Das Leben im Ruhrpott: 'Round about the Ruhrgebiet

industry in fall

industry in summer

rural part of Ruhrgebiet

As said before, the Ruhrgebiet is the former seat of heavy industry (coal mining and steel production) in Germany. Very little of this industry is left now, because, as is the case in most Western nations, mining and other heavy industries have been mostly taken over by developing countries where production is cheaper. However, some factories and power plants are still in operation, and remnants of industry can be seen all over the region. For example, there are "Halden," or slag heaps, near all the major former mines. Thankfully, they've all been grassed over and planted with trees, to the extent that they really look like natural hills just rising out of the ground. Many have become popular walking or outdoor activity areas, such as Halde Haniel in Bottrop, where I went with Pascal's mom. A way of the cross was installed on a winding path up the hill, ending at a large cross where Pope John Paul II once gave an address. Also on the top of this particular Halde is a small amphitheater where plays and concerts are occasionally held, as well as a crazy totem pole sculpture garden. The view from the top is amazing; I could see the entire Ruhrgebiet (almost as far as Dortmund even). Interestingly, interspersed with the cities and smokestacks are huge tracts of very rural areas that look like forests or fields. As I mentioned in my first post, a lot of Germans picture the Ruhrgebiet as smoggy and gray, but in reality it's almost overwhelmingly green.

the very top of the heap wasn't grassed over

cross at the top of the path

totem poles

amphitheater

the streets of Essen

Before industrialization, the Ruhrgebiet lacked in major significance in the German economic or cultural scene. Some cities (such as Essen or Dortmund) were moderately important as seats of power or trade, and Duisburg was very important for trade along the Rhine and had a renowned university, but overall the area was pretty much a collection of villages and farms. The discovery of coal kick-started the region's growth and towns sprang up quickly and with an eye on cheapness and efficiency rather than aesthetics. Add to that the fact that the Ruhrgebiet was extremely heavily bombed in World War II (industrial production sites of steel and weapons were obviously critical targets for the Allies) and in some towns over 75% of the buildings were destroyed. In the post-war period the prevailing architectural style seems to have been "plain concrete blocks," not too dissimilar from what Americans thinks of as typical Soviet architecture. All of these factors combine to create the unfortunately reality that the towns of the Ruhrgebiet are really just not all that pretty. That's not to say that there are no pretty or traditional buildings at all, and I certainly think that the construction of the cities here is extremely interesting and attractive in sort of utilitarian, modern way, but Dortmund and company lack the charm of towns such as Tuebingen with their quaint medieval buildings and winding cobblestone streets. That being said, I find Dortmund to be considerably more "livable" than Tuebingen, because I don't feel like I'm living in a postcard or constantly being a tourist at some historical site. Also, because there are so many cities in close proximity to each other, there's always stuff to do, concerts to go to, exhibits to see. It's not at all isolated, like I sometimes felt Tuebingen was, and, in my opinion, the perfect place to just have a normal day-to-day life. So now, some pictures of the wonderful city of Dortmund: