Recklinghausen -City of a Thousand Icons

Recklinghausen was first mentioned in chronicles in 1017. A thousand years ago, this city was called Ricoldinchuson, but 150 years later people started to call it by its current name. In 1236 Recklinghausen was granted city rights. At that time, the city was part of the Fest County, and later was owned by the archbishops of Cologne. At the end of the XVI century, Recklinghausen appeared in the midst of the Cologne War. It was a religious and peasant uprising caused by the processes of the Reformation in Germany. At the same time the witch hunt spread in the city. In 1581 and 1589 there were mass executions of women suspected of witchcraft in the city. The unfortunate were executed on Mount Segensberg. The name of the last witch executed at that time remained in the annals. Accused of having links with the evil spirit, Anna Spiekermann was executed with a sword after 16 months in prison, and then her body was burned.

After the tense XVI century, Recklinghausen again became a quiet provincial town. In 1821, thanks to the governance reform, it managed to expand its territory significantly. Now it consists of 13 districts! Travellers will enjoy the historic district of Hochlar. This is actually a "city within a city", as Hochlar is older than Recklinghausen itself. It was mentioned still back in the IX century. Mount Segensberg, memorable for executions of witches, is here. But it is best to look at the city from the height of another mountain -Mount Rodelberg. This is an artificially created hill of rubble and stones, emerged from the city affected by the bombings of World War II. The mountain is 124m high. Apart from Hochlar and the artificial hill, the places of interest include the oldest German Museum of Orthodox Icons. It includes over a thousand icons.

The Westphalian cuisine, presented in Recklinghausen restaurants, is also an object of interest for tourists. The Bentheimer pork fillet (Bentheimer-Landschwein-Steak) is the local specialty. Bentheimer spotted pigs are bred in special conditions, so that their meat is served as a delicacy. The well grilled pork steak with parmesan and zucchini can be found in many restaurants of the city. Other must-try dishes of the Westphalian cuisine include mashed potatoes or potato dumplings and fresh or stewed local cabbage (kohl).

The Ruhr Festival (Ruhrfestspiele) is held in Recklinghausen annually. This is one of the biggest cultural events of international repute. It starts on May 1st every year. The Ruhr Festival is attended by theater groups from all over Europe. The event is traditionally held in the Ruhr Festival Opera House (Ruhrfestspielhaus) - the building, which was awarded the German Architecture Prize in 2001. The Defender of the Fatherland Day is another outstanding event in the city’s life. It is held every three years, and its scope clearly distinguishes it from the list of the usual city festivals celebrated in Germany’s cities. Krippenspiel theatre performance, on the New Testament stories, is held at Christmas each year on the main square in Recklinghausen.