It had received town privileges in 1347 and finally was incorporated into the City of Isselburg in 1975.
As a result it was proposed the new railway would run from Amsterdam via Amersfoort, Isselburg, Hamminkeln, Wesel and Duisburg to Cologne, avoiding large cities such as Utrecht and Arnhem in order to minimise the risk of floods disrupting the line.
After Isselburg it crosses the border with the Netherlands and enters the province of Gelderland.