City center (Lüdenscheid)

Downtown City of Lüdenscheid Coordinates: 51 ° 12 ′ 58 ″ N , 7 ° 38 ′ 1 ″ E
Postcodes :	58507, 58509, 58511
Area code :	02351
Location of the city center in Lüdenscheid
	Old Town Hall

Inner city is the name of the central district of Lüdenscheid and belongs to the statistical district 01 (Innenstadt / Staberg / Knapp ) of the district town of Lüdenscheid in the western Sauerland , North Rhine-Westphalia . In particular, the old town and the surrounding streets are counted as part of the inner city. The old town, on the other hand, is mainly grouped around the centrally located Church of the Redeemer . In the west of the city center is the Knapp district , while the Staberg district adjoins it in the east. In addition, the pedestrian zone of the city of Lüdenscheid is completely in the city center. The city center itself is probably the oldest known settlement area in the city of Lüdenscheid.

Educational and research institutions

Think tank

The Think Tank of the Regionale 2013 project is an EU-funded program to develop the train station district into an educational and research district.

Since the beginning of April 2013, a new display board at the Lüdenscheid train station has been providing information about the renovation work on the area there. There, interested parties should be able to get an overview of the area of the think tank. Photos and graphics should show what the future area should look like. The individual content-related modules are also explained there. These include the building of the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences , which has been newly opened since March 2012 , as well as the urban redevelopment work towards the city center, which will soon begin, and the new 75-meter-high tower of the Lüdenscheid Phenomenta , which is to receive a Foucault pendulum inside . The bridge over the tracks should also change the image of the current area significantly. The former train station and fallow area should therefore grow into an important educational and technology center for all of South Westphalia .

In addition, at the end of September 2013, the planning and construction committee of the city of Lüdenscheid was presented with an initial concept of steles for the think tank district. On the striking steles, visitors should soon be able to read as easily as possible how they are getting to the next attraction in the think tank. This is primarily intended to make it easier for “strangers” to find their way around the think tank district. A local advertising agency was awarded the contract to design the vacancies. According to the planning advertising agency, the foils on the steles can be exchanged for new foils relatively easily when updates are made.

German Institute for Applied Lighting Technology (DIAL)

The German Institute for Applied Lighting Technology (DIAL) has also built a new building on the station premises. The building now stands next to the building of the tax office. In addition, the city has promised the DIAL an optional area of 3000 m² if it wants to expand again. The foundation stone for the new building at the station was laid on July 13, 2011. On January 7, 2013, the 70 employees of DIAL GmbH officially moved into the new building at Bahnhofsallee 18. According to the company, the cost of the new building was 4.5 Million euros net for 3000 square meters of space below that of a conventional building. Another 3,000 square meters can optionally be used for an extension over a period of ten years, but initially they should only be a parking space for the new building. A false floor in the building leaves space for new technologies, with hardly any new lines having to be drawn, almost everything in the new building runs electronically. The building can also do without radiators, since the warmth of people and PCs should soon be sufficient for complete heating.

Development and Start-up Center Lüdenscheid (EGC)

The Development and Start-up Center Lüdenscheid (EGC) has been in existence at Karolinenstrasse 8 for a long time. The main tasks of this nationally significant technology center include, according to the company's website, “the promotion of start-ups and young companies, both production and service-oriented, the promotion of research and development through industry-oriented, practical institutes for medium-sized businesses, professional qualifications and further education in cooperation with various providers, services for companies and conferences and seminars in their own meeting rooms. " the technology center is to “give young companies and start-ups the opportunity to develop and develop in a good environment. In addition to adequate premises, advice from the institutes in technical matters and specialist advice, for example, dealing with business problems relating to business start-ups, company management or financing, should be offered in the institute. In addition, there are purpose-oriented communal facilities, such as central information, an office service with its own telephone switchboard, several meeting and seminar rooms in the conference center, to which a casino is attached. ”Since the EGC started its activities, a total of 100 start-ups and young companies have been in added to the technology center.

South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences

In addition, a new location for the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences was built by February 2012 for up to 600 students at the nearby Lüdenscheid train station . Since the summer semester 2012, courses in the fields of mechanical engineering , medical technology , plastics technology and industrial engineering - building system technology have been offered there.

On Wednesday, March 14, 2012 the new building of the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences was inaugurated. The space for extensions is available in the immediate vicinity due to the dismantling of station buildings and track systems.

At the end of August 2013 it became known that the plans to expand the university of applied sciences were being pushed forward by the administration. However, it is also conceivable that instead of just partial courses, entire courses could also be offered at the Lüdenscheid University of Applied Sciences in the future. In mid-September 2013, a numerus clausus will be introduced for all subjects at the Lüdenscheid University of Applied Sciences , as there are now significantly more registrations than places at the Lüdenscheid University of Applied Sciences.

History museum of the city of Lüdenscheid

Opposite the Kulturhaus Lüdenscheid is the history museum of the city of Lüdenscheid in the premises of the "Alten Amtshaus" at Sauerfelder Str. 14-20 . In addition to the permanent exhibition of objects on the history of industry and technology , special exhibitions are regularly held in the museum's rooms. From a report in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten on April 17, 2013, it became known that the fire alarm system in the museum is to be replaced for 6,000 euros. The removal of ivy from the facade of the former office building, which cost 40,000 euros, was put on hold for the time being.

