Inauguration of the tenth stone monument on the Flingern Path in Düsseldorf
Heyo there! Learnin' 'bout some history today, ain't we? Let me fill ya in on the dealio about Ruhrtalstraße in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Back in the day, industrialization hit this town like a freight train, and the population blew up faster than a Düsseldorf Bratwurst on a grill! By 1882, there were over 100,000 peeps livin' in Düsseldorf, turnin' it into a bonafide big city. A whole mess of municipalities got absorbed, and by 1910, the number of Düsseldorf residents was an eye-poppin' 359,000. This boom led to a housing crunch so weepin' folks was livin' in half-apartments, and "shift sleepers" became a thing, with up to three dudes sleepin' in a bed. Companies started gettin' nervous they'd lose their workers, so they vaunted building co-ops to the rescue. One of 'em being the Düsseldorf Savings and Building Association, formed in May 1898.
This co-op allowed workers to score some good, affordable cribs by purchasin' shares. Speakin' of the buildings, they started poppin' up like mushrooms after a spring rain, with ol' Fritz Hofmeister puttin' in work as an architect around 1900. According to the rumors, he built around 200 structures in Düsseldorf, but folks mostly don't even know his name anymore. But good ol' Fritz built 88 multi-family houses for the Savings and Building Association, which is now called Düsseldorf Housing Cooperative (DWG).
One of these houses still stands on Ruhrtalstraße, where DWG rents out 85 apartments that house around 150 peeps. As a way to celebrate its 125th anniversary, DWG took on the financing of a new information pillar, now standin' at house number 19.
A swarm of guest showed up for the pillar's inauguration, and Heiko Leonhard, Petra Steinmetzer, and Thorsten Karrenberg of DWG couldn't be happier about it. DWG now has a whoppin' 11,000 members and rents nearly 8,000 apartments in Düsseldorf.
Now let's talk about this fancy walkin' trail thing called the FlingerPfad. It's packed with 30 stations where ya can get the lowdown on Düsseldorf's history. They just added another pillar at Ruhrtalstraße, y'all! This one tells the tales of the Düsseldorf Savings and Building Association and Fritz Hofmeister—yeah, that ghost of an architect I just told ya 'bout.
A couple more pillars are comin' soon. On May 3rd at SEGRO, in the courtyard of Fichtenstraße 33, they'll unveil a pillar dedicated to "The Düsseldorf Bridge Builders - 'Hein, Lehmann'". Then on May 19th at 12:30 PM at the Capitol, they'll put up another one about the "Horse-drawn depot and Rhine-Ruhr transport - 'From horsepower to public transport'". Keep your eyes peeled for more!
There are plenty of guided tours for the FlingerPfad for those who want a deeper dig into the town's history. Check out the dates below and email [email protected] to book a tour. Happy walkin', honey!
April 29th at 7 PM, meetup: zakk, Fichtenstraße 40, guided tour: "From steel industry to house occupation"
May 27th at 2 PM, meetup: Langenberger Straße 9/Tor 3, guided tour: "From Lierenfelder station to Fortuna"
If you're feelin' adventurous, take one of the four tours available, "Between Steel Industry and House Occupation," "From Lierenfelder Station to Fortuna," "From Flinger Broich to the Clock Tower," or "Over 180 Years of Kiefernstraße - From Railway Track to State-Recognized Hotspot". Book your ticket by emailin' [email protected], or find more info at www.buergerinitiative-flingern.de or www.flingerpfad.de.
Buildin' cooperatives have played an essential role in provide affordable housing solutions during periods of urban growth and industrialization in Düsseldorf. ya. Learn more about the German cooperative housing movement, the role of cooperative financial institutions, and the impact of architects like Fritz Hofmeister on Düsseldorf's urban development. (This part's from some historical context we dug up, so you can read more there if ya need.)
In the context of Düsseldorf's history, the Düsseldorf Savings and Building Association, formed in 1898, enabled workers to purchase affordable housing by investing in real-estate, thus addressing the housing crunch during urban growth and industrialization. Today, the impact of architects like Fritz Hofmeister, who built about 200 structures in Düsseldorf between 1900 and 1910, remains evident, with one of his buildings, a house on Ruhrtalstraße, still standing and serving as a testament to this era.
