Timeline of Essen

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Essen, Germany.

Prior to 19th century

 * 845 – Essen Abbey founded (approximate date).
 * 971 – Mathilde, granddaughter of Otto I becomes abbess of Essen Abbey.
 * 1012 – Sophia, daughter of Otto II becomes abbottess of the Essen Stift.
 * 1041 – Essen receives rights to a market.
 * 1244 – The association of the ministeriales of the Essen Abbey and the citizens of the town of Essen arrange for the Essen town walls to be erected.
 * 1316 – Essen Minster (church) dedicated.
 * 1390 – Essener Schützenverein (militia) formed.
 * 1598 – Borbeck Castle rebuilt.
 * 1736 – Neueste Essendische Nachrichten von Staats- und Gelehrten Sachen (Newest Essen News of State and Learned Matters) newspaper begins publication.
 * 1797 – G. D. Baedeker Verlag bookseller in business.

19th century

 * 1802 – Area occupied by Prussian troops.
 * 1803
 * Essen Abbey secularized.
 * Franz Dinnendahl builds steam engine.
 * 1810 – Krupp foundry in business.
 * 1814 – Town becomes part of Prussia.
 * 1822 – Town becomes part of the Rhine Province.
 * 1841 – Simon Hirschland Bank in business.
 * 1847 – Essen-Bergeborbeck station opens.
 * 1849 – Population: 8,813.
 * 1851 – Zollverein Coal Mine begins operating.
 * 1862 – Essen Hauptbahnhof and Essen-Borbeck station open.
 * 1866 – Fredebeul & Koenen booksellers in business.
 * 1870 – Synagogue consecrated.
 * 1871 – Town becomes part of the German Empire.
 * 1872 – Neu-Westend developed.
 * 1873 – Villa Hügel (Krupp residence) built.
 * 1875 – Population: 54,790.
 * 1880 – Historical Society for the City and Convent of Essen founded.
 * 1881
 * Essener Turnerbund athletic club formed.
 * Beiträge zur Geschichte von Stadt und Stift Essen (journal of city history) begins publication.
 * 1886 – Photographische Genossenschaft von Essen (photography group) founded.
 * 1892 – City Theatre opens.
 * 1893
 * Electric tram begins operating.
 * Rhenish-Westphalian Coal Syndicate headquartered in Essen.
 * 1898 – Krupp's Essener Hof (hotel) built.
 * 1899 – Essen Philharmonic Orchestra founded.

1900s–1940s

 * 1901
 * Folkwang Museum founded.
 * Heinrich Koppers AG in business.
 * 1905 – Population: 229,270.
 * 1906
 * Essen Art Museum founded.
 * Gartenstadt Margarethenhöhe developed.
 * 1908 – Moltkeviertel development begins.
 * 1913
 * New Synagogue built.
 * Albrecht's shop in business (later Aldi chain supermarket).
 * 1920 – Consulate of Poland opens.
 * 1922 – Uhlenkrugstadion (stadium) built.
 * 1923
 * Rot-Weiss Essen football club active.
 * French troops enter the city.
 * 1924 – Filmstudio Glückauf (cinema) opens.
 * 1925 – Essen/Mülheim Airport opens.
 * 1927 – Grugapark Botanical Garden and Folkwang School for the arts open.
 * 1928 – Lichtburg Playhouse (cinema) opens.
 * 1929 – Werden becomes part of city.
 * 1932 – Zollverein Mine Shaft 12 built.
 * 1933 – Theodor Reismann-Grone becomes mayor.
 * 1936 – Consulate of Poland relocated to Düsseldorf.
 * 1937 – Just Dillgardt becomes mayor.
 * 1939 – Stadion an der Hafenstraße (stadium) built.
 * 1942 – March: Bombing of Essen by Allied forces begins.
 * 1944
 * 2 January: Schwarze Poth forced labour camp established by the SS. Its prisoners were mostly Russians and Poles.
 * 17 May: Schwarze Poth forced labour camp converted into a subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp.
 * August: Humboldtstraße subcamp of the Buchenwald concentration camp established. Its prisoners were mostly Jewish women.
 * 1945
 * March: Schwarze Poth and Humboldtstraße subcamps of Buchenwald dissolved. Prisoners deported to the main Buchenwald camp.
 * March: Bombing of Essen by Allied forces ends.
 * 1946 – City becomes part of North Rhine-Westphalia.
 * 1948
 * Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (newspaper) begins publication.
 * Labour strike.
 * 1949
 * Essen I, Essen II, and Essen III parliamentary districts created.
 * Hans Toussaint becomes mayor.

1950s–1990s

 * 1951 – Amerikahaus built.
 * 1957 – Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen founded.
 * 1958 – Grugahalle sports arena opens.
 * 1961 – Sammlung Industrieform (museum) opens.
 * 1962 – City hosts the 1962 European Judo Championships.
 * 1965
 * City hosts Bundesgartenschau (national horticulture biennial).
 * Little Theatre founded.
 * 1968 – Essen Motor Show begins.
 * 1975 – Kettwig becomes part of city.
 * 1979 – Essen City Hall built.
 * 1983 – Spiel, world's biggest non-electronic game trade fair begins.
 * 1988 – Aalto Theatre opens.
 * 1989 – Annette Jäger becomes mayor.
 * 1991 – Offener Kanal Essen television begins broadcasting.
 * 1993 – City hosts the 1993 World Fencing Championships.
 * 1994 – Stratmanns Theater Europahaus opens.
 * 1996 – GOP Varieté Essen theatre opens.
 * 1997 – Red Dot Design Museum active.
 * 1999
 * ThyssenKrupp conglomerate headquartered in city.
 * Wolfgang Reiniger becomes mayor.
 * 2000 – SGS Essen football club formed.

21st century

 * 2001 – Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
 * 2002 – Abu Ali group, a jihadist cell with plans to bomb Jewish sites in Germany was arrested by the authorities
 * 2003 – University of Duisburg-Essen established.
 * 2009 – Reinhard Paß elected mayor.
 * 2010 – City designated a European Capital of Culture.
 * 2012
 * Stadion Essen (stadium) opens.
 * Population: 566,862.
 * 2014 – June: Storm.

in English

 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)
 * (fulltext)