Bochum

Bochum grew on the rolling ground between the Ruhr and Emscher, in the lands of the counts of Mark. In 1321 Count Engelbert II extended the inhabitants' market rights, an important step in the settlement's development as a town. A school is recorded from around 1430, a hospital was founded in 1438, and a town hall existed by 1461. Bochum remained a modest market town for much of its history, serving the surrounding countryside.