Gedenkstein Hof Schalke

In the 1890s, the city fathers of Gelsenkirchen had a vision: they envisioned their citizens relaxing in a beautiful, green municipal park after having worked hard at their jobs. For this vision to become reality, however, a large area of land was needed. But free land was a rare commodity. Much of the land in the area had been bought up by Hibernia Colliery and Consolidation Colliery. But the industrialists did not yet own the land a few hundred metres west of the main railway station. This is the place where the farmer August Schalke runs his Schalke farm. But there are rumours that he is planning to give up farming soon. And there is no successor in sight who would be willing to take over the farm. But the land is big enough to be transformed into a beautiful city garden. When the Lord Mayor approaches him in 1896, the old farmer agrees to sell. Only a year later, just in time for the 100th birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I, the new park is opened on the site of the former Schalke farm.