retro station

The RETRO STATION offers the opportunity to discover the exciting history of the city of Recklinghausen and to embark on a journey through time! In the modern exhibition area, the Institute for City History presents numerous exhibits that are important for the development of Recklinghausen. Starting with finds from the time of the first settlement in the Stone Age, parts of the city wall from 1360 and sculptures from the late Middle Ages, the history of the city up to around 1900 is thematized. The second part of the exhibition is dedicated to the eventful history of mining in Recklinghausen, which only ended in 2001 with the closure of the last colliery. Another focus is on the presentation of Recklinghausen's history in the 20th century, with the NSDAP taking power, the Second World War and the difficult period of reconstruction, during which the Recklinghausen Ruhr Festival also came into being.