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Today's building, a new-Gothic church, was built between 1868 and 1872. During the times of the Carolingian Dynasty (8th-9th century), there was there an armed church, which was followed by several sacral buildings. The baptistry inside the Gertrudis-Churchis dated from times about the year 1000. It is borne by four lions. It is considered to be one of the oldest baptistries in Germany. According to legends, the devil should have taken up a huge rock to throw it against the monastery of Werden, which was a thorn in his flesh since long. On his way he met a monk who traveled from Wattenscheid to this monastery. Thinking quickly, the monk raised his crucifix. The devil threw away the rock and disappeared blaspheming. Ludgerus, the abbott of Werden monastery, was ordered to bring the devil's rock into the monastery and form it into a baptistry, with images and 4 bearing lions. Full of gratitude for the saving of the monastery, he donated the baptistry to the church of Wattenscheid - and there it is still standing inside the Gertrudis-Church.
Deutsches Bergbau-Museum
One of the best of its kind worldwide. Whatever you want to know about mining, you can learn it here. The site was never used for actual mining, but an extensive replica mine has been constructed underground for visitors, and the headframe of a nearby mine has been transported here to serve as a landmark.
Eisenbahnmuseum Bochum
For lovers of old steam engines, one of the largest railway museums in Germany. There are also heritage train trips on the railway line to Hattingen and then over an otherwise-closed line to Wengern on summer Sundays, once a month with a steam locomotive, once a month with a diesel loco, and once a month using a diesel railbus dating from the 1930s.
Rathaus
Opened in 1931. Planned by architect Prof. Karl Roth. The layout is strictly symmetrical, the façade is plain. The hall divides the atrium in two parts, where fountains made of travertine and bronze are situated: on the left hand the fountain of beauty, on the right hand the fountain of happiness. The fountains were designed by Professor Vogel from Berlin.
The monastery in Bochum-Stiepel was built in 1988 and is under supervision of the Abbott of Heiligenkreuz in Austria. An event is the claustal Christmas market where they sell artworks from Senegal.
69 years after the Pogrom Night of 9 November 1938, when nearly all Jewish synagogues were destroyed in Germany, Bochum got a new synagogue. It was realised according to plans of the Cologne architect Peter Schmitz. He offered a clear and plain concept. Schmitz designed an ensemble of three separated structures which are linked together by a common bodyshell.
While the musical only enjoyed moderate success in its native Anglosphere and it is by far not the best known work by Andrew Lloyd Webber among English-speakers, Germans have somehow taken a liking to it, which is even odder considering that Musical is not generally a well-regarded or popular art form in Germany compared to opera or theater. The Bochum production alone has amassed 16 million admissions during its three decade run. The venue was purpose built in the 1980s for this musical.