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Essen (;
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after
Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
, second-largest city of the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
after
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
,
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
and Dortmund, as well as the ninth-largest city of Germany. Essen lies in the larger Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region and is part of the cultural area of
Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...
. Because of its central location in the Ruhr, Essen is often regarded as the Ruhr's "secret capital". Two rivers flow through the city: in the north, the
Emscher The Emscher () is a river, a tributary of the Rhine, that flows through the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Its overall length is with an mean outflow near the mouth into the lower Rhine of . Description The Emscher h ...
, the Ruhr area's central river, and in the south, the
Ruhr River __NOTOC__ The Ruhr is a river in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), a right tributary (east-side) of the Rhine. Description and history The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an ...
, which is dammed in Essen to form the Lake Baldeney (''Baldeneysee'') and Lake Kettwig (''Kettwiger See'')
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
s. The central and northern boroughs of Essen historically belong to the
Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...
( Westphalian) language area, and the south of the city to the Low Franconian (
Bergish Bergish is a collective name for a group of West Germanic dialects spoken in the Bergisches Land region east of the Rhine in western Germany. The name is commonly used among its speakers, but is not of much linguistic relevance, because the varie ...
) area (closely related to Dutch). Essen is seat to several of the region's authorities, as well as to eight of the 100 largest publicly held German corporations by revenue, including three
DAX Dax or DAX may refer to: Business and organizations * DAX, stock market index of the top 40 German companies ** DAX 100, an expanded index of 100 stocks, superseded by the HDAX ** TecDAX, stock index of the top 30 German technology firms * Dax ...
-listed corporations. Essen is often considered the energy capital of Germany with E.ON and
RWE RWE AG is a German multinational energy company headquartered in Essen. It generates and trades electricity in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States. The company is Europe's most climate threatening Company, the world's number two in offsh ...
, Germany's largest energy providers, both headquartered in the city. Essen is also known for its impact on the arts through the respected
Folkwang University of the Arts The Folkwang University of the Arts is a university for music, theater, dance, design, and academic studies, located in four German cities of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since 1927, its traditional main location has been in the former Werden Abbey in E ...
, its Zollverein School of Management and Design, and the
Red Dot The Red Dot Design Award is a German international design prize awarded by Red Dot GmbH & Co. KG. There are prize categories for product design, brands and communication design, and design concept. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply ...
industrial product design award. In early 2003, the universities of Essen and the nearby city of
Duisburg Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
(both established in 1972) were merged into the
University of Duisburg-Essen The University of Duisburg-Essen (german: link=no, Universität Duisburg-Essen) is a public research university in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In the 2019 ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', the university was awarded ...
with campuses in both cities and a
university hospital A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university. The following is a l ...
in Essen. In 1958, Essen was chosen to serve as the seat to a
Roman Catholic diocese As of October 5, 2021, the Catholic Church in its entirety comprises 3,171 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, including over 652 archdioceses and 2,248 dioceses, as well as apostolic vicariates, apostolic exarchates, apostolic administrations, ap ...
(often referred to as ''Ruhrbistum'' or ''diocese of the Ruhr''). Founded around 845, Essen remained a small town within the sphere of influence of an important
ecclesiastical principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...
( Essen Abbey) until the onset of industrialization. The city then—especially through the
Krupp The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krup ...
family iron works—became one of Germany's most important coal and steel centers. Essen, until the 1970s, attracted workers from all over the country; it was the fifth-largest city in Germany between 1929 and 1988, peaking at over 730,000 inhabitants in 1962. Following the region-wide decline of heavy industries in the last decades of the 20th century, the city has seen the development of a strong
tertiary sector of the economy The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...
. The most notable witness of this ''Strukturwandel'' (structural change) is the
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (German Zeche Zollverein) is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The first coal mine on the premises was founded in 1847, and mining activities took plac ...
, which had once been the largest of its kind in Europe. Ultimately closed in 1993, both the coking plant and the
mine Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging * Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun ...
have been inscribed in the list of
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
World Heritage Sites since 2001. Notable accomplishments of the city in recent years include the title of European Capital of Culture on behalf of the whole Ruhr area in 2010 and the selection as the
European Green Capital European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
for 2017.


