Essen

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''This article is about the city in Germany. For other places with the same name, see Essen (disambiguation).

History

Essen was founded around 845 as a monastery for women which was among the most important monasteries in the 10th century, when it was led by Mathilde, a granddaughter of emperor Otto I, and two other women who were related to the Ottonian emperors, Sophia, a sister of Otto III and Theophanu, a granddaughter of Otto II. After the end of the Ottonian dynasty Essen lost its importance and remained a rather insignificant agricultural town until the 19th century. The mining of coal and ore led to the growth of the city and of the entire Ruhr area. The Krupp family comes from Essen; their works established steel production in Essen in 1811. After having undergone major economic changes after World War II, Essen now hosts a high-class college of art, many industrial sights (Zeche Zollverein) and a major collection of art (Folkwang Museum). On April 11, 2006 ["Essen for the Ruhrgebiet"] was declared European Capital of Culture for 2010. This decision is yet to be ratified by the European Culture Council.

Transportation

Roads

Ruhrschnellweg

The Ruhrschnellweg runs directly through the city, dividing it roughly in half. A tunnel was built in the 1970s when the then-Bundesstraße was upgraded to autobahn standards, so in the inner city district near the main station, the A40 is hidden from public view. Other major autobahns include the A 52 which crosses the city limits at Kettwig, continues past the fairground through the southern borough of Rüttenscheid, then merges with the Ruhrschnellweg at the Autobahndreieck Essen-Ost junction. (A proposed extension to replace B224 in the northern boroughs has not been built yet.) In the northern borough of Karnap, the A42 briefly touches Essen territory, serving as an interconnection between the cities of Oberhausen and Gelsenkirchen.

Public transport

Twin towns

Sights in Essen

Zollverein Coal Mine, pit 12

The Goldene Madonna

• Zeche und Kokerei Zollverein: Coal mine (built in 1932, closed in 1986) and coking plant (built in 1961, closed in 1993). Visitors now have access to the precincts, which frequently house temporary art exhibitions. Once the largest coal mine in the world, it has been awarded World Cultural Heritage status by UNESCO.
• Villa Hügel: Built at the end of the 19th century by industrial magnate Alfred Krupp, the real estate register used to define the 269-room mansion (8100 m²) as a single-family home. Today it often houses temporary art exhibitions and music concerts.
• Essener Münster: 14th-century cathedral with a westwork and crypt from the 10th century, rebuilt in 1958; not spectacular in appearance, but having some exquisite objects on display in the attached treasure house: Artworks from around 1000 AD, a crown of Emperor Otto III), the oldest preserved sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the world (Goldene Madonna, vernacularly referred to Essen sein Schatz, or in English, Essen's Treasure).
• Alte Synagoge: The Jewish community inaugurated the synagogue in 1913. Destroyed by fire in the Nazi pogroms of 1938, it was restored after World War II. It stands as the largest synagogue north of the Alps.
• Essen city hall: Germany's highest city hall (106 metres), built from 1971 to 1979. Free guided tours offer a view from the 22nd floor, overlooking the city from 100 m above ground.
• RWE tower: Largest skyscraper in North Rhine-Westphalia and corporate headquarters of RWE AG, situated across the street from the Aalto theatre.
• Aalto Theater: Theatre designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, opened in 1988.
• Essen-Werden: Once a town of its own, it became a borough of Essen in 1929; the center of the town has partly retained its medieval townscape with many pubs and restaurants. It stands near the Lake Baldeney and hosts the Folkwang College of Music and Performing Arts.
• Kettwig: Located south of the Ruhr river, and also once a town of its own, it was incorporated in 1975. Until today, residents of Kettwig can only be called using an area code different from that of the rest of Essen. Additionally (allegedly because of relatively high church tax incomes), the Archbishop of Cologne managed to keep Kettwig part of the Archbishopric of Cologne, whereas all other parts of Essen and some neighbouring cities constitute the Diocese of Essen (Ruhrbistum).
• Baldeneysee: The big lake in the south of the city, a popular recreation area. It dates from 1931 - 1933, when 10,000 unemployed coal miners dredged it in exchange for bread and beer [link].
• The Essen fair grounds (Messe Essen) often host large exhibitions, such as Essen game fair (October, also occasion of the presentation of the Essen Feather and of the Deutscher Spiele Preis), YOU (the largest European youth fair), Equitana (equitation) and Essen Motor Show.

Notable people born in Essen

• Christian Keller (born 1972) – medley and freestyle swimmer

External links

• [Official city website]
• [University of Duisburg-Essen]
• [Folkwang Museum], collections of 19th and 20th century German art
• [Zollverein], a former mine converted to a world-class design center
• [Folkwang Hochschule] school of art
• [link] Lichtburg Essen], "the largest film theater in Germany"
• [Werden Abbey]
• [Essen Philharmonia]
• [Theater in Essen]
• [Pictures from Kettwig]

World Heritage Sites in Germany

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