City history: The origins of Langenberg Park

The Bocholt City Archives' "Photo of the Month" for August shows the western entrance to Langenberg Park in 1939.

90 years ago, work began on converting the old cemetery on Nordallee into a public park. This former burial ground in the north of Bocholt had existed since 1807 and remained in use until the opening of the new cemetery on Blücherstraße on 1 May 1908. However, the graves remained in place for many years afterwards, as the burial periods for those interred there had not yet expired.

Since the end of August 1936, gardeners had been clearing the grave plots along Nordallee, removing diseased trees and thereby allowing the weeping ash and weeping birch trees there to stand out more clearly. At the same time, Lord Mayor Emil Irrgang ordered that all grave markers and monuments on either side of the main entrance on Nordallee be removed by 15 October of that year. The Bocholt Association for the Preservation of Local Heritage protested against this and petitioned the town council to preserve the grave monuments on grounds of respect for the dead. However, Emil Irrgang stuck to the planned course of action and stated that he wished to create a green space such as Bocholt needed in the heart of the town. By the spring of 1938, the work appeared to be complete. Extensive lawns were laid out on either side of the footpaths, and park benches invited visitors to linger. A year earlier, the entire area had already been designated a bird sanctuary. The statue of the 'Meckerer' - now in its fourth iteration - had been greeting visitors to the gardens since 1938. In a budget speech, the Lord Mayor praised the beauty of the newly created park and described it as "an incredibly beautiful space", noting that the wishes regarding the preservation of the locally significant graves had been fulfilled. He did not yet use the name "Langenbergpark" at that time.

It is thought that Langenbergpark was given its name at its official opening in June 1938. It was named after Government Councillor Aloys van Langenberg (1769-1843), who had bequeathed his fortune to the poor of the town of Bocholt. The photograph from 1939 shows the name carved in stone at the western entrance to what would later become Adenauerallee. To this day, the former cemetery is preserved as a place for relaxation, leisure, play and sport. A poem from 1954 succinctly summarises the history of Langenberg Park: "We have been given a beautiful park - One that outlives mortality. New life springs from its bosom - And time rushes on relentlessly!

Photo: Bocholt City Archives, Image Collection No. 3087, Text: Wolfgang Tembrink