Institute for Forming Technology Lüdenscheid

The Lüdenscheid Institute for Metal Forming Technology (IFU) is also located at Lutherstrasse 13 . The IFU is a privately organized institute for scientific and technical advice, especially for the small iron industry, and is also an affiliated institute of the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences. The sponsoring company currently (June 2007) consists of 46 companies and associations, including the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences.

Lüdenscheid cultural center

Another important part of downtown Lüdenscheid is the Kulturhaus Lüdenscheid at Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße 9. The building was completed in 1981 and is still an important event location in Lüdenscheid today. Operas , operettas , musicals , ballet , plays , concerts and a wide range of cabaret programs take place regularly in the premises of the Kulturhaus.

From a report in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten on April 17, 2013, it became known that almost 100,000 euros are to be used for measures in the Lüdenscheid cultural center . Lt. of the city administration of Lüdenscheid, the fire alarm system in the cultural center is to be expanded, the escape route lights replaced and a gallery train replaced.

Lüdenscheid plastics institute

General

Another institute is the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute on the outskirts of the Grünewald district at Karolinenstrasse 8 . The Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid (full name Kunststoff-Institut für die Mittelstandische Wirtschaft NRW GmbH (KIMW)) is a private consulting and research institute for plastics technology that was founded in 1988 by 30 companies from plastics-related industries in cooperation with the city of Lüdenscheid and the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences (then Iserlohn University of Applied Sciences) was founded. Today the institute is still connected as an affiliated institute with the South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences.

2013

On January 16, 2013, the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute invited the US Consul General and the NRW State Secretary for a visit. During a tour and discussions, plans were presented that a new “Polymer Training Center” should be built. It should function like a boarding school and be able to offer regional and national training courses. The new “Polymer Training Center” will have around 100 to 150 places. The former Piepenstock area below the institute, which was bought years ago and is currently used as a parking lot, is available as a building site.

On April 12, 2013, another report appeared in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten that the new “Polymer Training Center” should be built by 2015 at the latest. The still existing paint shop on Lutherstrasse is to be completely demolished for this purpose. The new "Polymer Training Center" is very much welcomed by the planning politicians, as it is also intended to be a new component of the think tank in Lüdenscheid. The new "Polymer Training Center" is supposed to become a boarding school-like training center for young technical talent. For the design of the area around the already existing Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute (KIMW), there will also be an ideas competition. It should give a lot of impulses for the appearance of the boarding school, but also for the whole area between Karolinenstrasse, Lutherstrasse and Bahnhofsstrasse. The participating offices should therefore be selected by mid-May 2013. It is also expected that the institute will be followed by other companies to the location, which is almost entirely planned - including the parking lot on Bahnhofstrasse and Karolinenstrasse, as well as many areas behind. With the boarding school, the KIMW wants to attract young talent for its member companies. Machine setters or designers, also from small and medium-sized companies, could complete longer courses here. Dropouts from vocational training or FH courses also received new opportunities through comparable qualifications. The industry is using it to train young plastics technicians itself.

2015

In mid-January 2015, the Lüdenscheid plastics institute received a funding notification for 2.8 million euros from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The decision enables the “Polymer Training Center” (PTC) to be built next to the Lüdenscheid Plastics Institute. According to a newspaper article, the PTC should break new ground in imparting knowledge, providing initial training and further education. It is also aimed at dropouts and long-serving company employees who - without a degree - have to reorient themselves.

The new five-story building is expected to cost around 5.2 million euros and provide 1,857 square meters of usable space. 56 office workplaces, two machine training rooms, two training and four meeting rooms and a large conference room are to be created in the building. The concept should also include a boarding school for schoolchildren, students from Germany and abroad as well as skilled workers during their training. This concept aims to attract new skilled workers to the region and to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the area.

Lüdenscheid old town stage

The Lüdenscheider Altstadtbühne is located at Luisenstraße 21 . It is an amateur theater with around 30 performances per year. One piece is played per season (October to May), mostly tabloid comedies or crime novels. The carrier of the amateur theater is the "Lüdenscheider Altstadtbühne eV".

Phenomenta Lüdenscheid

The Phenomenta Lüdenscheid is a science center on the outskirts of the city center . There are 120 interactive experiment stations that are designed to arouse visitors' interest in scientific contexts.

Lüdenscheid city library

The Lüdenscheid city library is located at Graf-Engelbert-Platz 6 in the upper part of the city center . This has existed since 1857 and has been expanded regularly since then. There are around 130,000 media in the city library today. The approximately 200,000 visitors ensure over 400,000 loans annually. From a report by Lüdenscheider Nachrichten on April 17, 2013, it became known that, according to the city administration of Lüdenscheid, 75,000 euros must be put into the city library. This will involve the second construction phase of window renovation, the establishment of an entrance suitable for the disabled and the repair of fire doors.

Municipal gallery Lüdenscheid

In addition to the history museum, the Lüdenscheid Municipal Gallery is now also located in the Sauerfelder Straße 14 building . In front of the building of the history museum and the municipal gallery of the city of Lüdenscheid there is also the Selve fountain, which has been a listed building since 2003 .

