The history of Ratingen

3000 years before Chr.

First hints of settlement in Ratingen

before 849

First mention of Ratingen in a set of documents from the Benedictine's monastery in Werden.

8th - 9th century

Excavations show that already in the 8th to 9th century a Karolingian stone church had existed where now stands the church of St. Peter and Paul. Additional information about the history of this church is available at the official Web site of Ratingen.

circa 1150

Second building respectively enlarged and oriented the church towards that of a Romanesque basilica. From this period the two eastern towers were kept until today.

December 11, 1276

Ratingen is granted the status of city by Count von Berg.

1280 - 1300

The church of St. Peter and Paul was enlarged towards the eastern direction. The old romanic part was replaced by the current gothic hall church.

about 1300

Building of the castle "Haus zum Haus" for defence purposes.

1439 - 1479

The wall around Ratingen was extended by using several. The towers, 'Dicke Turm' ("the big tower"), the Kornsturm (both built in 1460) and the 'Trinsenturm' (built in 1474) are still existng today.

1641

Extensive plundering and destruction of the town by imperial forces.

1656

Completion of the Minorites monestary in the street 'Lintorfer Straße'.

1684

Consecration of the evangelical reformed church.

1685

Consecration of the Lutheran church in the street 'Düsseldorfer Straße'.

1779 - 1780

After the destruction of the old Gothic roof in a thunderstorm in the year 1774, the west tower of St. Peter and Paul received a new baroque roof.

1783

Johann Gottfried Brüggelmann builds the cotton spinning-mill 'Cromford' in Ratingen.

1787 - 1790

Building of the mansion 'Cromford'.

1815

The tearing down of the 'Obertor', 'Bechemertor' and 'Düsseldorfer Tor' gates.

1817/18

Building of the synagogue of Ratingen near the street 'Bechemer Straße'.

1856

The evangelical reformed church gets a 33 m high tower.

1897

The tramway between Düsseldorf and Ratingen is put into operation.

1902

The public swimming pool at the river Anger near the castle 'Haus zum Haus' is put into operation.
Construction started on the Ratingen sewerage facility and the clarification plant in the street 'Am Sandbach'.

1909

First electrical light in Ratingen.

1932

After the end of lime and dolomite mining and the rise of ground water, the 'Blauer See' (blue lake) was born.