Geography


General

Essen is located in the centre of the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area, one of the largest
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
s in Europe (see also: megalopolis), comprising eleven
independent cities An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
and four districts with some 5.3 million inhabitants. The city limits of Essen itself are long and border ten cities, five independent and five ''kreisangehörig'' (i.e., belonging to a district), with a total population of approximately 1.4 million. The city extends over from north to south and from west to east, mainly north of the River Ruhr. The Ruhr forms the
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
in the boroughs of Fischlaken, Kupferdreh, Heisingen and
Werden Werden is a southern borough of the city of Essen in Germany. It belongs to the city district ''IX Werden/Kettwig/Bredeney'' and has 9,998 inhabitants as of June 30, 2006. The borough occupies a space of and is situated at a median height of . __ ...
. The lake, a popular recreational area, dates from 1931 to 1933, when some thousands of unemployed coal miners dredged it with primitive tools. Generally, large areas south of the River Ruhr (including the suburbs of Schuir and
Kettwig Kettwig is the southernmost borough of the city of Essen in western Germany and, until 1975, was a town in its own right. Kettwig is situated next to the Ruhr river, at a median height of 53 metres above sea level. It is the most recently incorpo ...
) are quite green and are often quoted as examples of rural structures in the otherwise relatively densely populated central Ruhr area. According to the
Federal Statistical Office of Germany The Federal Statistical Office (german: Statistisches Bundesamt, shortened ''Destatis'') is a federal authority of Germany. It reports to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The Office is responsible for collecting, processing, presenting and ...
, Essen with 9.2% of its area covered by recreational green is the greenest city in
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
and the third-greenest city in Germany. The city has been shortlisted for the title of
European Green Capital European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
two consecutive times, for 2016 and 2017, winning for 2017. The city was singled out for its exemplary practices in protecting and enhancing nature and biodiversity and efforts to reduce water consumption. Essen participates in a variety of networks and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to improve the city's resilience in the face of climate change. The lowest point can be found in the northern borough of Karnap at , the highest point in the borough of Heidhausen at . The average elevation is .


City districts

Essen comprises fifty boroughs which in turn are grouped into nine suburban districts (called ''
Stadtbezirk A ''Stadtbezirk'' (also called ''Ortsbezirk'' in Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate) is an administrative division in Germany, which is part of a larger city. It is translated as "borough". In Germany, ''Stadtbezirke'' usually only exist in a metropo ...
e'') often named after the most important boroughs. Each Stadtbezirk is assigned a
Roman numeral Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
and has a local body of nineteen members with limited authority. Most of the boroughs were originally independent municipalities but were gradually annexed from 1901 to 1975. This long-lasting process of annexation has led to a strong identification of the population with "their" boroughs or districts and to a rare peculiarity: The borough of
Kettwig Kettwig is the southernmost borough of the city of Essen in western Germany and, until 1975, was a town in its own right. Kettwig is situated next to the Ruhr river, at a median height of 53 metres above sea level. It is the most recently incorpo ...
, located south of the Ruhr River, and which was not annexed until 1975, has its own
area code A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, rea ...
and remains part of the Archdiocese of Cologne, whereas all other boroughs of Essen and some neighbouring cities constitute the
Diocese of Essen The Diocese of Essen is a bishopric of the Catholic Church in Germany, founded on 1 January 1958. The Bishop of Essen is seated in Essen Cathedral (''Essener Dom'' or ''Essener Münster''), once the church of Essen Abbey, and over one thousand yea ...
.


Climate

Essen has a typical
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
( Köppen: ''Cfb'') with cool winters and warm summers (different of
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
or
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
). Without large mountains and the presence of inland seas, it ends up extending a predominantly
marine climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
is found in Essen, usually a little more extreme and drier in other continents in such geographical location. Its average annual temperature is : during the day and at night. The average annual precipitation is . The coldest month of the year is January, when the average temperature is . The warmest months are July and August, with an average temperature of . The record high is and the record low is .