Lüdenscheid adult education center

In addition to its headquarters in the old town hall of Lüdenscheid, the Lüdenscheid Adult Education Center has other locations in the city center of Lüdenscheid. However, since some are massive problems of space and a large problem of access for disabled people in the premises of the Old Town Hall Lüdenscheid, a move the VHS (the move to the location of the Albert Schweitzer Elementary School at the Imperial Avenue at was always at last stood Worth in Focus of discussion). However, after many protests from citizens, associations and surrounding businesses, politicians finally decided against it, because the VHS is also an important visitor magnet for the old and upper town of Lüdenscheid and the sometimes massive vacancies in the upper town with the VHS remaining want to counteract. In addition, the central location, in the middle of the city center of Lüdenscheid, and the easy accessibility are further arguments for the VHS to remain in the premises of the old town hall of Lüdenscheid. The plans to relocate the VHS as part of the “think tank” project at the Lüdenscheid train station will not be pursued for the time being.

history

At the end of the 19th century, the parish church of St. Joseph and Medardus replaced the small Kreuzkapelle in the area of today's Sternplatz on upper Sauerfelder Straße . The tower with a gable roof (54.15 meters) in particular is a defining part of the building. Patron saints of the church are the patron saints of Lüdenscheid Medardus and Josef von Nazareth (the foster father of Jesus), from which the name of the church results. The building has also been on the list of architectural monuments in Lüdenscheid as No. 61 since 1986 .

In 1963 a concept of the city administration of Lüdenscheid was presented, in which there was the plan that today's Sauerfelder Straße should run on 2 levels and the railway line Bruges - Lüdenscheid should be continued underground from the Lüdenscheid train station with a gradient of only one percent. The railway line should then have ended in the second basement at the central traffic junction Sauerfeld in the city center district. In addition, 500 parking spaces were to be created under today's Rathausplatz. However, because of the 'utopian idea' at the time, the project was rejected at the time.

The old town was originally surrounded by a city wall. The last remaining part of the medieval city wall between Ringmauerstraße and Corneliusstraße could not be preserved in its original form in the early 1980s for structural reasons. A new retaining wall with a tower-like semicircular extension was built in its place and faced with quarry stone slabs; The old panels were used in the lower part of the wall. The only seemingly historical complex is intended to remind of the former fortifications of the city. The city of Lüdenscheid's plans in the 1970s and 1980s to replace the historic buildings in the old town with multi-family houses were not implemented, and so the constellation of the old historic buildings has largely been preserved to this day. To this day, the old town has only been partially released for residents' cars and thus it has remained a rather restricted traffic area. Several streets now surround the old town in order to be able to lead the traffic outside. An overview plan of the historic old town of Lüdenscheid can be found today at the centrally located carousel square in the city center.

Cityscape

Altenaer Strasse

The building at Altenaer Straße 3a was extensively renovated in April and May 2013. The building, built in 1904, was the first building to be embellished with funding from the think tank's facade program. The renovation resulted in a neat, discreet house wall that is based on the historical specifications as well as on the appearance of the neighbors, such as the new town hall. Lt. the city of Lüdenscheid still has enough state money for renovation projects in the think tank's funding pot. According to the city of Lüdenscheid, interested homeowners can get non-binding advice from the urban redevelopment office at Knapper Straße 41 on all ideas and funding opportunities offered by the think tank.

At Altenaer Straße 5, in the building of today's town hall, the Lüdenscheid youth culture office and the Lüdenscheid advice center of the NRW consumer center are located in the basement .

Between 1891 and 1893 the “new” post office was built at Altenaer Straße 9. Today the building belongs to the city of Lüdenscheid and has been used by the city of Lüdenscheid music school since 1985. In addition, at the same time in 1985 the facade of the building was renovated on the basis of the existing original building plans. Since 1985, the building has also been number 41 on the list of architectural monuments in Lüdenscheid .

At Altenaer Straße 10 there is also the municipal youth club Stern-Center, which offers various activities.

Old Town Hall

Since the city administration moved from the old town hall of Lüdenscheid to its new building on Rathausplatz and Sternplatz in 1964 , the city of Lüdenscheid's cultural office moved into the building in 1973. In 1979 the Städtische Galerie Lüdenscheid moved into the old town hall.

In February 1989 the Weltladentreff eV opened its new domicile in the old town hall of Lüdenscheid. The goals of the Weltladentreff eV are, among other things, that it wants to pass on information about the social and economic conditions in the developing countries, about the causes of their underdevelopment and about the structures of world trade. In addition, more and more products from economically underdeveloped countries that come from non-profit and / or cooperative organizations or groups are to be sold in the shop. The aim is to ensure that the proceeds directly benefit the manufacturing people without large corporations.

The headquarters of the Lüdenscheid Adult Education Center is currently located in the listed building. The building is located in the old town and, as the head office of the adult education center, is also an important part of Lüdenscheid's inner and old town as well as the public educational institutions in Lüdenscheid.

On November 23, 2012, the “ thinking cells ” in the old town hall of Lüdenscheid were also opened. They are intended to remind of the imprisonment of many innocent people during the Nazi era . These included social democrats , communists , trade unionists and Jews as well as other dissenters who had revolted against the Nazi regime . This is intended to make an active contribution to the forgetting of these countless imprisonments and crimes by the Nazi regime at the time.

Since December 2012, the Italian Renaissance style of the listed Old Town Hall has been illuminated even more precisely with brilliant white LED light. The evenly bundled light is supposed to trace the striking window arches up to the roof frieze.

Old town

General

On February 14, 2013, North Rhine-Westphalia 's construction minister Michael Groschek announced in the Lüdenscheid town hall that the Lüdenscheid old town should be selected by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as a model quarter for the “home on the doorstep”. According to Groschek, the catchphrase "home on the doorstep" should stand for living that is suitable for the elderly and also affordable in terms of energy. The aim is to create apartments that will enable older people to stay independently in their traditional environment for as long as possible. For Groschek, a student residential area in the old town would also be conceivable if the number of new technical college students continued to rise as strongly as it did last, when 250 new students were enrolled in Lüdenscheid. The residential potential of the old town should be further developed together with the owners. The goal is a sustainable residential use of the houses. Before converting the old town in Lüdenscheid by 2015, however, the implementation of the regional think tank project should first be set.

