Eisenheim workers' housing estate

More than 150 years ago, the Eisenheim workers' town, in the district of the same name, was the site of the first development of its kind for the metalworkers of the nearby Gutehoffnungshütte in Oberhausen. With construction starting in 1846, the Eisenheim workers’ town is one of the oldest in Germany. Around 1900, there were already more than 1,200 people living in 51 houses in the mining colony. At the time, it was the norm for two or even four families to be housed under the same roof. After the Second World War, the town was neglected, with numerous buildings being demolished or replaced by new buildings. The town was threatened with complete demolition in the 1970s; however, this was prevented by the spirited commitment of the local population.

A walk back in time

The citizens’ initiative in Eisenheim is legendary to this day. 39 houses were preserved as a result and now have a listed status - this will ensure that the first German workers’ town will remain intact in the future too. There is a museum in the former washhouse of the Eisenheim workers’ town where you can relive the chequered history of the town in sound and images. You get an insight into how life used to be for the mining families in this kind of town.