History


Origin of the name

In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it has the same form as the German
infinitive Infinitive (abbreviated ) is a linguistics term for certain verb forms existing in many languages, most often used as non-finite verbs. As with many linguistic concepts, there is not a single definition applicable to all languages. The word is deri ...
of the
verb A verb () is a word (part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descri ...
for "eating" (written as lowercase ''
essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
''), and/or the German
noun A noun () is a word that generally functions as the name of a specific object or set of objects, such as living creatures, places, actions, qualities, states of existence, or ideas.Example nouns for: * Living creatures (including people, alive, d ...
for
food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
(which is always
capitalized Capitalization (American English) or capitalisation (British English) is writing a word with its first letter as a capital letter (uppercase letter) and the remaining letters in lower case, in writing systems with a case distinction. The term a ...
as ''
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
'', adding to the confusion). Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of the name, there remain a few noteworthy interpretations. The oldest known form of the city's name is ''Astnide'', which changed to Essen by way of forms such as Astnidum, Assinde, Essendia and Esnede. The name Astnide may have referred either to a region where many
ash tree ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45–65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous, though a number of subtropical species are evergree ...
s were found or to a region in the East (of the
Frankish Empire Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
). The
Old High German Old High German (OHG; german: Althochdeutsch (Ahd.)) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050. There is no standardised or supra-regional form of German at this period, and Old High ...
word for fireplace, Esse, is also commonly mentioned due to the industrial history of the city, but is highly unlikely since the old forms of the city name originate from times before industrialization.


Early history

The oldest archaeological find, the '' Vogelheimer Klinge'', dates back to 280,000 – 250,000 BC. It is a blade found in the borough of in the northern part of the city during the construction of the
Rhine–Herne Canal The Rhine–Herne Canal (german: Rhein-Herne-Kanal) is a transportation canal in the Ruhr area of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with five canal locks. The canal was built over a period of eight years (5 April 1906 – 14 July 1914) and c ...
in 1926. Other artifacts from the
Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
have also been found, although these are not overly numerous. Land utilization was very high—especially due to mining activities during the Industrial Age—and any more major finds, especially from the
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
era, are not expected. Finds from 3,000 BC and onwards are far more common, the most important one being a Megalithic tomb found in 1937. Simply called Steinkiste (Chest of Stone), it is referred to as "Essen's earliest preserved example of architecture". Essen was part of the settlement areas of several Germanic peoples (
Chatti The Chatti (also Chatthi or Catti) were an ancient Germanic tribe whose homeland was near the upper Weser (''Visurgis''). They lived in central and northern Hesse and southern Lower Saxony, along the upper reaches of that river and in the valle ...
, Bructeri,
Marsi The Marsi were an Italic people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus (which was drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century). The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. ...
), although a clear distinction among these groupings is difficult. The castle in the south of Essen dates back to the eighth century, the nearby to the ninth century. Recent research into
Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
's '' Geographia'' has identified the ''polis'' or '' oppidum''
Navalia Navalia is a town (''polis'' or ''oppidum'') that was mentioned by Claudius Ptolemaeus in his ''Geographia''. The town has recently been associated with Essen. The name translates from Latin as "dock" or "wharf", but this may be coincidental. Th ...
as Essen.


