Natural obstacle racecourse

Replica of the target tower

The natural obstacle racecourse , originally called Goldschmiedinger Renn-Bahn , was an obstacle course for horse races in Castrop-Rauxel . Today the site is a listed building and is used as a recreational area.

As early as the 1860s, the Castrop Agricultural Association organized horse tests on Schlingermannschen Wiesen (today's city garden) as part of agricultural exhibitions. In 1874 a “men's race”, ie a real horse race , is held there for the first time .

In 1872 William Thomas Mulvany , founder of the first colliery in the Castrop area, bought the Goldschmieding house just a few hundred meters away in order to use it as a summer residence for his family. He initiated the first race in 1874 and founded the racing committee , which had the new racecourse built with natural obstacles opposite his mansion. Equestrian sports expert James Toole took on the design, based on the model of English racecourses. The first day of racing took place on July 31, 1875.

The races developed into a major event in which up to 30,000 spectators took part.

In 1905, the Goldschmieding house and the racing grounds were owned by Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-Aktien-Gesellschaft ( GBAG ). The racetrack is made available to the racing club, which was founded in 1906.

With the beginning of the First World War the races were stopped.

From 1937 to 1938 the racetrack was rebuilt, it now had an obstacle-free flat track as well as a hunting and cross-country track with 13 to 23 natural and artificial obstacles (for example privet hedges and moats ), plus a parade ring and an area with scales, totalizator building and saddle stable. The routes were 3000 to 4500 meters long. The grandstands were concentrated in three areas.

During the Second World War , racing was again suspended. It was resumed in 1950 and finally given up in 1970 due to financial problems.

The layout of the former racetrack 2017

In 1971 the city of Castrop-Rauxel acquired the site. In 1997, as part of the IBA Emscherpark, a concept was drawn up to expand it as a recreational area between the two regional green spaces E and F and to preserve the cultural and historical heritage. The concept also included an inventory of the former racing facilities and a collection on the history of the racetrack.

In 2003 the site was placed under monument protection due to its cultural-historical and urban development-political importance.

Since 2004, with the support of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (funding program ecology program in the Emscher-Lippe area ), parts of the former race track have been restored. The target tower, newly built at its historical location, gives you a good overview of the area; inside there are photos and texts about the history. Some racetracks and spectator stands are marked with white bollards, former obstacles are highlighted by hedges and gabions. The site is now part of the Schellenberg leisure park and part of the Route of Industrial Culture .

Web links

Description of this sight on the route of industrial culturehttp: //vorlage.rik.test/~23~12311

• Foreign impulses (LWL), architectural monuments in the Ruhr area: an Irish industrial pioneer sets sporty accents
• Website for the racecourse of the city of Castrop-Rauxel

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Castroper race: Map of Gold Schmiedinger race-track to Castrop
2. ↑ grünplan: Development concept for the former natural obstacle course in Castrop-Rauxel (PDF; 4.4 MB)

Coordinates: 51 ° 32 ′ 46.2 "  N , 7 ° 19 ′ 15.8"  E