A HOUSE WITH A LONG HISTORY

We are working in a house with a great past, in a house with a long history.

The mansion which is situated in Bernhard-Röcken-Weg 1 (Bernhard Röcken was the managing director of the colliery Diergardt-Mevissen), is a part of the ancient estate "Schauenhof" and belongs to the oldest and biggest farmsteads of Bergheim, which is a district of Duisburg-Rheinhausen.

The district Bergheim is located on the left bank of the River Rhine, not far from the contemporary Rhine boundary and owes its name "Berg" to our ancestors, who, in view of the monotonicity of the Lower Rhine Valley, called even a minor elevation a mountain range, particularly when it was flood-free.

The "Crölls-Hof", which at a later date was called "Schauenhof" according to its owner Johan Schauen, has been first mentioned in 1481 and included 130 morgen, that is about 33,35 hectares of cultivable land. In 1875 the mansion, appearingly neo-classical, was added to the peasant buildings. In this manor-house now our head office is located.

Until 1911 however the "Schauenhof" was fit for agricultural use only. The estate turned into an administrative center only after the area including all buildings had been acquired by the colliery "Gewerkschaft Wilhelmine Mevissen".

The plans of the archive of the town museum reveal, that extensive remodelling had been necessary. The ancient stables, oil and cabbage mills and even the walk-in baking oven have been converted into offices. The mansion has been preserved as a representative residential house of the director of the colliery with only slight structural alterations. One more treasure, which has been retained unchanged, is the picturesque courtyard, appearing like a Dutch Béguinage with its marvelous cobblestone pavement.

The small park, which surrounded the farmstead, still today is almost completely well-preserved and serves us as a wonderful and much appreciated meeting place at break time.

Here also the centuries-old copper beech is standing, which gives evidence of the presence of the Americans at the "Schauenhof". You will still find well legible the inscription "PITTSBURGH 1945", which has grown together with the tree.

There are yet other witnesses to history from these years, namely the large bunkers underneath the entire property, some parts up to 3 stories underground. At that place today thousands of invoices as well of customers of our company as other invoices of our publishing house are stored there.

In this beautiful ambience we love receiving visitors. You are cordially invited too.