Eighth–twelfth centuries

Around 845, Saint Altfrid (around 800–874), the later Bishop of Hildesheim, founded an abbey for women (''coenobium Astnide'') in the centre of present-day Essen. The first abbess was Altfrid's relative Gerswit (see also: Essen Abbey). In 799,
Saint Liudger Ludger ( la, Ludgerus; also Lüdiger or Liudger) (born at Zuilen near Utrecht 742; died 26 March 809 at Billerbeck) was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and the first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia. He has ...
had already founded
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
Werden Abbey Werden Abbey (german: Kloster Werden) was a Benedictine monastery in Essen-Werden (Germany), situated on the Ruhr. The foundation of the abbey Near Essen Saint Ludger founded a monastery in 799 and became its first abbot. The little church w ...
on its own grounds a few kilometers south. The region was sparsely populated with only a few
smallholding A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...
s and an old and probably abandoned castle. Whereas Werden Abbey sought to support Liudger's missionary work in the
Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...
region (
Helmstedt Helmstedt (; Eastphalian: ''Helmstidde'') is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. The historic university and Hanseatic city conserves an important monumental heritage of ...
/
Halberstadt Halberstadt ( Eastphalian: ''Halverstidde'') is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the capital of Harz district. Located north of the Harz mountain range, it is known for its old town center that was greatly destroyed by Allied bombi ...
), Essen Abbey was meant to care for women of the higher
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
nobility. This abbey was not an abbey in the ordinary sense, but rather intended as a residence and educational institution for the daughters and widows of the higher nobility; led by an abbess, the members other than the abbess herself were not obliged to take vows of chastity. Around 852, construction of the collegiate church of the abbey began, to be completed in 870. A major fire in 946 heavily damaged both the church and the settlement. The church was rebuilt, expanded considerably, and is the foundation of the present Essen Cathedral. The first documented mention of Essen dates back to 898, when
Zwentibold Zwentibold (''Zventibold'', ''Zwentibald'', ''Swentiboldo'', ''Sventibaldo'', ''Sanderbald''; – 13 August 900), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was the illegitimate son of Emperor Arnulf.Collins 1999, p. 360 In 895, his father granted hi ...
, King of Lotharingia, willed territory on the western bank of the
River Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sourc ...
to the abbey. Another document, describing the foundation of the abbey and allegedly dating back to 870, is now considered an 11th-century forgery. In 971, Mathilde II, granddaughter of Emperor
Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Francia, East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the olde ...
, took charge of the abbey. She was to become the most important of all abbesses in the history of Essen. She reigned for over 40 years, and endowed the abbey's treasury with invaluable objects such as the oldest preserved seven branched candelabrum, and the
Golden Madonna of Essen The Golden Madonna of Essen is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. It is a wooden core covered with sheets of thin gold leaf. The piece is part of the treasury of Essen Cathedral, formerly the church of Essen Abbey, in North Rhi ...
, the oldest known sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the western world. Mathilde was succeeded by other women related to the Ottonian emperors: Sophia, daughter of
Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. ...
and sister of
Otto III Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was crowned as King of ...
, and Teophanu, granddaughter of Otto II. It was under the reign of Teophanu that Essen, which had been called a city since 1003, received the right to hold markets in 1041. Ten years later, Teophanu had the eastern part of Essen Abbey constructed. Its
crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
contains the tombs of St. Altfrid, Mathilde II, and Teophanu herself.


13th–17th centuries

In 1216, the abbey, which had only been an important landowner until then, gained the status of a princely residence when Emperor Frederick II called abbess Elisabeth I ''Reichsfürstin'' (''Princess of the Empire'') in an official letter. In 1244, 28 years later, Essen received its town charter and seal when
Konrad von Hochstaden Konrad von Hochstaden (or Conrad of Hochstadt) (1198/1205 – 18 September 1261) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1238 to 1261. Life Konrad was a son of Count Lothar of Hochstaden, Hochstadt, canon of St. Maria ad Gradus and of the old Cologne Cath ...
, the
Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palati ...
, marched into the city and erected a city wall together with the population. This proved a temporary emancipation of the population of the city from the princess-abbesses, but this lasted only until 1290. That year, King
Rudolph I Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death. Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which h ...
restored the princess-abbesses to full sovereignty over the city, much to the dismay of the population of the growing city, who called for self-administration and
imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular pri ...
. The title
free imperial city In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
was finally granted by Emperor Charles IV in 1377. However, in 1372, Charles had paradoxically endorsed Rudolph I's 1290 decision and hence left both the abbey and the city in imperial favour. Disputes between the city and the abbey about supremacy over the region remained common until the abbey's dissolution in 1803. Many lawsuits were filed at the Reichskammergericht, one of them lasting almost 200 years. The final decision of the court in 1670 was that the city had to be "duly obedient in dos and don'ts" to the abbesses but could maintain its old rights—a decision that did not really solve any of the problems. In 1563, the city council, with its self-conception as the only legitimate ruler of Essen, introduced the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
. The Catholic abbey had no troops to counter this development.


