Recklinghausen

Recklinghausen is a city in Germany. It is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. The city borders the rural Münsterland and has large fields and farms in the north, while the south is more industrial. Recklinghausen is the 60th-largest city in Germany and the 22nd-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia.

History

Seventeenth-century Recklinghausen

Recklinghausen was first mentioned in the year 1017. By 1236, it had earned the right to be called a town. Over the years, it changed hands many times and faced tough times during wars.

During its history, Recklinghausen had many trials related to old beliefs about magic and spells. In World War II, the city was bombed because it had important oil supplies. Later, it was taken over by soldiers from the United States.

Main sights

Icon museum of Recklinghausen

Recklinghausen has a special museum for icons. It holds over 1,000 important pieces from Russia, Greece, and the Balkan countries, plus early Coptic Christian art from Egypt. This museum, the largest of its kind outside these areas, began in 1956 and reopened after updates in February 2006 to celebrate its 50th year.

The Ruhrfestspielhaus (Ruhr Festival Theatre) was remodeled in 2001 and received a German Architecture Award. Inside, you can see "Die Liegende Nr 5," a well-known sculpture by Henry Moore. At the Lohtor, in front of a memorial for those who suffered in World War I, stands a huge sculpture made from over 30,000 bricks created by Per Kirkeby.

Annual events

Recklinghausen holds a big cultural event called the Ruhrfestspiele, known all over the world. Every year, starting on May 1st, there are many plays and shows from different countries. In 2008, a famous play called Speed the Plow featured well-known actors Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum. The main stage for these performances is the Ruhrfestspielhaus, but theatres nearby also join in the fun.

Transport

Recklinghausen has two major roads called motorways: the A2 and the A43. The city is linked to bigger water paths by the Rhein-Herne-Kanal. There are two train stations in Recklinghausen. The main one, called the Central Station (Recklinghausen Hauptbahnhof), has fast trains like Intercity and EuroCity services. The other station is the South Station (Recklinghausen Südbahnhof).

The city also has two train lines that are part of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn. One line, S 2, goes to Dortmund through Herne and Castrop-Rauxel. The other line, S 9, goes to Hagen through Gladbeck, Bottrop, Essen, Velbert, and Wuppertal.

Politics

Mayor

Axel Tschersich is the current mayor of Recklinghausen. He belongs to the Social Democratic Party. The last mayoral election took place on 14 September 2025.

City council

The Recklinghausen city council works together with the mayor to guide the city. The most recent city council election happened on 13 September 2020.

Twin towns – sister cities

Recklinghausen has friendly connections with several cities around the world. These include:

Acre, Israel
Bytom, Poland
Dordrecht, Netherlands
Douai, France
Preston, England, United Kingdom
Schmalkalden, Germany

Notable people

Recklinghausen has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some well-known figures include:

Louis Engelbert, 6th Duke of Arenberg (1750–1820), a prince of Recklinghausen
Prosper Louis, 7th Duke of Arenberg (1785–1861), the second prince of Recklinghausen
Erich Bödeker (1904–1971), an artist
Walter Giller (1927–2011), an actor
Karl Ridderbusch (1932–1997), an opera singer
Ursula Dirichs (born 1935), an actress
Rosemarie Koczy (1939–2007), an artist and teacher who survived a difficult time in history
Klaus Schulten (1947–2016), a scientist who studied living things
Renate Künast (born 1955), a politician with Alliance 90/The Greens
Ralf Möller (born 1959), an actor
Ludger Pistor (born 1959), an actor
Hape Kerkeling (born 1964), a comedian and writer
Steffen Brand (born 1965), a runner
Martin Max (born 1968), a footballer
Mark Dragunski (born 1970), a handball player
Moguai (born 1973), a DJ and music producer
Frank Busemann (born 1975), an athlete who competed in ten events
Thomas Godoj (born 1978), a singer from Poland and Germany who won Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Nina Jazy (born 2005), a swimmer
Ayliva (born 1998), a singer