Ferienwohnung-Koeln.com presents: Kalk

Kalk is located on the right side of the Rhine, has a population of 23,638 inhabitants and an area of 2.973 km². For centuries, the area around Kalk was only a few farmyards and a pilgrim chapel. In the course of industrialization, the area became a prosperous industrial city. 90% of the district was destroyed during the Second World War. It began a quick reconstruction. At the beginning of the recession in the 1970s works were closed. Since then, structural change has taken place. The proportion of foreigners in lime is very high, leading to a multicultural society. Comparatively, there is a high rate of crime in lime, measured in other parts of the city. Unemployment rates are also very high. Lime is therefore a district with high development requirements. In Kalk, there are residential buildings from the start-up period, tenants from the 1950s and 1960s, administrative buildings and large industrial constructions.

Geographical

In the north of the Kalker Höfe there was a marshy area. To the east, Kalk borders Höhenberg and Vingst. To the south is lime separated by the railway embankment of the right Rhine stretch and borders Humboldt / Gremberg. Deutz forms the western border. To the north is Buchforst the border.

Historical

A donation certificate states that the archbishop Heribert of Cologne 1003 to the abbey Deutz, gave many incomes. One of these benefices was also the court lime. The latter, like the others, had to surrender the tithe to the Abbey of Deutz. Mention is made of Villa Kalka or Calke, a different document. It is assumed that the word Kolk comes from Middle-High German. Another assumption is that the word lime, the building material, means. Perhaps during the Roman period the area was used as a storage place for lime. It could be that the place was used to build Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinesium.

High Middle Ages to Early Modern Times

"Kalker Höff" already existed for agricultural use before overwriting to the abbey Deutz. However, we do not know whether it was one or more courtyards. The St. Severin Abbey in Cologne certainly possessed land ownership in the 13th century. A piece of land was given in 1330 to the married couple Sophie and Heinrich Körngin in hereditary lease. In 1394 the Severinstif received the Hirtzhof from the estate of the knight Johann vamme Hirtze. A captain's court was also mentioned. The Severinstift extended this farm to the Fronhof. In 1626, a Broicher Hof was mentioned. It is assumed that this farm is identical with the Hirtzhof. It is proved that the Stiftshof, Hellingshof and the Knevelshof is the Kapitelshof. Some sources lead the farm differently. The Broicherhof was called in 1673 Wolfskehlhof. For the first time in 1423 the Holy House was mentioned. It stood off the courtyards. The cottage had a painted pieta with the "painful mother gods".

It is assumed that the imagestock served as a place of prayer for inhabitants of the sieving house. The residents of the house fell ill with leprosy. Therefore they were not allowed to enter their home town Deutz because of the risk of infection. These poor people lived on alms, begging for passers-by. During the Swedish war, Kalk was also affected by the Thirty Years' War. There are records of the patriarch Rupertus Hollwegh of 1715. On 20 December 1632, Swedish troops under General Wolf Heinrich von Baudissin devastated the area around Kalk. In 1665 the plague broke out. There were many victims. Lime was spared. The Kalkerkapelle was built with the Marienbild as thanks. The picture of the Virgin is made of wood. He has been credited with healing powers and miracles since then. The chapel became a pilgrimage site. In 1672 the sieving house in the Dutch War was destroyed. In 1703 the chapel was destroyed by a storm. 1704 but newly built. Through the many pilgrimages, a guesthouse "Zum voller Anschlag" was opened. In 1784 there was a natural catastrophe. The Rhine was partially frozen. In the course of this, the ice piled up to a height of three meters. There was a bursting of bollards. Kalk, Poll, and Vingst were flooded. From a report of that time it is clear that the Kalker farms were "under the water". There are no numbers of how many dead people there were or the number of homeless people through the flood.

French time from 1789 to 1815

Austrian and French troops did not stop at Kalk. The area on the right of the Rhine became a battlefield. The Austrians were pushed back to the Bergische Land from 5th to 6th September. Archduke Karl ordered the counter-attack. The conquered area became free again. In the neighboring town of Mülheim the French camped for three months. There were plunderings of the French in the Kalker Höfen. The inhabitants had nothing to laugh about. The Austrians were expelled. From the time there are reports of the times, which say that the courtyards of the advancing troops were plundered several times.