Thirty Years' War

During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...
, the Protestant city and the Catholic abbey opposed each other. In 1623, princess-abbess Maria Clara von Spaur, Pflaum und Valör, managed to direct Catholic Spaniards against the city in order to initiate a
Counter-Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...
. In 1624, a "re-Catholicization" law was enacted, and churchgoing was strictly controlled. In 1628, the city council filed against this at the Reichskammergericht. Maria had to flee to Cologne when the Dutch stormed the city in 1629. She returned in the summer of 1631 following the
Bavarians Bavarians ( Bavarian: ''Boarn'', Standard German: ''Baiern'') are an ethnographic group of Germans of the Bavaria region, a state within Germany. The group's dialect or speech is known as the Bavarian language, native to Altbayern ("Old Bava ...
under Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, only to leave again in September. She died 1644 in Cologne. The war proved a severe blow to the city, with frequent arrests, kidnapping and rape. Even after the
Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...
from 1648, troops remained in the city until 9 September 1650.


Industrialisation

The first historic evidence of the important mining tradition of Essen date back to the 14th century, when the princess-abbess was granted mining rights. The first silver mine opened in 1354, but the indisputably more important coal was not mentioned until 1371, and coal mining only began in 1450. At the end of the 16th century, many coal mines had opened in Essen, and the city earned a name as a centre of the weapons industry. Around 1570,
gunsmith A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very h ...
s made high profits and in 1620, they produced 14,000 rifles and pistols a year. The city became increasingly important strategically. Resident in Essen since the 16th century, the Krupp family dynasty and Essen shaped each other. In 1811,
Friedrich Krupp Friedrich Carl Krupp (Essen, 17 July 1787 – Essen, 8 October 1826) was a German steel manufacturer and founder of the Krupp family commercial empire that is now subsumed into ThyssenKrupp AG. Biography After the death of his father, he was bro ...
founded Germany's first cast-steel factory in Essen and laid the cornerstone for what was to be the largest enterprise in Europe for a couple of decades. The weapon factories in Essen became so important that a sign facing the
main railway station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
welcomed visitors
Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
and
Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
to the "Armory of the Reich" (german: Waffenschmiede des Reiches, link=no) in 1937. The Krupp Works also were the main reason for the large population growth beginning in the mid-19th century. Essen reached a population of 100,000 in 1896. Other industrialists, such as
Friedrich Grillo Henrich Friedrich Theodor Ernst Grillo (20 December 1825, Essen – 16 April 1888, Düsseldorf-Grafenberg) was a prominent industrialist in the Ruhr area of Germany, particularly in Essen and Gelsenkirchen. Born the son of an Essen merchant ...
, who in 1892 donated the
Grillo-Theater Grillo-Theater is a theatre in Essen, Germany. Named after the industrialist Friedrich Grillo, who made the building possible, it opened on 16 September 1892 with Lessing's drama ''Minna von Barnhelm''. The building was badly damaged in World ...
to the city, also played a major role in the shaping of the city and the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area in the late 19th and early 20th century.


World War I and occupation

Riots broke out in February 1917 following a breakdown in the supply of flour. There were then strikes in the Krupp factory. On 11 January 1923 the
Occupation of the Ruhr The Occupation of the Ruhr (german: link=no, Ruhrbesetzung) was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925. France and Belgium occupied the heavily industria ...
was carried out by the invasion of French and Belgian troops into the Ruhr. The French Prime Minister,
Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in 1 ...
, was convinced that Germany failed to comply the demands of the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles (french: Traité de Versailles; german: Versailler Vertrag, ) was the most important of the peace treaties of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June ...
. On the morning of 31 March 1923, the culmination of this French-German confrontation occurred when a small French military command, occupied the Krupp car hall to seize several vehicles. This event caused 13 deaths and 28 injured. The occupation of the Ruhr ended in summer 1925.


Nazism, World War II

On the night of Kristallnacht on 10 November 1938, the
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
was sacked, but remained through the whole war in the exterior almost intact. The
Steele Steele may refer to: Places America * Steele, Alabama, a town * Steele, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Steele, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Steele, Missouri, a city * Lonetree, Montana, a ghost town originally called Steele ...
synagogue was completely destroyed. During the Nazi era, tens of thousands of slave laborers were forced to work in 350 Essen forced labour camps. Here, they did mining work and worked for companies like Krupp and Siemens. Alfried Krupp was convicted in the Krupp trial at
Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
for his role in this but was pardoned by the US in 1951. There were several subcamps in Essen in
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, such as the subcamps , , . As a major industrial centre, Essen was a target for
allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
bombing, the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF) dropping a total of 36,429 long tons of bombs on the city. Over 270 air raids were launched against the city, destroying 90% of the centre and 60% of the suburbs. On 5 March 1943 Essen was subjected to one of the heaviest air-raids of the war. 461 people were killed, 1,593 injured and a further 50,000 residents of Essen were made homeless. On 13 December 1944 three British
airmen An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions. In civilian aviation usage, t ...
were lynched. The Krupp decoy site (German: Kruppsche Nachtscheinanlage) was built in
Velbert Velbert ( Low Rhenish: ''Vèlbed'') is a town in the district of Mettmann, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The town is renowned worldwide for the production of locks and fittings. Geography Velbert is located on the hills of 'Niede ...
to divert Allied airstrikes from the actual production site of the arms factory in Essen. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Essen in April 1945. The US 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the
17th Airborne Division The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley. It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1943 bu ...
, acting as regular infantry and not in a parachute role, entered the city unopposed and captured it on 10 April 1945. After the successful invasion of Germany by the allies, Essen was assigned to the British Zone of Occupation. On 8 March 1946, a German Army Officer and a civilian were hanged for the lynching of three British Airmen in December 1944.


Twenty-first century

Although weaponry is no longer produced in Essen, old industrial enterprises such as
ThyssenKrupp ThyssenKrupp AG (, ; stylized as thyssenkrupp) is a German industrial engineering and steel production multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It is the result of the 1999 merger of Thyssen AG and Krupp and h ...
and
RWE RWE AG is a German multinational energy company headquartered in Essen. It generates and trades electricity in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States. The company is Europe's most climate threatening Company, the world's number two in offsh ...
remain large employers in the city. Foundations such as the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-
Stiftung A stiftung () (properly ''Stiftung'', pl. ''Stiftungen'') is an institution/foundation which, with the aid of a property, pursues a purpose determined by the founder. A ''stiftung foundation'' exists to give effect to the stated, non-commercial wi ...
still promote the well-being of the city, for example by supporting a hospital and donating €55,000,000 for a new building for the Museum Folkwang, one of the Ruhr area's major art museums.


Politics


Historical development

The administration of Essen had for a long time been in the hands of the princess-abbesses as heads of the Imperial Abbey of
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
. However, from the 14th century onwards, the
city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
increasingly grew in importance. In 1335, it started choosing two
burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...
s, one of whom was placed in charge of the treasury. In 1377, Essen was granted
imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular pri ...
but had to abandon this privilege later on. Between the early 15th and 20th centuries, the political system of Essen underwent several changes, most importantly the introduction of the
Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
in 1563, the
annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
of 1802 by
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
, and the subsequent
secularization In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...
of the principality in 1803. The territory was made part of the Prussian Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg from 1815 to 1822, after which it became part of the Prussian
Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...
until its dissolution in 1946. During the
German Revolution of 1918–19 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, Essen was the home of the Essen Tendency (Essener Richtung) within the
Communist Workers' Party of Germany The Communist Workers' Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Arbeiter-Partei Deutschlands; KAPD) was an anti-parliamentarian and left communist party that was active in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. It was founded in April 1 ...
. In 1922 they founded the
Communist Workers' International The Communist Workers' International (german: Kommunistische Arbeiter-Internationale, KAI) or Fourth Communist International was a council communist international. It was founded around the ''Manifesto of the Fourth Communist International'', pu ...
. Essen became one of the centres of resistance to
Social Democracy Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
and the
Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European military volunteer units, or paramilitary, that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenary or private armies, regar ...
alike. During the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
era (1933–1945), mayors were installed by the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the military government of the British occupation zone installed a new mayor and a municipal constitution modeled on that of British cities. Later, the city council was again elected by the population. The mayor was elected by the council as its head and as the city's main Representation (politics), representative. The Executive (government), administration was led by a full-time ''Oberstadtdirektor''. In 1999, the position of ''Oberstadtdirektor'' was abolished in
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
and the mayor became both main representative and administrative head. In addition, the population now elects the mayor directly.


