Bottrop


Bottrop is a city in west-central Germany, on the Rhine–Herne Canal, in North Rhine-Westphalia. Located in the Ruhr industrial area, Bottrop adjoins Essen, Oberhausen, Gladbeck, and Dorsten. The city had been a coal-mining and rail center and contains factories producing coal-tar derivatives, chemicals, textiles, and machinery. Bottrop grew as a mining center beginning in the 1860s, was chartered as a city in 1921, and bombed during the Oil Campaign of [World War II]. In 1975, it unified with the neighbouring communities of Gladbeck and Kirchhellen, but Gladbeck left it in 1976, leading to Kirchhellen becoming a district of Bottrop as Bottrop-Kirchhellen. It is also twinned with Blackpool, England.

Boroughs

The total area of the municipal territory is about. The longest north-south distance is, and from west to east. The highest peak within the city's territory is, the lowest one being above sea level.
Bottrop is divided into three boroughs: Bottrop-Mitte, Bottrop-Süd and Bottrop-Kirchhellen, each having a borough representation and a borough ruler.
These boroughs are further subdivided into city parts, partly named after their traditional names, while the newly built parts are only recently named:
  • Bottrop-Mitte: Eigen, Fuhlenbrock, Stadtmitte, and Marktviertel
  • Bottrop-Süd: Batenbrock, Boy, Ebel, Lehmkuhle, Vonderort, Gartenstadt Welheim, and Welheimer Mark
  • Bottrop-Kirchhellen: Ekel, Feldhausen, Grafenwald, Hardinghausen, Holthausen, Im Loh, Kirchhellen, Kuhberg, and Overhagen
For statistical reasons, Bottrop is also divided into statistical boroughs. They are :

Kirchhellen

From 1919 until 1976, Kirchhellen was its own town. Following a communal reorganization reform in 1975, both Kirchhellen and Gladbeck joined the city of Bottrop. This resulted in the nickname "GlaBotKi". Gladbeck left the city in 1976, and became part of the district of Recklinghausen.
Most of Kirchhellen is Catholic. It has three churches, including one Lutheran church.

Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Bottrop is Bernd Tischler of the Social Democratic Party since 2009. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
! colspan=2| Candidate
! Party
! Votes
! %
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 43,493
! 97.5
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 1,114
! 2.5
! colspan=3| Total
! 44,607
! 100.0
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 92,241
! 48.4

City council

The Bottrop city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! ±
! Seats
! ±
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 43,912
! 98.5
!
!
!
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 672
! 1.5
!
!
!
! colspan=2| Total
! 44,584
! 100.0
!
! 58
! 4
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 92,241
! 48.3
! 0.2
!
!

Culture and attractions

Theaters, museums, and buildings

  • Main Post Office, constructed 1921-1923
  • The Quadrat is a museum housing permanent exhibitis on local history and displaying works by Josef Albers and many temporary exhibitions.
  • City Hall is regarded as the emblem of the city.
  • Schloss Beck theme park and castle
  • Villa Dickmann, constructed 1901–1903
  • Alte Apotheke
  • Catholic churches
  • * Heilige Familie
  • * Heilig Kreuz, built 1955–57, windows by Georg Meistermann
  • * Herz Jesu, built 1929
  • * Liebfrauen
  • * St. Antonius
  • * St. Barbara
  • * St. Bonifatius
  • * St. Cyriakus, Propstei, built 1861/62 by Emil von Manger
  • * St. Elisabeth, built 1954
  • * St. Franziskus
  • * St. Johannes Baptist
  • * St. Johannes der Täufer
  • * St. Joseph
  • * St. Ludger
  • * St. Mariä Himmelfahrt
  • * St. Matthias
  • * St. Michael
  • * St. Paul
  • * St. Peter
  • * St. Pius
  • * St. Suitbert, built 1955
  • Protestant churches
  • * Auferstehungskirche
  • * Friedenskirche
  • * Gnadenkirche
  • * Martin-Niemöller-Kirche
  • * Martinskirche, erbaut 1884
  • * Paul-Gerhardt-Kirche
  • * Pauluskirche
  • Malakow-Turm of the coal mine Prosper II
  • Coal Mining Tip Haniel with an open-air theater and the Stations of the Cross designed by Tisa von der Schulenburg and Adolf Radecki and opened in 1995.
  • Saalbau, convention center

Attractions

Periodic events

Religion

  • Catholic: 50%
  • Protestant : 20%
  • Atheist/agnostic: 20%
  • Muslim: 2%

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Bottrop is twinned with: