Historischer Rundweg - Board I

Community centre and parish community centre

The volunteer helpers from the associations in Wemb made a substantial contribution in helping to reduce the costs for the building.

For the first time in 1988 the Catholic Church Community Heilig Kreuz Wemb and the Municipality of Weeze jointly discussed the idea of building a new parish community centre with an event hall. With the closure of the Denißen pub, the only sizeable events hall in Wemb, where for decades theatre productions, dance events, carnival and „Kirmes“ (community fair) celebrations as well as the necessary rehearsals and meetings were held, was no longer available to the community. The building of a civic centre was a matter of urgence, because otherwise the keen multiple activities of associations and clubs and citizens would simply break away. The Municipality in 1989 purchased the property with the surrounding buildings as well as a field to the side of the property from the Denißen Family.

Lots of volunteers

The construction of the community centre with a parish community centre at the beginning of the 1990s was, for the whole of the County of Cleves, a unique cooperation between the political Municipality of Weeze and the parish of Heilig Kreuz Wemb-Hees-Baal. The whole complex was designed by the architect’s office Professor Pfeiffer and Ellermann from Lüdinghausen in the form of an „H“ with the outer blocks pushing against one another, so that a generous courtyard opened up in the foreground towards the church, and as such, fitted harmoniously into the overall appearance of Wemb. The left “block” of the “H” as village hall and the mid-tract were constructed by the Municipality of Weeze with a substantial personal contribution made, under the leadership of the chairman of the social clubs and associations of Wemb, Willi Böskens, by the citizens of Wemb-Hees-Baal. The volunteer helpers contributed significantly in keeping the costs low, as they not only helped in demolishing the hall, the dwelling house, the barn and stable of Denißen, but also invested 3,000 hours of carpentry, tiling as well as paving work on the community centre. The erection and installation of the kitchen was also completed, from foundation to rooftop, personally by the volunteers.

The right “block” of the “H”, which was built by the parish of Wemb-Hees-Baal fits seamlessly onto the mid-tract. Its large communal room offers space for 80 persons and along with the adjoining smaller rooms, kitchen and sanitary installations it is able to meet all the demands and requirements placed upon it.

Administration and usage

The administration of the village hall as well as the coordination of events has since 1992 been handled by the association „Vereins- und Gruppengemeinschaft Wemb-Hees-Baal e. V.“ All the clubs and associations in Wemb are represented on its board and they jointly make decisions on the use of their civic centre. Members of the association include the volunteer fire brigade Wemb, the catholic women’s association Wemb, the musical society Wemb, the church board Wemb, the Heilig Kreuz singing group Wemb, the church choir Wemb, the choir Motus, the altar boys and girls and lectors Heilig Kreuz Wemb, the society of young families Wemb and the St. Joseph’s community Wemb. The aim and goal of the association is not necessarily to make a commercial profit, but to cater to the needs of its members and all the citizens of the Municipality of Weeze.

The running of the community centre is financed above all by renting out the village hall, which can hold up to 250 people, for parties and events. Almost every second weekend a wedding reception, birthday party or company event, also for non-citizens of Wemb, is held in the village hall. Priority, however, is always given to its member associations and the clubs in Wemb.