Mayor

The current Mayor of Essen is Thomas Kufen of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Candidate ! Party ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thomas Kufen , align=left, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union , 115,415 , 54.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Oliver Kern , align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party , 43,093 , 20.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Mehrdad Mostofizadeh , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens , 25,924 , 12.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Harald Parussel , align=left, Alternative for Germany , 12,695 , 6.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Daniel Kerekeš , align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left , 5,414 , 2.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Annie Maria Tarrach , align=left, Die PARTEI , 5,168 , 2.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Karlgeorg Raimund Krüger , align=left, Free Democratic Party (Germany), Free Democratic Party , 4,200 , 2.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Peter Köster , align=left, German Communist Party , 546 , 0.3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Detlef Albert Fergeé , align=left, National Democratic Party of Germany, National Democratic Party , 232 , 0.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 212,687 ! 99.1 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 1,861 ! 0.9 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 214,548 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 446,384 ! 48.1 , - , colspan=5, Source
State Returning Officer


City council

The Essen city council governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 73,206 , 34.4 , 3.0 , 30 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 51,550 , 24.3 , 9.7 , 21 , 10 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 39,569 , 18.6 , 7.4 , 16 , 6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Alternative for Germany (AfD) , 15,849 , 7.5 , 3.7 , 6 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Germany), The Left (Die Linke) , 8,309 , 3.9 , 1.4 , 3 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (Germany), Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 6,476 , 3.0 , 0.2 , 3 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Essen Citizens' Alliance (EBB) , 6,209 , 2.9 , 1.4 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 5,282 , 2.5 , 1.7 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Human Environment Animal Protection (Tierschutz) , 4,396 , 2.1 , New , 2 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , , align=left, Social Liberal Alliance (SLB) , 760 , 0.4 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, German Communist Party (DKP) , 463 , 0.2 , 0.1 , 0 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Europa#Germany, Volt Germany (Volt) , 357 , 0.2 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party Germany (Piraten) , 86 , 0.0 , 1.8 , 0 , 2 , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 212,512 ! 98.9 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 2,327 ! 1.1 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 214,839 ! 100.0 ! ! 86 ! 4 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 446,384 ! 48.1 ! 2.8 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer


Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the city of Essen is a heraldic peculiarity. Granted in 1886, it is a so-called ''Allianzwappen'' (arms of alliance) and consists of two separate shields under a single crown. Most other coats of arms of cities use a mural crown instead of a heraldic crown. The crown, however, does not refer to the city of Essen itself, but instead to the German Mediatisation, secularized Principality, ecclesiastical principality of
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
under the reign of the princess-abbesses. The dexter (heraldically right) Escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon shows the double-headed Imperial Eagle of the Holy Roman Empire, granted to the city in 1623. The sinister (heraldically left) escutcheon is one of the oldest emblems of Essen and shows a sword that people believed was used to behead the city's patron saint, patron Saints Cosmas and Damian. People tend to connect the sword in the left shield with one found in the Cathedral Treasury. This sword, however, is much more recent. A slightly modified and more heraldically correct version of the coat of arms can be found on the roof of the ''Handelshof'' hotel near the main station.


International relations

The Monessen, Pennsylvania, City of Monessen, Pennsylvania, situated along the Monongahela River, was named after the river and Essen.


Twin towns – sister cities

Essen is Sister city, twinned with: *Changzhou, China (2015) *Grenoble, France (1974) *Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (1991) *City of Sunderland, Sunderland, England, United Kingdom (1949) *Tampere, Finland (1960) *Tel Aviv, Israel (1991) *Zabrze, Poland (2015)


Cooperation agreements

Essen cooperates with: *Kōriyama, Japan (2017) *Qingdao, China (2008) *Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (2012)


