Hüsten - St. Petri

Neheim-Hüsten existed from 1941 to 1974. It was created by merging the town of Neheim and the municipality of Hüsten. The town was incorporated into Arnsberg in 1975 and continues to exist as a single district.

Hüsten was first mentioned in a document in 802, making it one of the oldest communities in Westphalia. The parish of St. Petri was first mentioned in 1179. In 1360, Count Gottfried IV of Arnsberg granted the town civil rights. In 1604, almost all the houses and stables burned down. In 1613, nearly half of the population died of the plague. In 1807, a major fire destroyed Hüsten.

The industrial revolution reached the town with the founding (1839/1846) of a heavy industrial company ("Hüstener Gewerkschaft"). In 1839, the Hüsten rolling mill was founded. Until the closure of this operation in 1966, Hüsten was as closely associated, both positively and negatively, with the "Gewerkschaft." From 1871 to 1911 the population increased from 1578 to 6609 inhabitants.

The history of St. Petri Church dates back to the 9th century, the time of Christianization. St. Petri church in Hüsten was thus one of the main parishes in the Sauerland region. The parish originally encompassed the entire Röhrtal valley and the present-day Arnsberg city area. As late as 1179, Hüsten was still officially the mother church of the Oelinghausen nunnery, founded in 1174.

The first church building was made of wood. A stone structure followed around 1150. The building was a Romanesque pillar basilica. It had a central nave and two side aisles. The tower still dates from that building. After a fire in the 15th century, the church was rebuilt in the original style. In the 17th century, the tower was raised several meters.

By the 19th century, the building had finally proved too small. Initial plans for a new building date back to 1831. However, due to financial difficulties, construction did not begin until 1861. The old building was demolished except for the tower.

The new building is a neo-Gothic hall church.