Waltrop

Waltrop
Town
Saint Peter Church
Saint Peter Church
Coat of arms of Waltrop
Coat of arms
Recklinghausen (district)North Rhine-WestphaliaDortmundBochumHerneGelsenkirchenEssenWesel (district)BottropUnna (district)Coesfeld (district)Borken (district)GladbeckRecklinghausenDattelnOer-ErkenschwickCastrop-RauxelMarlHertenWaltropHaltern am SeeDorsten
Location of Waltrop within Recklinghausen district
Interactive map of Waltrop
Waltrop is located in Germany
Waltrop
Waltrop
Location within Germany
Waltrop is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Waltrop
Waltrop
Location within North Rhine-Westphalia
Coordinates: 51°37′N 07°23′E / 51.617°N 7.383°E / 51.617; 7.383
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionMünster
DistrictRecklinghausen
Government
 • Mayor (2020–25)Marcel Mittelbach (SPD)
Area
 • Total
47.09 km2 (18.18 sq mi)
Elevation
67 m (220 ft)
Population
 (2025-12-31)
 • Total
29,125
 • Density618.5/km2 (1,602/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
45731
Dialling codes02309,
02363 (Oberwiese)
Vehicle registrationRE

Waltrop (German pronunciation: [ˈvaltʁɔp] ⓘ) is a town in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the Datteln-Hamm Canal, approximately 15 km east of Recklinghausen and 15 km north-west of Dortmund.

Division of the town

The town of Waltrop is surrounded by the Bauerschaften (rural boroughs) Lippe (Unterlippe/Oberlippe), Elmenhorst, Brockenscheidt, Leveringhausen, Oberwiese and Holthausen.

History

People already settled in this area about 2,000 years ago.

The village developed around the parish church of St. Peter which was built in the 9th/10th century. It is known that in 1432 Waltrop was a part of the county Dortmund. After the Soest Feud, the archbishops of Cologne could intervene against the counts of Mark, so that Waltrop became a part of Vest Recklinghausen.

The production of coal in the mine started in 1905. As a consequence, Waltrop grew larger and became an industrial town. One coal mine was closed down in 1979, the other closed in 1992.

In 1939, Waltrop got its municipal rights.

Population

Governance

The town council of Waltrop consists of 36 seats, which are divided into 6 parliamentary groups since September 2020:

Since 2020 Marcel Mittelbach (SPD) is mayor of Waltrop.

Notable places

Waltrop is home to a museum of old ship lifts, including the Henrichenburg boat lift and a historical coal mine, called Zeche Waltrop.

Local industry

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Waltrop is twinned with:

References

  1. ↑ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 29 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2025 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus 2022" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW.
  3. ↑ "Landesdatabank Nordrhein-Westfalen Tabelle 12411-01i: Bevölkerungsstand - Gemeinden - Stichtag". Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Partnerstädte". waltrop.de (in German). Waltrop. Retrieved 2021-02-17.