AUTHIR Dirk Dose
PUBLISHED 25. FEB 2025
The Gothaer Haus
The Gothaer Haus in Lüdenscheid, a striking building at Rathausplatz 25, was built between 1973 and 1974 and has shaped the cityscape of the city center ever since. Designed by the Lüdenscheid architect Rolf Miekeley, it was built as part of the comprehensive redesign of Lüdenscheid’s city center, which became known as the “Tunnel and City Hall Project” in the early 1970s.
Originally known as the “Crossbar”, the name “Gothaer Haus” was later established, named after the investor, the Gothaer Versicherungsbank Göttingen. The high-rise complex combines various uses under one roof: shops, office space, doctor’s offices and residential units. Over the years it has housed various shops and facilities such as a kiosk, a pharmacy, a dry cleaner, a hairdresser, a kebab grill, a discotheque and even a cinema.
A special feature of the Gothaer-Haus is the attached large, multi-storey parking garage complex, which extends in an L-shape in the area of MARtin-Niemöller-Straße. This combination of commercial and parking areas followed the “center concept” that was emerging in urban planning at the time.
In the 1990s, the Gothaer-Haus changed hands and was sold to the real estate agent Horst Hellerforth for a double-digit million sum. After renovation work and a new color scheme for the facade, the building became the property of the GBS Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Menden, which is still responsible for administration and rental today.
Despite its central location and diverse possible uses, the Gothaer-Haus developed a rather negative image over time. Nevertheless, it remains an important part of Lüdenscheid’s inner city and a witness to the urban development of the 1970s.