Tax return Hattingen
The name of the town derives from the Latin “hattuare”, which means “heather-forest”. The Hattuarians are an ancient tribe, who settled the central areas of the Ruhr area. First settlements were built in the Neolithic period. The Romans later occupied the region and created a series of military fortifications in the area around Hattingen. In the Middle Ages the towns of Hattingen and Blankenstein develop into important centres of trade. The towns are linked together by the river Ruhr. Two little streams, the “podrebeci” (Porbecke in Stuter) and the “farnthrapa” (Felderbach in Elfringhausen) flow through the district.
During the Protestant Reformation the towns of Hattingen and Blankenstein gain municipal law. The city is fortified by stone walls and defensive towers, and it is granted the privilege to hold three fairs a year. In the war of the Julich Succession, Hattingen, Blankenstein and Stiepel are occupied by Spanish troops.
In the Industrial Era coal mining became the most important working industry in the Hattingen region. The town develops into one of the Ruhr’s leading trading and manufacturing cities. In 1853 the steel manufacturer Henrichshutte opens its doors. The company will remain the largest employer in the municipality for 135 years.
In the local elections of 2004 the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is the strongest political force with 24 seats in the council. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has 18, the Alliance 90/The Greens four, the FDP (a liberal lis) and WBG (a conservative lis) each have seven seats, the PDS/WAL (socialists) and AUF Witten (left wing list) each have three, and the FLW (a conservative lis) and FLB (a left wing list) have two each. Hattingen is represented in the Bundestag of North Rhine-Westphalia by Rainer Bovermann from the CDU. In the Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hattingen is part of the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis I constituency. The mayor is Sonja Leidemann from the SPD. During the 2021 municipal election the majority of the voters supported the SPD. Steuererklärung Hattingen