The city of Lüdenscheid is also considering whether a type of urban redevelopment office could also be set up for the old and upper town from 2016 , as already exists at Knapper Strasse 41 am Knapp . In this quarter, the urban redevelopment office would have already led to exciting results and numerous contacts.

Lt. In an article from the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten of March 2, 2013, three old poplars had to be felled on the Turmstrasse park pallet due to the massive risk of breakage. In the past, one of the three old poplars had already erupted, causing property damage.

Building at Kirchplatz 23

Another project is currently being pursued at Kirchplatz. Where the first town hall of Lüdenscheid once stood and later the hat shop Jendritzki was, a café with 35 seats inside and 40 outside at Kirchplatz 23 has been created. Above the café, three instead of the previous two floors will accommodate high-quality and senior-friendly apartments.

The top floor will also have its own garden. These plans by an architect and investor from Olp, as well as the new owner of the café, raised great hopes among politicians and top administrators in the planning committee at the end of 2012, as the new project could trigger further investments in the upper town in the future and thus prove to be a success for today's vacancies threatened Upper Town could prove.

A terrace for outdoor catering is intended to absorb the building's hillside location. The lower area should also be easily accessible for people with walking difficulties. The higher floors, i.e. the café and the three apartments, should be accessed by elevator if necessary. The house should be equipped with a modern wood pellet heating system, the new senior-friendly apartments should be available to rent or buy.

The owner himself has moved from his current location on Schemperstraße with a new café and shop directly to the building on Kirchplatz 23. The new café should also create new jobs. The owner expects the café and shop to open in the second half of 2013. The owner's roasting facility is to remain in the Berg'sche factory on Altenaer Strasse.

At the beginning of July 2013 it was announced that the two-story café would open in the weeks of summer 2013.

The official opening of the new “Fabrisken” café took place on January 6, 2014.

Tavern "Zum Schwejk"

At Kirchplatz 1 / 1A there is another distinctive building in the old town: the “Zum Schwejk” inn from 1731. The facade of the house is not completely symmetrical. Due to the historical facade, this condition has been left as it is. In addition, due to its historical appearance, the building was added as No. 17 to the list of architectural monuments in Lüdenscheid .

Until 1976 the Strunk baker family had baked bread and lived in the old house. In 1978 the pub "Zum Schwejk" opened. After that, the tenant Köster family ran the “Zum Schwejk” inn for 30 years.

In May 2014, the “Zum Schwejk” inn was extensively renovated and converted for subsequent use. The opening was planned for mid-June 2014. The hall floor was also renewed in this context.

At the end of August 2014, the reopening of the inn "Zum Schwejk" took place under new management.

Former Peek & Cloppenburg building

In May 2008 the clothing store TK Maxx opened in the rooms of the former Peek & Cloppenburg building . There is an entrance to the “Forum” shopping center as well as to the Rathausplatz and Sternplatz in front of it.

Former SinnLeffers building

The former SinnLeffers building (then the Krause department store building) at Wilhelmstrasse 2 is also to give way to a new building. The Düsseldorf textile company Peek & Cloppenburg would like to open a new branch there by spring 2014. The drugstore chain Müller wanted to use two of the three and a half floors of the new corner building as branches. However, the Müller drugstore has already moved to an empty shop space in the Stern-Center. For the planned new building of the corner house, the house at Wilhelmstrasse 10 with its distinctive facade is to be demolished. Separate parking spaces for the new building will probably not be possible due to lack of space. At the beginning of July 2013, preparations for the demolition of the old building began. First of all, the old building is supposed to be removed from asbestos. This should take half a year.

Former Telekom building

The former Telekom building next to Lüdenscheid's main post office has been used by the Lüdenscheid city administration for several years. The associated T-point was also located on the lowest floor of the former Telekom building . Then first a copy shop and then a café moved into the shop of the former T-Punkt.

Forum

The Forum shopping and leisure center is also an important shopping building in downtown Lüdenscheid. A few decades ago there was a well-known cinema ("Apollo") on the site. Then the forum was rebuilt and reopened in 1990. Until a few years ago, the centrally located swimming pool “wave pool” was also located there, which had to be closed for financial reasons. The renovation of the wave pool that existed at the time would have become too expensive, according to politics and several reports. Since 2009, the elaborately refurbished wave pool complex has been home to the children's play area “Tommywood” (from 2007 to 2009 it was operated by the operator “Tolliwood”). In addition, in 2008 the former wave pool complex in the forum and the Stadtmitte car park connected to the forum were sold to the Irish investor Burt Allen from Lüdenscheider Stadtwerke. After there had been massive vacancies in the complex in recent years, new tenants for some of the abandoned shops have been found in the last 6 months of 2012.

On August 10, 2013, however, it was announced that the city's central play paradise “Tommywood” in the forum on Sternplatz will also close on September 30, 2013. The trigger was the upcoming fire protection measures. In view of the costs, the continued operation of the "Tommywood", which had already suffered from many restrictions, could no longer be operated economically. Twelve employees were affected by the termination. The forum, which was marked by vacancies, lost the Tommywood, the last major anchor tenant of the once lively shopping center. According to unsecured information from the newspaper “Lüdenscheider Nachrichten”, there are currently interested parties for the entire large property “Forum” in the center, which so far comprises the “Tommywood” and other shops. As previously planned, the Tommywood in the forum officially closed on September 30, 2013. Many parts of the inventory, especially the decorations, were resold. There was no official statement from the landlord about the subsequent use of the premises until the closure.

