Essen II

Essen II is an electoral constituency represented in the Bundestag. It elects one member via first-past-the-post voting. Under the current constituency numbering system, it is designated as constituency 118. It is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia, comprising the northeastern part of the city of Essen.
Essen II was created for the inaugural 1949 federal election. From 2013 to 2025, it has been represented by Dirk Heidenblut of the Social Democratic Party. Since 2025 it is been represented by Ingo Vogel of the SPD.

Geography

Essen II is located in the Ruhr region of North Rhine-Westphalia. As of the 2021 federal election, it comprises the Stadtbezirke I, V, VI, and VII from the independent city of Essen.

History

Essen II was created in 1949. In the 1949 election, it was North Rhine-Westphalia constituency 31 in the numbering system. From 1953 through 1961, it was number 90. From 1965 through 1976, it was number 88. From 1980 through 1998, it was number 89. From 2002 through 2009, it was number 120. In the 2013 through 2021 elections, it was number 119. From the 2025 election, it has been number 118.
Originally, the constituency comprised the northeastern parts of the city of Essen. From 1980 through 1998, it comprised Stadtbezirke V, VI, and VII. It acquired its current borders in the 2002 election.

Election		Name	Borders
1949		Essen II	Essen city
1953	90	Essen II	Essen city
1957	90	Essen II	Essen city
1961	90	Essen II	Essen city
1965	88	Essen II	Essen city
1969	88	Essen II	Essen city
1972	88	Essen II	Essen city
1976	88	Essen II	Essen city
1980	89	Essen II	Essen city, VI, and VII
1983	89	Essen II	Essen city, VI, and VII
1987	89	Essen II	Essen city, VI, and VII
1990	89	Essen II	Essen city, VI, and VII
1994	89	Essen II	Essen city, VI, and VII
1998	89	Essen II	Essen city, VI, and VII
2002	120	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII
2005	120	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII
2009	120	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII
2013	119	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII
2017	119	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII
2021	119	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII
2025	118	Essen II	Essen city, V, VI, and VII

Members

The constituency has been held continuously by the Social Democratic Party since 1949. It was first represented by Karl Bergmann from 1949 to 1972, followed by Peter Reuschenbach from 1972 to 1994. Rolf Hempelmann served from 1994 to 2013. Dirk Heidenblut was elected in 2013, and re-elected in 2017 and 2021. Ingo Vogel was elected in 2025