Arrenberg the Wise

The city of Wuppertal is an administrative “creation,” formed in 1929 by merging the old towns along the Wupper River, and has since strived to cultivate a cohesive identity and a shared narrative. However, the histories of today’s neighborhoods are very different, a fact that is still evident today. In the pursuit of unity, some of the districts’ unique characteristics were overlooked; as a city of innovation and constant change, its history was often neglected, and amid the constant influx and outflow of residents—primarily working-class families—much local knowledge was lost. An Arrenberg neighborhood archive is not intended to separate the neighborhood from the city, but rather to establish a locally organized anchor for the official institutions.

The Arrenberg residential neighborhood was built on a greenfield site, designed on the drawing board around farm communities, after the expanding city of Elberfeld had already established major public institutions on the hillside. At the Wupper bend in the district, industrial history of global significance unfolded, the traces of which only insiders can now interpret. “Wissender Arrenberg” aims to connect this rich, multifaceted past to the vibrant, transformative present, helping today’s residents—as well as the many people in the neighborhood working in industries of the future—gain a more complete picture of their district —far beyond the postcard idyll and city marketing.

The archive aims to collect material from the neighborhood’s old households, save it from being lost, and analyze it: We are seeking publications of all kinds, as well as private documents and photos from the distant and recent past up to the present. Another goal is to create a digital, interactive knowledge database and timeline of the neighborhood as an exemplary “documentation of change.” We also hope to involve the residents of Neu-Arrenberg, because those who know their neighborhood best are already giving something back to it. The archive is not a dusty place, but a living part of life.