For a long time the street consisted almost exclusively of brothels. Today the brothels are gone and the street is to be redeveloped. The history of prostitution in Minden can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The etymological origin of the name Rampenloch has not been conclusively clarified. One theory is the root word is a dialect term for tripe or chitterlings from cattle, indicating that in the 15th century the site was a local garbage heap or knackers yard.
The corner house, 3 Rampenloch, dates from and has remained almost unchanged to this day. Built as a master bricklayer's house, it illustrates the living and housing conditions at the beginning of the 19th century and is included in the register of historic monuments. The pavement, laid in , has been preserved. The paving, which is now unique in Minden, is also included in the register of historic monuments.
It consists of basalt cobbles for the carriageway, sandstone curbs and clinker brick walkways. From , several prostitutes have been recorded as house owners. The Rampenloch, which used to lie outside the city limits, has always been considered a disreputable place that was avoided by the population.
In the Middle Ages there was a cemetery for women who had been sentenced to death for child murder. The death penalty was applied for infanticide. As the women were considered too dishonourable for a funeral in a conventional cemetery, they were buried outside the city, mostly in places that were already stigmatised and used for other disposals. Since the time of the Reformation , a public rubbish tip has been documented at the site, from which time the name probably dates.
A street which was a settlement for the poor had formed in the 16th century. On November 13, Minden was occupied by French troops and incorporated into the French Kingdom of Westphalia , where it remained until when Napoleon I was defeated in the Battle of Minden. During the term of office of the first Minden district administrator in Arnim β , the Minden fortress was rebuilt under the supervision of the government of the Minden district. Since Minden was a fortress city, there were a lot of soldiers stationed there, far from their families, which meant that prostitution flourished.
