Street names
The first street names originated in the vernacular long ago to indicate approximately where someone lived. Often it was enough to refer to a distinctive feature of the neighborhood to make it clear where someone came from. For example, the name "New Street" originated as an indication of a new group of houses near the hamlet of "Strass. It was not until the rise of coal mining in the early twentieth century that Kerkrade grew significantly. The number of inhabitants and homes increased dramatically during this time, and in order to keep administrative order, it was necessary for street names to be officially established. On December 12, 1919, the first list of then 76 street names was established by the municipal council.
Over the years, the municipality of Kerkrade's street name database has grown larger and larger. The last major change dates from 1982 when the independent municipalities of Eygelshoven and Kerkrade were merged into the new municipality of Kerkrade.