An old chronicle indicates that the wooden figure of the "painful mother gods" was stolen by the French in 1813. Thereupon, the legend says, let the forces of the soldiers follow. The peasant Wiemich observed everything, and was said to have said to Kölsch: "if Se nit wigg, then wothen squeeze, make un et wdddd things, then, bridle, where wher. In Hochdeutsch: If you did not get any further, he would make his maid "Trautchen" a so-called straw bulge and put it on her head, so that she would bring the "thing" back to where it had come. The soldiers returned the figure, which is due to the peasant. 1806 belonged to the Großherzogtumberg. 1808 to the Mairie Deutz. In 1803 the property was secularized by the Severinsstift. The property of the farms fell to the tenants at that time.

Pilgrimage / recreation area Years 1815 to 1850

The farms were privately farmed. So there was no regular pay for the farm workers. The pilgrims to the "painful mother gods" became more and more. Many of the former agricultural workers therefore erected wooden goods along the Pilgerstraße. There they offered coffee, tea and hot water. The families of the Cologne merchants used lime as a recreation area. The weekends were used for picnics in the countryside. There were, however, only simple inns. The distinguished Cologne was not enough. Thus, elegant coffee houses and restaurants were built. There were some nice garden plants, animal walks, aviaries. They wanted to show urban children "rural" cattle. A few well-to-do Cologne buildings in Kalk. Thus, there was a slight population increase until 1843. By 1850, the population rose to 100,000 in Cologne. Around Cologne, storage areas for lime, sand and brick were built. There were also small brickworks. The bricks were put into the sun to dry. The lime farmers offered their fields as a drying area. This was more lucrative for them than to farm the fields. When the construction activity later declined, the fields fell. The fields were sold favorably to Cologne entrepreneurs.

Industrialization Years 1850 to 1867

The first factories were built in the west of Kalker Hauptstraße. In 1856 the machinery factory for the mining industry of Sievers & Co as well as 1858 the chemical factory Vorster & Grüneberg was founded. In 1850, a porcelain factory was built. Until 1900 this remained. In 1862, a gasworks was built to ensure gas supply. There was a large amount of coal in the steam engine. The companies wanted to conserve coal from the nearby environment. In the years 1854 to 1856 Kohlevorkommen was searched for. To the east of Kalk, a brown coal seam was found. It came to a halt. In 1856 the Bergerecht went to Wilhelm Eckardt. However, the groundwater entering the galleries could not be pumped down enough. Thus, lignite mining was impossible. That is why, in 1858, the Sünner brothers bought the colliery. The brewery & distillery Gebrüder Sünner was built. Until 1857, Kalk belonged to the Deutzer Mayor's Office. Later, the mayor's office was divided. The population increased due to industrialization to 1800. A first school was built in lime. Since the area was still popular for recreational purposes, two coffee house owners operated two horse-drawn bus lines in the mid-1860s. On Sundays and holidays, however, many young factory workers had excessive alcohol consumption. The Mayor, Schaurte, then set up a detention center in the back rooms of an inn.

The mayor's office Kalk 1867 to 1880

In 1867 it was renamed to Landbürgermeisterei Kalk. In 1877 a new town hall was built. In the years 1870/1871 a prison of war was built in Kalk. The Franco-German war made this necessary. The war prisoners were supplied by bakers and butcher. A hospital was built for war wounded. The Marienkirche was completed in 1866. There were trade fairs in French. In 1873 many banks became insolvent. Companies had to close. The owners had invested shares in these banks. Taxes were then lost in the Kalker municipality. There were only a few streets with street pavements attached. The rest was unsettled with clay. In heavy rain, wide areas of the place were inaccessible. The effluent water collected with garbage in troughs. It was difficult to protect the soil, because of loamy soils. This unhygiene was removed in 1877 with a Schlinggrube. Also a canal was built. In 1877, a connection to the Mülheim water supply system was added. Since there was no good fire supply for now 9000 inhabitants, the Kalker were supported by the factory fire brigade of the mechanical engineering company Humboldt. In 1877 a volunteer fire brigade was founded. Five calcareouss made themselves strong. With donations, a fire station and equipment was purchased. The Rheinische Bahnhof was opened in 1875. Thus, lime was better achieved. In 1877 a railway line from Deutz to Kalk was also operated.

