Wanne-Eickel was an independent city in the northern Ruhr area, existing in this form from 1926 to 1974. As part of the North Rhine-Westphalian territorial reform, it was merged with the independent city of Herne with effect from January 1, 1975.[1] Wanne-Eickel received its district status in 1926 as a city, and from 1955 to 1970 it was a city. Until its merger with Herne, Wanne-Eickel had the highest statistical population density of all German cities; covering an area of 21.31 km², it amounted to approximately 5,100 inhabitants per km² in December 1965.
The coat of arms of the city of Wanne-Eickel, in a slightly modified form, became that of the new city of Herne. The city colors of gold, black, and gold were also adopted. The old license plate number WAN has been available again since December 2012 in connection with the liberalization of license plate regulations.[2] The development of Wanne-Eickel was closely linked to mining, which had a decisive influence on its growth. A total of 20 pits belonging to the Königsgrube, Hannibal, Pluto Thies/Pluto Wilhelm, Unser Fritz, and Shamrock mines were spread across the former town area. Coal mining lasted from 1856 to 1993, and several industrial monuments commemorate this period.