Health center Sternplatz 1

The former business building of the former department store AG or the later retracted Multistore on Sternplatz one was from 2010 to 2011 to a health center with medical offices, a pharmacy , a cafe, a myToys.de branch , a SinnLeffers -Filiale and a living area for Assisted Living rebuilt . The project planners saw the main advantages for the construction in the nearby bus station “Sauerfeld ZOB” and in the underground car park in the building below as well as in the surrounding multi-storey car parks.

Gothaer House

On the left side of the main post office is the “Gothaer-Haus” at Rathausplatz 25. This building also has a checkered history behind it. There are still apartments on the top floors of the building. For many years there was also a large number of medical practices on the middle floors. Many of these medical practices have now moved to other buildings. There was also a cinema in the building for a while. A lettering outside reminds of this. The bottom floor currently houses a pharmacy, a hairdresser, a kiosk, a restaurant and a discotheque. The building also includes a multi-storey car park, which is integrated directly into the building and has its exit to Martin-Niemöller-Straße. In recent years, the building's exterior facade has been renovated and clad with white panels that partially cover the building's original brown color.

Hasley

South of the city center in the Hasley district , the short footpaths to the shops and medical facilities in the city center have resulted in a large number of apartment buildings with apartments suitable for the elderly. In some cases, assisted living is even offered in the residential complexes. Due to the massive inclines from Hasley to the city center, there are various difficulties for older residents to reach the city center of Lüdenscheid. This should be counteracted by a minibus line would have connected the Hasley district with the city center. The bus line would have headed for about 10 stops on its route. However, due to the unsecured financing, the project was abandoned for the time being. Instead, they are currently considering setting up a grocery order service for the older residents of Hasley. This upper part of Hasley had previously been largely shaped by the areas and buildings of former industrial companies.

After the project of the minibus line for the Hasley district had become quite quiet, a report appeared in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten on January 24, 2013 that there were still plans for a suitable public transport system for Hasley. Within the scope of this planning, there could also be a combination with the “City-E-Shuttle” project of the Lüdenscheid / MK energy transition group. This new project is considering whether electric buses (e-buses) could also at least partially take over a new route in Hasley.

Humboldtstrasse

In 2013 the old " Villa Hueck " at Humboldtstraße 36 was completely redesigned. The splendid neo-baroque building was reopened in October 2013 - with a restaurant and bistro, wine shop, assembly rooms and an apartment - as the domicile of the Lüdenscheid service clubs and a meeting place for business, politics and culture. The house should focus on “serving the common good” and “promoting the community”. The representative villa, which was built by Richard Noelle in 1913 and was owned by the Hueck family between 1929 and 1993, was last used as the “Villa Reseda” old people's home and had been vacant since February 2009. The concept for the use of the built-up area of 958 square meters plus annex and the more than 6000 square meter park has been in place since May 2012. In 2013, several donors also made commitments.

It was still unclear where the around 40 required parking spaces should be located on the site. The roof of the old bunker next to the playground on Kerksigstrasse was intended for this - and possibly the playground itself. As a replacement, the Rotarians might want to integrate a new public playground into the park - "and also take over operation and maintenance". A major architectural and financial feat was the creation of a new three-storey extension with a glass / steel look. Seen from Humboldtstrasse, it was built on the left end of the villa and, in addition to event rooms, also contains escape routes and a new elevator from the basement to the roof as well as a new winter garden. After the renovation, the building is now to be considered an "attractive destination for Lüdenscheid and its citizens".

In June 2012, the urban planning and environment committee of the city of Lüdenscheid approved the renovation of the "Villa Hueck" with a majority of 12 votes. The tree population, which is unique for the city center, should, however, be preserved as far as possible. The building and the site had previously been used for various light installations for the Lüdenscheid light routes .

In August 2012 it was announced that the old "Villa Hueck" would be renamed "Humboldt-Villa". The villa was reopened 100 years after its construction by Richard Noelle, an industrialist from Lüdenscheid, in 2013.

At the beginning of February 2013, the first measure for the new extension, the tower in which the building's old elevator had been removed, was torn down.

By the end of June 2013, part of the facade had already been plastered and now looks like 100 years ago when the house was built. For this purpose, experts analyzed old fragments and composed the consistency and color of the plaster mass based on the original. The drywallers had also started the interior work on the villa. The new extension with a winter garden was also laid out quickly. Here too, according to the project manager, the work went on schedule. The penultimate ceiling was poured there at the end of June 2013. The official opening of the “Humboldt Villa” took place in October 2013.

At the end of October 2013, the new restaurant was also opened in the “Humboldt Villa”. It has 80 seats in the central area and 20 seats in the bistro in front.

Main post

Another important building at Rathausplatz 4 is the main post office in Lüdenscheid. Until the beginning of July 2012, the mail and parcel divisions of Deutsche Post / DHL were located in the main post office. Then various parts of the company were relocated to Noltestrasse, which is located outside Deutsche Post justified the relocation with the fact that this location would be much closer to the Lüdenscheid motorway exit of the federal motorway 45 and that the building would also be much more suitable for pre-sorting the mail. Postbank's counter operation, which is a completely different company within the Post Group, is to remain at its location at Rathausplatz 4 as before.

