliery, established in 1848, became a key part of Rotthausen’s identity, yet tragedy struck this colliery multiple times. Major mining accidents in 1943, 1950, and 1955 left many dead. Memorials in the Rotthausen cemetery stand as somber reminders of these events. Yet, a glimmer of hope shone through the darkness. In 1955, the Dahlbusch bomb rescued three miners trapped underground. This innovative device, a testament to human ingenuity, brought a moment of triumph amidst sorrow. Rotthausen even touched the sky. The Essen-Gelsenkirchen-Rotthausen airfield, opened in 1912, became a hub for aviation, with Lufthansa flights and the Kondor Flugzeugwerke aircraft factory. The famed pilot and instructor Bruno Werntgen trained aspiring aviators here. Today, Rotthausen is a blend of old and new. While the last farmhouse was demolished in 1977, the spirit of the past lives on. Rotthausen’s coat of arms, with its ploughshare, half-timbered house, and saltires, symbolizes its agricultural roots and historical significance. Rotthausen, a place where industry met agriculture, tragedy met triumph, and the past continues to shape the present.