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The origins of the Catholic Workers' Movement go back to the 19th century, when the working class in Europe emancipated itself as the so-called Third Estate. Today, it is the largest non-union organisation in Germany, with around 200,000 men and women organised nationwide.

Alongside Adolf Kolping, Bishop Wilhelm Emanuel von Ketteler of Mainz is regarded as a pioneer of the Christian social idea. He is regarded as one of the outstanding founders of Catholic social teaching and the movement that ran parallel to it. He saw the church's main task in his time as being to protect and promote the welfare of the newly emerging working class. In his famous social sermons and writings of 1848, Ketteler called for a solution to the social question. The first Catholic labour support association was founded in Regensburg in 1849. In 1891, the association was merged in southern Germany to form the Association of Southern German Catholic Workers' Associations.

The workers' associations in central and eastern Germany and in the diocese of Trier merged in 1897. In 1903, the "West German Association of Catholic Workers' and Miners' Associations" was founded. After the National Socialists came to power, all associations were banned. There have been KAB groups in the diocese of Münster since 1868. With around 42,000 men and women in 366 associations, the movement is the largest diocesan organisation in Germany. Associations and local groups in this region form the district association. This is divided into eight districts with headquarters in the four regional offices in Dülmen, Wesel, Vechta and Münster. The regional office in Dülmen includes the clubs of the district association in the districts of Coesfeld, Borken and Recklinghausen. The Borken district association has 39 clubs with around 7,500 members. It is divided into the sub-districts of Ahaus, Bocholt, Borken, Gronau and Stadtlohn.

Seven KAB clubs are represented in the Bocholt sub-district:

St
• . Paulus Bocholt,
St
• . Josef Bocholt,
Ss
• .
• Ewaldi Bocholt,
St.
• Norbert Bocholt,
St
• . Michael Bocholt,
St
• . Bernhard Mussum and
St
• . Bernhard Lowick.

On 22 May 1971, the South German and West German associations and the Rottenburg-Stuttgart regional association founded the Federal Association of the Catholic Workers' Movement as an umbrella organisation. Following the founding of the new federal association, KAB Deutschland e.V., on 3 October 2003, the regional associations were dissolved and transferred to the federal association. KAB is also a member of the World Movement of Christian Workers' Organisations (WBCA). Today, KAB Deutschland e. V. is organised into diocesan associations. The federal organisation currently consists of 26 diocesan associations. One focus of the associations is educational work. The KAB-Bildungswerk organises courses and events on topics relating to the church and society. Other programmes include weekend seminars at the Haltern and Günne/Möhnesee educational centres. Local volunteers are trained in basic political courses, courses for managers and theological seminars. Specific events are offered for four target groups: For families: family seminars, lectures on family policy, family holidays. For women: Special offers for women, reconciling work and family life. For young people: youth days, holiday games and exchanges between the groups. For senior citizens: Educational camps, holiday offers, holiday trips, pilgrimages and retreats.

Lit:
http://www.kab-muenster.de
http://www.kab-rb-duelmen.de/seiten/borken.htm

After the parish of Mussum was separated from the mother parish of St Joseph in 1950, the KAB St Bernhard, Mussum, was founded four years later. The first meeting took place on 11 April 1954. A group of 9 men organised the founding meeting, at which the aims and significance of the KAB were presented to 30 participants. The new KAB association was given the name "St. Bernhard". The founding ceremony took place on 1 May 1954 with the participation of many guests of honour.

Over the course of time, a lively club life developed. Young families grew up and it was natural that a large part of the work was dedicated to the families. Many joint events such as Advent and Christmas celebrations, a summer party and the annual bicycle rally have survived to this day.

In order to give members an insight into new technologies in the world of work, visits were made to medium-sized companies in the Bocholt area, as well as to some large companies in the steel production, energy generation and electrical and automotive industries. Educational events at the Heinrich-Lübke-Haus in Günne/Möhnesee are a fixed part of the programme. Current political topics will be covered.

The organisation's activities also include charitable work. Proceeds from collections of old paper and clothes are donated to the missionaries from Mussum, the KAB World Emergency Organisation and family work. After 50 years, the association has around 250 members.

The motto for the 2004 anniversary was: "Preserve the tried and tested, develop the new - join in and help shape".

Lit:
Brochure Bocholt for senior citizens, published by the city's senior citizens' office.
Themenheft Leben im Alter, published by the German Bishops' Conference in 1993.
See also:
Assisted living, Senior Citizens' Advisory Council, Evangelical Church in Bocholt, KAB, Azurit, Rawerspurte senior citizens' housing complex

At a meeting of Catholics in November 1872, the idea of laying the foundations for a workers' association in Bocholt was born for the first time. The St Paulus KAB association was founded in January 1873. More and more Bocholt workers came together in their parent organisation. By the end of the 20th century, the association had grown to such an extent that it had almost 1000 members.

When the new church of St. Joseph south of the Aa was built in 1897 and elevated to an independent parish on 21 January 1901, the desire for a separate workers' association also arose here. The St. Paulus association decided to separate and founded the St. Josef workers' association on 9 February 1908. At that time, 422 members left the St Paulus association and joined the newly created St Josef association.

In 1907, Mr and Mrs Albert Beckmann donated land to the workers' association for the construction of the clubhouse. A hall with a stage for theatre and singing performances with 400 seats was added. A bowling alley was built outside the building. A theatre department was founded under the direction of the well-known Wilm Hüls-Drömmelgaorn and a singing department was established under the direction of Rector Dumsdorf. The roots of the gymnastics and ball players (TuB) also lie in the St. Josef Workers' Association.

The club grew until 15 September 1935, when the National Socialists brought all club life to a standstill. The building was confiscated and the association was dissolved. However, after the Gestapo in Münster were able to prove that the building belonged to the church, the restaurant was reopened on 15 December 1935, until the final "off" came on 1 July 1937. The pub was closed and the landlord was banned from working due to political unreliability. During the war, the hall was used as a storage room for grain and uniforms. On 4 March 1945, the building fell victim to a bombing raid.

Soon after the end of the war, the first official meeting took place again in the Kolping House. Gradually, it was possible to think about rebuilding the destroyed clubhouse on Hohenzollernstrasse, which was inaugurated on 4 July 1954 and handed over for its intended purpose. In the meantime, the ownership situation had changed. A new, modern parish and youth centre was built elsewhere, close to the church, where the meetings now take place. The association's groups also include a strong senior citizens' community.

Even as an offshoot of the St Paul's Association, the association has helped two new associations to come to life in its almost 100-year history. As early as 1 March 1941, the parish of Ss. Ewaldi parish received its parish rights. Due to the war, however, it was not until 1946 that the KAB Ss. Ewaldi could only be founded in this parish in 1946.

After the separation from the mother parish of St Joseph, a KAB association was also founded in the parish of Maria Trösterin in Mussum with the name "St. Bernhard" was founded. Members of the St. Josef association who lived in these parishes have now joined the new association. Both new communities have their roots in the parish of St Joseph.

Lit:
Pfarrei St. Josef (ed.), Festschrift zum 100jährigen Weihejubiläum der Josefskirche, Bocholt 1997. see also: Seniorengemeinschaften

In 1959, the city of Bocholt began building in the Löverick area. Around 4,300 people were to find a home here. In 1965, the Catholic church, which had chosen St Norbert as its patron saint, was consecrated.

In 1966, it was decided to found a KAB association. It was to be the fifth KAB association in the city of Bocholt. The first members came from the parent association St Paulus. They lived in the new parish of St Norbert. Thanks to an advertising campaign, the association already had 80 members on its official founding day. The first president was Father Eismann. Hans Evertz became the founding chairman.

The association met once a month for educational events. Well-known speakers were invited to speak on religious and socio-political topics. Mayor Peter Nebelo spoke on current local political issues. The Kneipp Association's health centre was visited. These events also include the educational weekends in homes in Rahrbach and Günne-Möhnesee.

In addition to the educational and discussion evenings, the recreational part is not neglected. Barbecue evenings, bicycle tours, day trips to neighbouring Holland to the Hooge Beluwe and excursions were highlights of the year.

The KAB is a community of men and women. Since 1971, women have also been registered as full members with all rights and obligations. Since then, women have also been represented on the board and have been doing their work as women of trust. In this context, mention should also be made of the helpers who lend a hand with the loading and unloading of the bicycles in Kevelaer and Bocholt during the women's and girls' cycle pilgrimage to Kevelaer.

The family circle, founded in 1992, is another of the association's assets. Parents and children currently organise their own programme. Programme items include lectures on family policy, cultural, religious and leisure topics, company tours and museum visits. The highlight of the programme is the family camps that take place every two years at the Heinrich-Lübke-Haus on Lake Möhnesee. Here, parents and their children spend their holidays together.

Since March 1968, there has been a senior citizens' group open to all senior citizens in the parish. They meet once a month for an informal get-together.

Lit:
Records from 25 and 40 years of KAB St Norbert, Bocholt

The Käthe - Kollwitz - Haus retirement and nursing home was built in 1995 in the north of Bocholt, in the Stenern district. The facility is run by the Evangelisches Johanneswerk e. V., a foundation that is committed to helping people in need in a wide variety of life situations throughout Europe.

