The story of the church of St. Mary’s Assumption

In Gescher, the number of Catholics grew strongly after 1945 and so, a second church was needed.  Prompted by the dogma of the "bodily ascension of the Virgin Mary into heaven”, which was proclaimed in 1950, the new parish was called "St. Mary's Assumption".

The plan to build a new church, initiated by Pastor Hartmann, was vigorously pursued by chaplain Josef Willenbrink and the church building association. The project was strongly supported by the largely Catholic community of Gescher. Many employees agreed to contribute one hour's wage every week, to which their employers added an equivalent amount. Farmers contributed according to their arable land. Civil servants and self-employed persons also donated money or helped by lending a hand. The church acquired building land in exchange for arable fields.

The "new church" was built in 1953/54. Its facade is made of Ibbenbüren sandstone and the supporting columns of Anröchter bluestone, according to the design of architect Hein A. Schäfer from Coesfeld.  The roof structure was built by Gescheran carpenters free of charge.

Josef Willenbrink became the first pastor of the new congregation in 1957. For over five decades,  St. Mary’s parish played an important role in the town’s life.

When both Catholic congregations merged in 2004, one of the churches had to be closed. Therefore, St. Mary’s was secularised on New Year's Eve 2010.

From church to assisted living in “Marien-Quartier“               

It took a long time for the diocese and parish to find a new use for the building.  Ideas included converting it into a house of learning, a town archive or a columbarium. Another plan was to create a museum of the Berkel river landscapes in the "St. Francis Centre for the preservation of creation". None of the ideas was viable.

Another proposal was to convert the building into a municipal library, a plan backed by 3,927 citizens in a petition. It was, however, turned down by both the city council and the administrative court. In 2012/13 plans emerged to demolish the building and erect a supermarket instead. Many people joined vigils against this.

A major turning point occurred in 2013 when the former church was declared a listed building.

Next, a competition for investors and architects was launched on the initiative of the Episcopal Vicar General and, in autumn 2014, the concept of architect Peter Bastian from Münster was selected as the most consensual solution. What used to be the land and buildings of the church became the new Marien-Quartier. The parish contributed the building and land under a ground lease. A chapel was built in the tower. The townscape was preserved. ECO.PLAN GmbH & Co. KG from Coesfeld realised all new buildings and conversions.

Since 2018, the church building itself has been filled with new life due to the assisted living quarters for senior citizens.

1985  1000 years Parish St. Pankratius

1986 Railway line Borken - Gescher – Coesfeld opens

            Heiden - Gescher - Legden section of A 31 motorway opens

1989 New town hall at the market place officially opened; design of open spaces with various artistic elements ("Spiel mit 6o")

1990 7,000 residents of Gescher protest successfully against a residual waste dump in Gescher-Estern

1991 Commissioning of bypass roads in the direction of Oeding and Stadtlohn

1999 Heiner Theßeling becomes first full-time mayor of the town of Gescher

2004 The parishes St. Pankratius and St. Mary Assumption merge

2010 The expanded and renovated Westphalian Bell Museum is opened

            The parish church of St. Mary's Assumption is secularised

2011 A hydroelectric power plant at "Alfers Mühle" is put into operation to provide electricity for about 50 households

            A new sports centre is built at Ahauser Damm

2012 Vigils against the demolition of the former church of St. Mary's Assumption

            Hochmoor celebrates 100th anniversary

            The comprehensive school opens and gradually replaces the previous secondary schools

            St. Pankratius municipal library opens on Eschstrasse

            Sports clubs FSV Gescher and SV Gescher 08 merge to become SV Gescher

            Start of construction work on the IT Campus, a centre for digital service companies

2014 Gescher may now call itself Bell Town Gescher

2014 Marienquartier, a project including senior-friendly living, is realised. New buildings are constructed and the listed St. Mary’s church is converted. A small chapel is built inside of its tower and consecrated in 2017.

2015 800 refugees from the Middle East, Asia and North Africa arrive in Gescher; search for adequate accommodation; strong social commitment among the population

            Civic foundation of Bell Town Gescher is established

2016 Following heavy rainfall, river Berkel floods Fabrikstrasse and the Berkel floodplain

2017 First stumbling blocks are laid in memory of deported Jewish families

2018 The old secondary modern schools close after the last graduates have left

2019 Town festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the town of Gescher in conjunction with the 1st Berkel Festival of all the communities along the river

2020 Gescher has 17,250 inhabitants