DeutschMetropolis Ruhr
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr Area, (German Ruhrgebiet, colloquial Ruhrpott, Kohlenpott or Revier) is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.3 million, it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany. It consists of several large, formerly industrial cities bordered by the rivers Ruhr to the south, Rhine to the west, and Lippe to the north. In the Southwest it borders on the Bergisches Land. It is considered part of the larger Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area of more than 12 million people. (Source: Wikipedia)
European Capital of Culture 2010
The program for the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 has
accepted the challenge of playing an influential role well beyond
2010. The Artistic Directors of RUHR.2010 are developing a program
architecture for this purpose that is asking the questions for the
future of the Metropolis Ruhr: One issue is the diversity and the authenticity
of culture in the Ruhr. Another includes cultural beacons,
highlights with the power to illuminate on an international scale.
These will make the European Capital of Culture 2010 clearly visible
for visitors and the audience. (Source: RUHR.2010)
Further information: RUHR.2010
Wirtschaftsförderung metropoleruhr GmbH
The regional economic development agency provides data and facts, develops tailor-made concepts for targeted site marketing and cooperates with companies so as to further optimise the conditions of the region’s expertise. Networks and clusters are also expanded through collaboration with companies and institutions operating in science and research. The wmr initiates projects and supports, moderates and accompanies regional processes concerning site development.
Bochum
Hundreds of thousands of people from the poorer German provinces and from Eastern Europe flocked to the Ruhr Valley in search of work, so that in Bochum alone the population increased tenfold from the middle of the century until about 1890. Coal mines and factories sprang up like mushrooms in the town's fields and meadows.
Bochum's last colliery closed down some 30 years ago, and steel production is no longer as important as it was. New industries took their place, and companies like Opel and Nokia set up manufacturing facilities in the city. When the ongoing process of restructuring in Bochum and in the Ruhr area is complete, they too will have lost their major role to the service sector. Already, insurance companies and public adminstration, educational and cultural institutions employ more people in the town than the manufacturing sector. (Source: City of Bochum)
Further information: City of Bochum
Dortmund
Like almost no other German city, Dortmund has seen enormous change in recent years. The former “steel city” developed into a modern and cosmopolitan metropolis, acquiring renown all across Europe as an innovative location for technological development. But the biggest city in the Ruhr Valley also scores with a wide range of possibilities in the cultural and sporting sector, with extensive greens and a high quality of life. (Source: City of Dortmund)
Further information: City of Dortmund
Duisburg
Duisburg - vivid, vibrant and full of contrasts In order to provide an insight into Duisburg´s different facets and aspects, you can find some typical impressions of Duisburg… Once known as "Coalville" Duisburg on the Rhine is today a city of full of diversity and has a lot to offer visitors and residents alike. Fans of history, culture and art, for instance, have four interesting museums to choose between. Classical music lovers may prefer to listen to the German Opera on the Rhine at the municipal theatre or the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra in the Mercator concert hall at the brand-new City Palais. (Source: City of Duisburg)
Further information: City of Dusburg
Essen
With nearly 587,000 inhabitants, Essen is one of Germany’s ten biggest cities. In the last century, the city gained fame as the centre of the coal and steel industries in Germany, but viewed historically, the period in which these industries held sway was only relatively short. In the year 2002, Essen celebrated the 1150th anniversary of the convent and of the city of Essen. For around 1000 years, Essen was an ecclesiastical principality and was governed by abbesses.
Today, three-quarters of the working population of what was once the biggest coal mining city in Europe are employed in administration, the service industries and commerce. Some of the German companies with the highest turnovers have their administrative headquarters in Essen. (Source: City of Essen)
Further information: City of Essen