The home offers space for 100 residents, who find a new home in 52 single and 24 double rooms, which they can furnish with personal items. All rooms have their own bathroom with a walk-in shower, an emergency call system, telephone and television connection. The residents live in shared flats of 12 - 14 people each. The meeting point is the shared kitchens, which allow residents to spend their leisure time together. In addition, events and celebrations with relatives, friends and staff take place in larger communal rooms.

People with dementia receive special care in four residential groups. Patients who only need temporary help (e.g. after hospitalisation or while family carers are on holiday) can be admitted to the home for short-term care and take part in life in the shared apartments. The home also offers older people from the neighbourhood an open lunch every day. Residents, relatives and guests are invited to the cafeteria for Sunday get-togethers with coffee and cake.

At regular intervals, the churches invite residents to join in the celebration of Protestant, Catholic and ecumenical services.

The home is named after one of the most famous artists of the 20th century: Käthe Kollwitz (1867 - 1945 ).

Her works (engravings, etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, sculptures) were always socially critical in colour. In her works, she depicted poverty, human suffering, war and death and campaigned for peace and social justice.

The meeting place Käthes Treff was established in 2005 in cooperation between the Protestant parish of Bocholt and the Käthe-Kollwitz-Haus retirement home. Every Monday and Tuesday between 8.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., full-time and part-time staff look after people with dementia who live at home with their relatives in the Wichernhaus.

Targeted activities are designed to promote the independence of patients, enabling them to cope better with everyday life. For family carers, the "Käthes Treff" service provides noticeable psychological and physical relief.

Address: Käthes Treff in the Wichernhaus, Rudolf - Virchow -Str. 5 , 46397 Bocholt

Lit.: Bocholt for senior citizens (brochure),. Bocholt 2008, p.36

Some Bocholters living on Reygersstraße did not build their houses in the usual long line or row, but in a curve - more correctly in a triangle. The Brockhaus still describes this unconventional building style today: "Kraal, round-built farmstead of the Kaffern". This is how the settlement was jokingly called "Kaffernkraal".

Lit:
Werner Schneider, In drei Stunden nach England, Rom und Jericho, in: UNSER BOCHOLT, vol. 9 (1958) p. 3, pp. 8-15.

This is a name for a building, the "Café Wilms", which stood on the corner of the south side of Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Platz. It was built in 1901 on the corner of Nordstraße/Neuplatz (now Benölkenplatz) next to the municipal savings bank. The former Neuplatz and later Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Platz was renamed Hermann-Göring-Platz in 1936.

When Edmund Kalveram rented the pub and a flat in the aforementioned corner building in the same year, coming from Münster, he initially adopted the now established name "Gaststätte Kaisereck" for his business. The building was completely destroyed by heavy bombing in 1945. Edmund Kalveram acquired the ruined site and built a hotel with a restaurant, a pilsner parlour and a wine cellar on it under the name "Hotel Kaisereck".

The hotel opened on 15 October 1953 and was regarded as a reputable, middle-class establishment in Bocholt. After the death of Edmund Kalveram in 1974, his daughter Hanna continued to run the business until 1989. She sold the building to the city of Bocholt on 1 November 1989, which initially used the hotel rooms as accommodation for people moving from the GDR and later for refugees from the former Yugoslavia. The building was demolished in 2011.

The so-called "Gäle Wäterken" flowed under the building.

Lit:
UNSER BOCHOLT Vol. 38 (1987) H. 2/3, p. 90 and Vol. 42 (1991) H. 2, p. 17 Source: Verbal information from Mrs Hanna Kalveram, Bocholt, 2006.

11

Two-storey detached town house with hipped roof in the classicist style. Built around 1860. Destroyed in 1945. Rebuilt in 1950/1953. Architect Karl Jansen. Finely co-ordinated plaster façade with corner pilaster strips and classicist decoration to 5 symmetrical window axes. On the ground floor, scored ashlar and arched windows framed by pilasters and divided by glazing bars. Central entrance with round arch and renovated front door above a double flight of steps. On the upper floor, rectangular mullioned windows with simple moulded framing, surmounted by cornices. Decorative frieze with disc ornament above. Continuous frieze of acanthus tendrils, horse heads and rosettes under the sol benches. Today used as an office building.

Lit:
UNSER BOCHOLT 1981, issue 3, p. 36.