Since Deutsche Post moved out of the upper floors, large parts of the building's upper floors have been vacant. So far, no new tenants have been found for large parts of the building.

The local editorial office of the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten only temporarily rented the second floor . However, at the end of February 2014, after the completion of the new building, the editorial team moved to their new building on Schillerstrasse.

New building in the goose garden

The green area "Gänsegärtchen" next to the town hall of Lüdenscheid was built with an office and commercial building in 2007-2008. The house has a white glass facade and thus the facade design is based on the exterior of the town hall. Before that, some trees had to be felled on the property. In front of the new building, a seating system was built at the same time, which is intended to visually enhance the surroundings. At the beginning of 2009 the Mayersche bookstore opened a new branch in the building on around 700 m² . In addition, a branch of the Rossmann drugstore chain and a jewelry store were opened in the building shortly afterwards .

On Saturday, January 19, 2013, a report appeared in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten, from which it emerged that the Mayersche bookstore is leaving Lüdenscheid after four years. The location on Sternplatz and Altenaer Straße was closed in April 2013. The location only partially fulfilled the expectations with which the new branch was opened in 2009. The competition in Lüdenscheid was too great. Further arguments for the closure were the difficult division of space over two floors and the forecast development. All employees have received a commitment to continue their employment at other locations. The rooms have been vacant since the bookstore closed in April 2013. At the end of September 2012, the Mayersche bookstore closed its location in Iserlohn city center. In addition to the branch in Lüdenscheid, two further branches in Hamm and in Bochum's Ruhrpark will be closed in 2013. In 2012 there were already branch closings in Leverkusen and Cologne .

At the beginning of August 2013 it was announced that a new store with a wide range of products will be moving into the empty premises of the Mayersche Buchhandlung. The lease for the shop has already been signed. The opening of the new store should take place at the beginning of September. The sales room is to be located in the basement, the operator intends to use part of the upper floor as ancillary, storage and social rooms. A total of up to 15 employees will find work in the new branch.

Neumann fountain

In the middle of Sternplatz is the “Neumann Fountain” from the late 1970s. On the round wall surrounding the basin there are relief depictions of the town history of Lüdenscheid. In addition, since May 2009, six stone tablets have been showing the twin towns ( Brighouse , Den Helder , Leuven , Myślenice , Romilly-sur-Seine and Taganrog ) with their distance from Lüdenscheid.

Uncle Willy and Felix

An important landmark of the city of Lüdenscheid was restored in the course of the renovation work in 2007. It is the bronze sculpture of Uncle Willi and Felix on Sternplatz Lüdenscheid. The work of art was created by Waldemar Wien in 1978 and presented to the public in Lüdenscheid on April 3, 1981 on Sternplatz.

town hall

The town hall of Lüdenscheid at Rathausplatz 2 is still one of the most important buildings in Lüdenscheid city center. It was built from 1956 and in 1964 the city administration moved into it. From 2001 onwards, the building was redesigned and refurbished, and the surrounding area has also been redesigned since 2006. The town hall itself is located on the centrally located Rathausplatz and the Sternplatz next to it and, in addition to the city administration, has for some years now also included 2 cafés (1 ice cream parlor and 1 café of a café chain) and 2 shops on the ground floor.

The town hall complex also includes a multi-storey car park and a pedestrian bridge to the Stern-Center opposite. The Rathausplatz in front of it was also completely rebuilt. The old pavilions were torn down and replaced with new trees and a fountain. In addition, the entire paving of Rathausplatz, Sternplatz and some of the adjacent streets (parts of Knapper Straße, Wilhelmstraße and Altenaer Straße) were renewed.

Town Hall Square

The town hall square of Lüdenscheid also has an eventful history behind it.

As early as 1973, the “town hall tunnel” was built under the town hall square to relieve car traffic. This made it possible for both the town hall square and various adjacent streets to be redesigned into car-free areas. This created a pedestrian zone that runs through almost the entire city center of Lüdenscheid to this day.

The weekly market of Lüdenscheid takes place on the town hall square in the city center on Wednesdays and Saturdays .

In addition, several buildings and parts of the Rathausplatz were illuminated as part of the 2013 light routes through various projects . Among other things, the main post office building, the “Gothaer House” and the plane tree grove in the middle of the square were illuminated.

Sauerfelder Strasse

Another important construction project for the city center was the redesign of the central bus station “Sauerfeld ZOB”. The two pedestrian tunnels have been redesigned and some have new entrances. In addition, the area between the central bus station “Sauerfeld ZOB” and the central Sternplatz was completely redesigned. The upper pedestrian tunnel has also received 2 elevators at both ends. The stop signs and the electronic passenger information displays as well as the lanterns have also been redesigned at the “Sauerfelder ZOB”. The kiosk, the waiting areas and the seating elements have also been rebuilt and are to be further expanded and renewed in the future. The paving of the pedestrian path and the tarring of the street were completely replaced on both sides of the "Sauerfeld ZOB".

The Brighouse Park at the “Sauerfeld ZOB” bus station (named after the twinning with the English twin town Brighouse ) has also been completely redesigned. An adventure playground with climbing walls, swing, horizontal bar, sandpit and seesaw devices was built for 123,000 euros. The adventure playground opened in September 2011.

A few years ago, the main office of Sparkasse Lüdenscheid at Sauerfelder Straße 7-11 was completely demolished and rebuilt. Above all, the new building has many modern glass and steel elements in its facade, making the new counter hall appear very bright and flooded with light. The old building had until then still contained a counter hall built in the old style and was kept in the somewhat dignified post-war style. A further building for the Sparkasse Lüdenscheid had already been built on the opposite side of Jockuschstrasse, which today also houses medical practices, a parking garage and other shops as well as a car counter for the Sparkasse Lüdenscheid.