Kalk from 1881 to 1910

In 1881 Kalk was appointed to the city. In 1888 the Landmeistermeisterei Kalk was dissolved. Mayor Thumb tried to get Vingst together, but failed. The successor of Thumbs was Max Albermann. He remained a mayor until he was incorporated into Cologne.

Coat of arms of Kalk

Kalk had no historical place of worship. Therefore, in 1882, it was decided to design a coat of arms. A heraldic was commissioned. There were designs to represent the pilgrimage chapel on a blue background. On the silver shield foot symbols of the industry were to be shown. However, the drafts did not meet the criteria of the Wappenkriterien. Mayor Thumb presented a draft to the District Council of the District of Cologne for approval. The design came to the Royal Prussian Heralds Office in Berlin. The office in Berlin had corrective proposals. The coat of arms in Berlin was redrawn. The coat of arms was given the following colors: the upper panel was designed in cobalt blue. And had dark blue shades. White was used for the masonry of the chapel. The doors and windows were darker. The roofs were shown in slate. The cross and the weather banner were gilded. The color black was used for the gear, anvil, hammer and fist. Light brick red was used for the wall crown and five crowns. The coat of arms was given on July 20, 1883 by Wilhelm I. to the city of Kalk.

Infrastructure

The main tasks of the city administration were the technical infrastructure and the social infrastructure. After the economic downturn, many job-seeking people from rural areas came into the city. Since not everyone could be supplied with work, many inhabitants were being impoverished. Churches and industrial enterprises supported the city.

Nursing

Since 1864, there have been a number of Franciscan nurses. In 1869 a house was rented. Thus, inpatient care with several illness rooms could be carried out. There was also an urban nursing home on the Hochstraße, which was supervised by the nuns. The last Kalker farmer named Engels, donated 1883 a large property. His daughter was a Franciscan. The Catholic St. Joseph Hospital was built thereafter. In 1896 the hospital had 200 beds. In 1904 it came to the construction of an evangelical hospital with 56 beds.

Care for the poor

In the 19th century there was no state aid. Thus the poor were dependent on the aid of wealthy citizens. Also churches and caring employers helped. In 1874, a poor support organization was already established. This managed a pennilitasse. It was a self-help social security fund, into which the poor could pay pennies. In case of emergency, those concerned received money. From this, school milk was paid for children in need. From 1885 there were organized dairy cures for the poor children. 300 children could be supplied with half a liter of milk and a roll each morning in the autumn holidays. Also walks were made. There were cures for children to Bad Kreuznach. The urban area was subdivided into Armenian areas. Forms had to indicate their circumstances, the number of people and the cause of poverty. Thus, there was a fair distribution of funds. The grants existed for 14 days. There was also a basic medical supply. In 1886 Humboldt established a soup-house. For a small amount of money there was a meal. In 1904, the city replaced this soup-house with an Armenian kitchen. Some companies bought wagonloads of coal and distributed them to the poor in winter. The Catholic orphanage Maria Hilf was founded. Evangelical orphans were provided in neighboring places.

Education

The city of Kalk had six primary schools. As the number of pupils increased, there were some difficulties. The classes consisted of 80 pupils. If this number was exceeded, attachments were made. There were always new children. Thus, the average number of class sizes rose to over 100. Up to 1895, there was a four-class system. Two years of schooling were taught in one class. 1902 and 1906 two new Volksschulen were built. In 1896, a progymnasium for boys was opened. In 1898 a Higher Girls' School was established. In 1884 some industrialists donated 1700 books for the city. The first Volksbücherei in the Rhineland was founded. Four-lime teachers supervised the institution. In 1898 a training school was built. In 1904 it came to the school obligation in this for Kalker apprentices.

