•
1186: First mention in official documentation of Kempen as a place – the sovereign until 1794 is the Archbishop (electoral prince) of Cologne •
around 1290: Kempen is rebuilt as a
fortified town •
11 March 1294: First confirmation of Kempen as a town in official documentation •
15th century: town blooms economically and culturally (population of approx. 4,200) •
1542–1543: Kempen is the centre of the
Reformation for the Lower Rhine •
1579: The plague costs the town almost half of its inhabitants •
1642: Kempen is conquered and destroyed by the allied French, Hessian and Weimar troops during the "Hessen War" (
Thirty Years' War) •
1794–1814: Kempen is under French rule. In the
département of
Roer established in 1797, Kempen becomes a canton seat in 1798 and a French town in 1801. •
1815: After the
Congress of Vienna, Kempen becomes Prussian and is the county seat •
1929: Due to local reforms, Kempen becomes the administrative seat of the county of Kempen-Krefeld •
1966 onward: Restoration of the old town •
1970: Communal restructuring: The communities of
Hüls, St. Hubert, Tönisberg and Schmalbroich join Kempen along with the localities of St. Peter and Unterweiden to form a single town •
1975: In further local reforms, Hüls is assigned to the city of Krefeld. The county of Viersen is formed and Kempen becomes part of "Kreis Viersen" •
1984: The county seat is transferred from Kempen to Viersen. •
1987: A cultural forum is opened in the Franciscan monastery after comprehensive restoration and renovation work. •
11 March 1994: Date of the 700-year jubilee of the confirmation of Kempen as a town ==Politics==