The Volksbank building in the Märkisches Kreis was also extensively renovated between 2009 and 2010. As a result, the bank building has a clearly structured facade made of light, powder-coated metal plates. In addition, new floor-to-ceiling windows with better insulation protection were installed in the facade. In addition, the entrance area was renewed with an elaborate staircase construction. These construction measures were carried out at the time when there was further construction work on the bus station "Sauerfeld ZOB".

The building of the former Reichs- und Landeszentralbank Lüdenscheid is located between the building of the Volksbank in the Märkischer Kreis and the Sparkasse Lüdenscheid at Sauerfelder Straße 7 . It was built in 1891 and added on in 1914. Today the building belongs to the Sparkasse Lüdenscheid and is still used as a bank building. Since 1984, the building has been number 5 on the list of architectural monuments in Lüdenscheid .

The Sauerland Center at Sauerfelder Straße 2, which for decades contained the Hohenhof nursing home, a supermarket on the lower floor and several medical practices, is currently largely empty. In July 2009 the Hohenhof nursing home moved from the Sauerland Center to the former Brauckmann complex opposite. So far, no subsequent use of the building has been publicly announced.

In the vicinity of the Kulturhaus and below the new Märkischer Zeitungsverlag (MZV) building , the city garden between Schillerstraße and Sauerfelder Straße forms the green surroundings of the Kulturhaus. This area was created by the demolition of older buildings; Among other things, the traditional event halls “Concordia” and “Recreation”, which were two former predecessors of today's cultural center, were located here.

At the end of June 2013, a stainless steel sculpture by Ansgar Nierhoff was put up again in the Kulturhausgarten . In November 1975 the same sculpture had already been placed on the town hall square between the former pavilions. After various renovations on the town hall square, however, these were stored until recently.

Schiller Street

The rose garden at the former “Schillerbad” (today's “Brauhaus”) has also been completely redesigned. A few years ago this was a green space that should be revised due to its dilapidated condition. Some of the trees have been preserved and the green open space was largely covered with stone slabs. This also made it possible to install water play equipment for children on the stairs in front of the “brewery”. Lt. According to an article from the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten of March 2, 2013, another, characteristic maple tree in the rose garden had to be felled due to massive fungal attack. After that, however, a young tree should be replanted in its place.

The “Brauhaus” itself was opened in 1905 as the public bathing establishment “Schillerbad”. In the 1990s, an investor extensively renovated the building and integrated a restaurant with a hotel and beer garden into the old building. The historical flair itself is still reminiscent of the old swimming pool.

The adjacent building at Schillerstraße 3 (next to the rose garden), which until the expansion of the Stern-Center contained a branch of the fashion company C&A , now contains a new fashion store. The planning for the fashion house began in early June 2013. The official opening of the new fashion house took place on August 28, 2014.

In the meantime, the branch of the C&A subsidiary Avanti had moved into the building at Schillerstrasse 3 . The new branch of the fashion house C&A still exists in the extension of the Stern-Center.

The Märkische Zeitungsverlag (MZV) announced on May 13, 2011 that its old headquarters at Schillerstraße 20 in downtown Lüdenscheid will be demolished and replaced by a 3-story new building with an underground parking garage. The usable area of the new building is 1,505 square meters. In addition, there is also another 3-story new building with 1585 square meters. Part of the space in the two new buildings is to be rented out. The demolition of the old building began on January 2, 2012. On December 3, 2012, it was announced that both buildings should be in place at the end of the fourth quarter of 2013.

After the completion of the new building at the end of February 2014, the editorial staff of Lüdenscheider Nachrichten moved to their new building on Schillerstrasse.

In the vicinity of the Kulturhaus and below the new Märkischer Zeitungsverlag (MZV) building , the city garden between Schillerstraße and Sauerfelder Straße forms the green surroundings of the Kulturhaus. This area was created by the demolition of older buildings; Among other things, the traditional event halls “Concordia” and “Recreation”, which were two former predecessors of today's cultural center, were located here.

As part of the new building of the Märkischer Zeitungsverlag (MZV) , the connection from the Kulturhausgarten towards the old town is to be upgraded. The Märkische Zeitungsverlag would like to extensively renew the connection to the Kurt-Weill-Weg, the Turmstrasse and the Kulturhausgarten as part of the new media house on Schillerstraße. A new step system is to be built out of the park, which will enable passage through the two new buildings in the direction of Turmstrasse as well as in the direction of the Kulturhaus. The developer, i.e. the Märkische Zeitungsverlag, wants to bear the costs for this.

At the end of June 2013, a stainless steel sculpture by Ansgar Nierhoff was put up again in the Kulturhausgarten . In November 1975 the same sculpture had already been placed on the town hall square between the former pavilions. After various renovations on the town hall square, however, these were stored until recently.

Star center

Another central construction project in the city center was the former City-Center shopping center, which was reopened as the Stern-Center in 1993 after the renovation. A few years later the Stern-Center was expanded to include the former Kaufhof building and the first phase of construction was completed in spring 2008. The partial opening of the extension took place on May 22, 2008 at 8 a.m. This has also given the center an exit to the central Sternplatz that had never existed before in this form. The overall opening of the extension took place in autumn 2008. In 2015, the Stern-Center comprised approx. 30,000 m² on 4 levels and approx. 110 shops from various industries. On average, it is frequented by 27,119 visitors every day, and 800 employees work in the company.

