The city archive presents Bochum's history in the permanent exhibition "Bochum macht sich" and other displays, free of charge.
May 28, 2026 – January 31, 2027
The exhibition examines the factory photographs of the Bochumer Verein: how they came about, what purpose they served, and whether they also followed propagandistic aims. Created in cooperation with the Historisches Archiv Krupp and the Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
The Bochumer Zentrum für Stadtgeschichte is the municipal archive of the city of Bochum. It preserves charters, files, photos, plans, newspapers and literature on city history and makes them available for personal research, often in original form. A branch is located in the Gertrudis Center in Wattenscheid.
Besides the reading room, the building on Wittener Straße has exhibition areas, so it also functions as a city history museum. Since October 30, 2021, the permanent exhibition "Bochum macht sich. Schlaglichter Bochumer Geschichte" has been on view there. The occasion was the charter of June 8, 1321, in which Count Engelbert II of the Mark confirmed privileges for the settlement at the Bochum Reichshof, a milestone on the way to becoming a town.
The exhibition deliberately dispenses with completeness and chronology; instead it picks out spotlights from more than 700 years, showing turning points and how people dealt with them. It was funded by the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe. The offering is supplemented by changing exhibitions, lectures and the archive cinema.
Admission is free.
Admission to the exhibitions is generally free. Guided group tours of the exhibitions are charged.
The building is step-free and has an elevator; all event and exhibition areas are reachable for people with limited mobility.
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Navigation address: Wittener Straße 47, 44777 Bochum.
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| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Free guided tour through the exhibition "Bochum macht sich" on the first Sunday of each month at 14:00 (meeting point at reception). Paid group tours, tours for school classes and cinema events are booked at 0234 910-9510 during exhibition opening hours. |
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