The district hall

History of the district hall on Moltkestraße: A striking landmark with administrative function

The construction of the district hall on Gummersbach's Moltkestraße marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the district administration of Oberbergischer Kreis in the 1960s.

The high-rise building, completed in 1969, was an architectural novelty at the time: With its 60 meters in height and 16 floors, it not only towered over the city center of Gummersbach but also set new standards for the entire region.

To this day, the high-rise building of the district hall remains the tallest building in Oberbergischer Kreis.

1969: Completion of the high-rise building

The construction of the high-rise reflects the technological progress and the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s.

Under the leadership of the then district building director Waldemar Sahr, a convinced advocate of high-rise construction, a modern administrative building with steel skeleton construction, clear lines, and functional design was created.

520 tons of structural steel, 2000 meters of climate pipes, and a total of 764 windows were used for the building. The investment amounted to approximately 11.8 million Deutsche Marks.

Under the title "The district high-rise - a site of rationalized administration," the district bulletin from 28.02.1969 provides information on the construction of the high-rise.

Administrative center after the municipal reorganization

The significance of the district hall was further emphasized with the municipal territorial reform in North Rhine-Westphalia. As part of the „Cologne Act“ of November 5, 1974, and the associated reorganization, Gummersbach finally became the main seat of the district administration of the newly defined Oberbergischer Kreis. The high-rise building, constructed in 1969, thus became the central administrative building of the district.

Additionally, further administrative buildings were constructed in the 1970s, including the road traffic office in Niederseßmar, the health office at Wiedenhof 1–3, and the building of the Oberbergische Aufbau-Gesellschaft mbH at Moltkestraße 34. Adjacent residential houses were also gradually acquired and converted into offices to meet the steadily growing number of tasks and personnel.

Fire protection and renovation: A building in transition

In the 1990s, the topic of fire protection gained increased focus – including for the district high-rise building.

Identified fire safety deficiencies necessitated a complete renovation of the high-rise building. This took place between 1996 and 1999 and included, among other things, the construction of a second staircase.

The renovation not only changed the safety infrastructure but also the usability of the building. The number of originally available and planned workplaces was significantly reduced due to new fire safety regulations, leading to the relocation of displaced workplaces.

To compensate, the so-called „round building“ was constructed, an extension directly adjoining the high-rise building.

Fragmentation of administrative locations

In the following years, the increasing demand for space was met by renting additional office spaces in Gummersbach. However, this decentralized structure led to a fragmentation of administrative locations – affecting efficiency, communication, and citizen proximity.

Since the renovation of the district hall more than two decades ago – with the exception of the construction measure for the new road traffic office – no major construction measures have been implemented in the area of administrative buildings.

Only ongoing maintenance, energy modernizations, and minor renovations have shaped the picture. An exception is the OAG building at Moltkestraße 34, which was comprehensively energetically renovated in 2011/2012 as part of the economic stimulus package II.