Public facilities / transport

Over time, all the streets were paved and new ones were built. 1889/1890 the imperial post office was built in neo-gothic style. In front of the post office, a small park was also built. Kalk wanted to become a garrison site in order to have a further economic footing. The crown prince barracks were built between 1894 and 1896. Predominantly for officers and high officials also beautiful houses were built. The local butcheries did not have good hygienic conditions. This was already complained in 1883. Therefore, an urban slaughterhouse was planned. Only in 1898 was the slaughterhouse opened. In 1900 the Kalker Gaswerk was bought by the city. In 1886, the city received a second passenger station. The old passenger station was shut down. Instead, a marshalling yard was built at the same location. A railway company was also set up. In 1902 there was the first Kleinbahn, which reached Kalker Hauptstraße.

Time of the nationalsocialism

The NSDAP was quickly adopted in some residential areas. In the "red" quarters, the grouping found no appeal and was thrown with paving stones. Many citizens were harassed because of faith, origin, political opinion or homosexuality. In KZs they were partly murdered. The fate of the six-headed Jewish family Katz is documented. Four siblings were killed in concentration camps. The son Max the family worked in the office of the chemical factory Kalk. It was forced into the fertilizer cellar of the factory. The work there was dangerous to health. He fell ill with liver and stomach cancer. He died in 1941. The daughter Johanna Katz survived as the only one. Their non-Jewish husband hid them until the end of the war. The Geschwister-Katz-Straße was named after the family's reminder. 200 lime citizens were killed during the Nazi period.

The Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz plant was the most important company during this time. Tanks and engines for submarines were produced. From 1939, many professional activities were sent to the front. There was personal shortage. Thus, women as well as forced laborers from the occupied territories had to do the work. 1500 forced laborers from Poland were put into operation. They were lodged in barrack camps. The pilgrimage to the limestone chapel was forbidden in 1940. In 1941 the chapel was destroyed by an air bomb. Only the figure of the Virgin remained complete. By the war industry in the place became lime main part of British and American bombers. There were 20 bombings. 90 per cent of the industrial facilities and civilian buildings were badly damaged or completely destroyed. The worst bombing attack took place in the night from 3 July to 4 July 1943. The civilian population was evacuated to rural areas. Towards the end of the war only 300 people lived in lime.

Time after war

After the war, women and children returned to the heavily destroyed lime. The so-called debris women demolished the district. Debris traces were provisionally built. The debris was removed. The result was Trümmerberg. Today still to be seen at the Vingster mountain. The economic recovery was driven by the re-commissioning of industrial plants. The factories were without guidance. Their owners were arrested as conscientious objectors, or they submerged. Thus, operating committees took over the management. Reconstruction was speeded up with the return of most prisoners of war. Bombs damaged houses were quickly rebuilt to create housing for the workers needed. In the time of the economic miracle many shops, restaurants and cinemas were built. At the beginning of the 1960s there was the first immigration of guest workers. Due to the full employment there was no longer enough German workforce. As a result, Kalk developed into a district with a high proportion of migrants.

The 1970s and 1980s

There was a recession in the 1970s. This had serious consequences for the limestone industry and workers. Since 1978, more and more factories have closed.

• In 1978 the metal foundry Peter closed
• 1979 the steel construction company Albert Liesegang
• 1983 saw the bankruptcy of the Gottfried Hagen battery factory in Humboldt
• In 1996, Klöckner Humboldt Deutz AG moved production to the Bavarian town of Lauingen
• In 1993 the factory of the chemical factory Kalk was closed

More than 8500 people lost their jobs. Sales decreased. The old building of the Protestant hospital was replaced in 1989 by a new building. The hospital has many main departments. 1991 saw the construction of a modern stopping point in Trimbornstraße.

Presence

Educational facilities for the public, youth facilities for young people, counseling centers for long-term unemployed people, as well as supervised drug cafes for dependents. There is the initiative of Schäl Sick with the attempt to settle new farms. New buildings with greenery were created. The listed factory buildings of the Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz works were rented.

Population

The proximity to the industry made lime for home building unattractive. Since the 1980s, many calcareous people have moved to neighboring communities. Since traffic connections are very good, direct living at work was no longer necessary. Many of the guest workers remained in lime. As a result, the proportion of foreigners rose from 30.2% in 1985 to 40.9% in 2000. In the former industrial areas, many residential buildings were built.

Religions

There are many nationalities in lime. Therefore there is a great diversity of religions. Most calcareous are Catholics, followed by Protestants. The rest belongs to other religions or are denominational.