16

Two-storey town villa from the Wilhelmine era with hipped roof. Destroyed in 1945. Rebuilt in 1947/1954 for the factory owner Ludwig Beckmann (1863 ? 1951) and his heirs. Architect Josef Zimmermann. During reconstruction, the shape of the roof and the window openings were partially altered and replaced by simple rectangular windows. The originally richly ornamented stucco frames were not restored. Brick façades above the rusticated basement are divided by cornices and embossed corner pilaster strips. Three window axes in the east, originally three on the ground floor in the north, now four, and two window axes on the upper floor, offset to the west. On the east façade, the left window axis is designed as a risalit, on the upper floor with a graceful, semi-circular balcony with a calotte-shaped underside and original wrought-iron railings. All windows with glazing bars. Round arched entrance to the south, faced with ashlar plaster. To the west, kitchen and veranda extension with terrace above. Despite heavy war damage, the character of the representative town villa has been preserved. The original southern boundary wall has been preserved.

29

Two-storey, detached town villa with hipped roof in the style of the Wilhelminian era. Destroyed in 1945. Rebuilt afterwards. Balanced, proportioned brick façades above a rendered base with five symmetrical window axes, vividly structured by embossed corner pilaster strips and cornices. Central entrances to the north and west via recessed staircases. Doors and windows framed with rich stucco mouldings. Today used as a commercial building.

A kamp was originally a block-shaped field that was laid out at the edge of a meadow and surrounded by hedges. Later, the term was also used for other types of fields. Most of the original Kämpe were created in the (late) Middle Ages during the subsequent expansion of arable land on the Esch and were initially used in rotation farming and later increasingly for grain cultivation. In some cases, the combs were also fertilised with plaggen, as in the case of plaggeneschkultur. The Kämpe were of particular importance to the Kötter, who had no or only a small share of the Esch itself and whose landholdings consisted predominantly of battlefields.

After 1950, these small-scale fields increasingly disappeared from the landscape as a result of land consolidation and the use of large agricultural machinery. Today, street names such as Auf dem Takenkamp, Nevelkamp and Steggenkamp still refer to the former farming use.

Lit:
Paul Heinrichs, Die Heide. Entstehung, Geschichte und Vergehen einer Heimatlandschaft, in: UNSER BOCHOLT Jg. 18 (1967) H. 1, pp. 24-29.
Erhard Mietzner, Esch, Kamp, Heide, Mark ... Notes on an old farming economy, in: UNSER BOCHOLT Jg. 55 (2004) H. 3, p. 34-41.

The 1948 municipal elections ended with a tie between the three council factions of the Centre Party, the CDU and the SPD. The mayoral elections did not produce a majority, so the office was finally drawn by lot. The CDU candidate Otto Kemper became Lord Mayor by chance.

Otto Kemper was born in Bocholt on 13 June 1900 as the second child of the building contractor Heinrich Kemper. After leaving school, he completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter and passed his master craftsman's examination after the First World War. In 1933, he became deputy head master of his guild. In 1935, he married Elisabeth Ingenschay and had six children with her, two of whom were killed by bombs during the Second World War.

In 1946, Kemper was appointed to the municipal council appointed by the military government, where he was a member until 1969 and was repeatedly re-elected. He was Lord Mayor of Bocholt from 1948 to 1964, always being elected by clear majorities in the legislative periods from 1952 onwards. Together with the highly deserving Lord Mayor Ludwig Kayser, the reconstruction of Bocholt was the main focus of his work for many years. He put his craftsmanship to the test by installing the ceiling in the conference room of the historic town hall. In addition to his office as Lord Mayor, he still found time to be active in many honorary posts.

For example, he was a long-standing board member of the St Georgius marksmen's association and played a key role in the rapid reconstruction of the Schützenhaus, which for many years was the only large hall available for events in Bocholt. He was also particularly dedicated to craft organisations, was district master craftsman, guild master, member of the general assembly and board member of the Münster Chamber of Crafts, member of the supervisory board of the Volksbank. The "Haus des Handwerks" owes its existence to his initiative.

After the end of the war, he was very keen to re-establish friendly relations with his Dutch neighbours. Thanks to his efforts, the first contacts were made just a few years after the end of the war. The first official visit by the Winterswijk municipal council to Bocholt took place in 1953.

The preservation of old Bocholt customs and the Bocholt dialect were also particularly close to his heart. He often played one of the main roles - the factory owner Linnebrink - in the Bocholt folk play " Den Wäwedamp". He was made an honorary member of the Association for the Preservation of Local History, of which he was a board member for many years. In 1966, he received the Federal Cross of Merit. In recognition of their services to the city of Bocholt, Otto Kemper and "his" head of the city Ludwig Kayser were awarded honorary citizenship on 2 June 1972.

Kemper died on 12 July 1974. On 15 June 1982, the Otto Kemper Ring was named after him in memory of the former Lord Mayor and honorary citizen.