The Kahlenberg barrage is part of the hydropower-station Kahlenberg, which was built from 1922 to 1925. Apart from the occasional smaller renovation, the building mainly stayed untouched. Major changes were only made once, in 1962, when a pedestrian bridge was added. This was necessary as the former pedestrian bridge was destroyed in WWII and pedestrians and cyclists had to take a longer route to cross the Ruhr and get to the Saarn alluvial area.