Since 1856 the Catholic church community of Kalk is independent. It owns the churches of St. Mary and St. Joseph. There is also the Kalker Chapel. The Italian community of the Cattolica Italiana missions is held in Italian in St. Marien. Since 1918 the monastery of the Poor Clares exists. In 2007 only seven sisters lived here. In 2013, the monastery was abandoned due to lack of young people.

The Evangelical Church community has the Jesus Christ Church. The Weinberg-Gemeinde has an evangelical Freikirche.

Muslim believers have two mosques in Kalk.

In 1928 the New Apostolic Church Community was founded. The Gotteshaus was built in 1951. The church sold the church to the priestly brotherhood of St. Pius X.

Infrastructure and business

The stop Cologne Trimbornstraße is served by the S-Bahn Cologne from Cologne Hbf. To Siegburg as well as overath / Meinerzhagen. There is also a direct connection to the airport Cologne / Bonn. There are two public tram lines and two bus lines.

Individual transport

From the A 559 take the exit Kalk / Poll to Kalk. The B 55a is connected north and west to the motorway junction Cologne-Ost. Since the development is narrow, the secondary roads are designed for the purpose of transport. Bicycle paths are only available in Kalk-Mülheimer Straße and Dillenburger Straße. In addition partly also at the Kalker Hauptstraße as well as the Kapellenstraße.

Business world, gastronomy and trade

The Kalker Hauptstraße is central business street. The shopping center Cologne Arcaden, a branch of Kaufhof AG and many shops are located here. Through the shopping center, the old-fashioned shops suffered horrendous sales losses. Many had to close. Resident shops were rented at Discounter. There are still many workers in lime. The restaurant Reissdorf em Cornely was opened in 1874. It is a traditional brewery style restaurant. In 1996, the Zechengarten was reopened. In the summer, there are regional specialties in addition to beer. For students, there are pubs such as "suburban princess", "trash chic" or the "blue king" cafe. A production plant of Deutz AG produces vibrators. There is also a logistics center for the plant.

Public safety

In the old police department there was an asbestos infection. That is why the Cologne police department was re-established there. A policeman was killed in service. In his memory a street was named after him. The "Kalk-Karree" provides for a social and youth administration for the youth.

Education, care and nursing

In Kalk there are two main schools, a school for the learning disabled and the Gymnasium Empress-Theophanu school. There are also outside schools of the Volkshochschule and eight kindergartens. There is a modern grandstand with the Evangelical Hospital. Kalk also has two retirement homes. There is also a crisis intervention center. In the city garden there is the listed water tower.

Museum

In 2009 the Odysseum Science Center opened. There are six theme worlds with 200 experience stations.

Youth facilities

In 2006 the recreation and youth facility AbenteuerHallenKalk was opened. There is a skate park and a climbing wall. Streetball is also offered to disabled and non-disabled people. There are also youth sports such as soccer, cycling and inline skating. Since the 1970s, the Evangelical Church Community has been offering various services for all Kalker children and young people. A youth center, youth choir and musical work, youth cafes and computer work are available in the youth center.

Events

There is a street festival every year on Kalker Hauptstraße. The Festile has three stages and sales stands. Cologne carnival artists perform there. A Carnival train goes through the streets on Carnival Day. An annual Schützenfest is organized by the Kalkerschützen.

The Italian Catholics of the municipality of St. Marien still cultivate local customs. The Passion of Christ is represented by the laity in Italian. On Gründonstag there are baked beetroots.

Structures: Sacred buildings

The following buildings are to be mentioned:

• Kalker Kapelle: After the destruction of the war the simple reconstruction took place
• St. Marien: Between 1863 and 1866 the parish church of St. Marien was built next to the chapel. The church has a 50 meter high tower.
• St. Joseph: the three-aisled brick church St. Joseph was built between 1899 and 1902
• Jesus Christ Church: the inauguration took place in 1951
• Klarissenkloster: The idea for construction came from the prelate Monsignore Martin Köllen and his niece. She was abbess in Kevelaer. The monastery was inaugurated in 1925. It was destroyed in 1941, but rebuilt in 1947. In 1965 figures followed on the facades. In 1990 it received a colored glazing.