It is assumed that the histories of Richerich and Horbach go back a long time, since the name is suggestive of a Celtic settlement.

Schönau Castle is today home to a restaurant and is available to residents as a cultural center and host to various events.

Besides a few houses from the 18th Century in the old village, there are several well-preserved old estates, such as the Gut Bau (built in 1750) and the Zehnthof, which is where farmers tithed what they owed during the Middle Ages.

The workforce consisted of about 500 people, but the mine was shut down after only 16 years, due to unfavorable tectonic conditions and poor coal quality.

A section of the community (which included Bank and Wilsberg and contained 1119 residents) was split off and merged with Herzogenrath.