On February 23, 2013, a report appeared in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten that the currently vacant Wehmeyer retail space in the Stern-Center should be let again from March 1, 2013. The assortment of the new shop therefore ranges from seasonal items for Easter or Christmas to practical helpers for the household. As before, the retail space will continue to serve as a passage area from the bridge from Rathausplatz to the interior of the Stern-Center. The city of Lüdenscheid has a public right of way for passage across the retail space. After the renovation, the new shop was officially opened on March 28, 2013.

Wilhelmstrasse

Wilhelmstrasse stretches between the centrally located Sternplatz and Loher Strasse further to the east, which already belongs to the neighboring district of Staberg .

As a result of the expansion of the downtown Stern-Center, Wilhelmstrasse has largely lost its importance as a shopping street and pedestrian zone. The upper part of Wilhelmstrasse in particular currently has an extremely high number of vacancies. But also in the lower part of Wilhelmstrasse there are currently new vacancies.

On March 9, 2013, a report appeared in the Lüdenscheider Nachrichten that another 210 m² shop is to be vacated at Wilhelmstrasse 11 on August 31, 2013. In the last few years a bakery chain had its shop with a café there. Lt. Wilhelmstrasse developed negatively for the company. According to the company, there is no longer any flow of customers there. The other two branches of the bakery chain are to remain open in Lüdenscheid. According to the landlord of the building at Wilhelmstrasse 11, the search for new tenants and the choice of industry are open. Lt. According to a report by Lüdenscheider Nachrichten on August 24, 2013, a currently neighboring “Spar bakery chain” would move into the empty shop in September 2013. Since the middle of August 2013, preparations have been made to renovate the shop.

At the beginning of July 2013 it was announced that many vacant spaces in the upper Wilhelmstrasse are to be rented out through new shops and that planning is currently underway. In the weeks before, new shops and cafes had already moved into various shops.

Events

The weekly market of Lüdenscheid takes place on the town hall square in the city center on Wednesdays and Saturdays . In addition, once a year (usually in September or October) the city festival in downtown Lüdenscheid is celebrated for a weekend. Many clubs set up their stands and stages and on Sundays there is a flea market that extends over almost the entire old town and pedestrian zone. An ice rink for ice skating will also be set up from mid-November to mid-January and the Christmas market will be set up on Rathausplatz and Sternplatz from late November to Christmas . There are 4 shopping Sundays per year in Lüdenscheid, where many shops are open and there are other special offers for visitors to Lüdenscheid. In 2015 the shopping Sundays are to take place on March 29, May 3, September 6 and November 29, 2015.

Another regular event in the city center and the neighboring districts of Lüdenscheid are the Lüdenscheid light routes . The Lüdenscheid light routes are a light art and light design exhibition in public space that has been used by numerous interested visitors in recent years. The exhibition is mainly due to the lighting and electrical industry located in and around Lüdenscheid. The last light routes in Lüdenscheid took place in 2010 under the theme “Chambers of Wonder of Light”. From September 27th to October 6th, 2013 the light routes 2013 took place under the new theme “The Art of Projection”. As in previous years, the starting point of the light routes was still the city center of Lüdenscheid. In addition, various new locations of the light routes were created.

Transport links

Rail transport

The Lüdenscheid train station is located on the edge of the city center and provides an hourly train connection to Schalksmühle , Hagen , Herdecke and Dortmund via the Volmetal Railway .

In addition, there has been a direct train connection from Lüdenscheid to Cologne with the Oberbergische Bahn since December 2017 . The Bruges (Westfalen) station should be upgraded as a transport hub. For example, for all passengers who want to travel from Cologne to Hagen or Dortmund: You could then change trains in Bruges and continue immediately, because the trains should wait on both sides of the new platform at the same time. One of the positive effects of the future route for Lüdenscheid is that the mountain city can be reached from Cologne without having to change trains. The Bruges (Westphalia) train station will also be of interest to all passengers from the south who can continue on by bus from here.

There were also plans to implement the Volmetalbahn from Dortmund via Hagen to Lüdenscheid as a light rail . The tram should run directly from Dortmund city center via Hagen city center to Lüdenscheid city center. In 1997, a concept for the Hagen regional light rail system was presented, which was rejected for reasons of cost despite the transport benefits.

Bus transport

In addition, the central bus station “Sauerfeld ZOB” in the city of Lüdenscheid is on the edge of the city center. From there, bus connections run by Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and Busverkehr Ruhr-Sieg (BRS) run to all parts of the city of Lüdenscheid and many other cities in the vicinity of Lüdenscheid.

Other important bus stops in the city center are: “Bahnhof”, “Hauptpost”, “Agentur für Arbeit”, “Humboldtstraße”, “Eduardstraße”, “Wilhelmstraße”, “ Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium ”, “Kulturhaus” and “Rathausplatz”.

Road traffic

The connection to the federal motorway network is via exit no.14 Lüdenscheid of federal motorway 45 . This leads north to Hagen and Dortmund and south to Siegen , Wetzlar , Gießen and Frankfurt am Main . Alternative connection points are exits No. 13 Lüdenscheid-Nord and No. 15 Lüdenscheid-Süd of the A 45. The two federal highways B 54 and B 229 are also close to the city center and can be easily reached within a few minutes by car. Many parking garages and 2 parking pallets within the city center of Lüdenscheid ensure that drivers have enough parking space.