Industry and infrastructure


Economy

Essen is home to several large companies, among them the
ThyssenKrupp ThyssenKrupp AG (, ; stylized as thyssenkrupp) is a German industrial engineering and steel production multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It is the result of the 1999 merger of Thyssen AG and Krupp and h ...
industrial conglomerate which is also registered in
Duisburg Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
and originates from a 1999 merger between Duisburg-based Thyssen AG and Essen-based Krupp, Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp. The largest company registered only in Essen is Germany's second-largest electric utility RWE, RWE AG. Essen hosts parts of the corporate headquarters of Schenker AG, the logistics division of Deutsche Bahn. Other major companies include Germany's largest construction company Hochtief, as well as Aldi, Aldi Nord, Evonik Industries, Karstadt, Medion, Medion AG and Deichmann SE, Deichmann, Europe's largest shoe retailer. The Coca-Cola Company had originally established their German headquarters in Essen (around 1930), where it remained until 2003, when it was moved to the capital Berlin. In light of the Energy transition in Germany, Germany's largest electric utility E.ON announced that, after restructuring and splitting off its conventional electricity generation division (coal, gas, atomic energy), it will move its headquarters to Essen in 2016, becoming a sole provider of renewable energy. The
DAX Dax or DAX may refer to: Business and organizations * DAX, stock market index of the top 40 German companies ** DAX 100, an expanded index of 100 stocks, superseded by the HDAX ** TecDAX, stock index of the top 30 German technology firms * Dax ...
-listed chemical distribution company Brenntag announced to move its headquarter to Essen at the end of 2017. Thyssen-Krupp-Quartier-Essen-2013.jpg,
ThyssenKrupp ThyssenKrupp AG (, ; stylized as thyssenkrupp) is a German industrial engineering and steel production multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate. It is the result of the 1999 merger of Thyssen AG and Krupp and h ...
headquarters in Essen RWE Tower Essen 2014.jpg, RWE, RWE AG headquarters in the business district EON-Ruhrgas-Zentrale Essen.jpg, E.ON headquarters Hochhaus Kruppstraße 5, Essen(2).jpg, RWE, RWE AG headquarters Hochtiefhaus Essen.jpg, Hochtief headquarters RellingHaus II, Essen.jpg, Evonik Industries headquarters Schenker AG Hauptsitz.jpeg, Schenker AG headquarters Postbank-Hochhaus Essen.jpg, Postbank Essen Ehem. Essener Creditanstalt, heute Deutsche Bank.jpg, Deutsche Bank branch in the financial district Emschergenossenschaft Essen.jpg, Emschergenossenschaft Essen


Fairs

The city's exhibition centre, Messe Essen, hosts some 50 trade fairs each year. With around 530.000 visitors each year, Essen Motor Show is by far the largest event held there. It has been described as "the showcase event of the year for the tuning community" and as the German version of the annual SEMA auto show in Las Vegas. As contrasted with the Frankfurt Auto Show, the Essen show is smaller and is focused on car tuning and racing interests. Other important fairs open to consumers include SPIEL, the world's biggest consumer fair for tabletop gaming, and one of the leading fairs for equestrianism, equestrian sports, Equitana, held every two years. Important fairs restricted to professionals include "Security" (security and fire protection), IPM (gardening) and E-World (energy and water). Essen-MesseSued3-Asio.jpg, Messe Essen south entrance Messe Essen, Osteingang.jpg, Messe Essen, east entrance Essen-MesseSued1-Asio.jpg, Messe Essen south entrance


Media

The Westdeutscher Rundfunk has a studio in Essen, which is responsible for the central
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area. Each day, it produces a 30-minute regional evening news magazine (called ''Lokalzeit Ruhr''), a five-minute afternoon news programme, and several radio news programmes. A local broadcasting station went on air in the late 1990s. The WAZ-Mediengruppe, WAZ Media Group is one of the most important (print) media companies in Europe and publishes the Ruhr area's two most important daily newspapers, ''Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung'' (WAZ; 580,000 copies) and ''Neue Ruhr/Rhein Zeitung'' (NRZ; 180,000 copies). In Essen, the WAZ Group also publishes the local ' and ', both of which had been independent weekly newspapers for parts of Essen. Additionally, Axel Springer AG, Axel Springer run a printing facility for their boulevard-style daily paper ''Bild'' in Essen.


Education

One renowned educational institution in Essen is the Folkwang University, a university of the arts founded in 1927, which is headquartered in Essen and has additional facilities in Duisburg, Bochum and
Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
. Since 1927, its traditional main location has been in the former
Werden Abbey Werden Abbey (german: Kloster Werden) was a Benedictine monastery in Essen-Werden (Germany), situated on the Ruhr. The foundation of the abbey Near Essen Saint Ludger founded a monastery in 799 and became its first abbot. The little church w ...
in Essen in the Ruhr area, with additional facilities in
Duisburg Duisburg () is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in Nor ...
, Bochum, and
Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
, and, since 2010, at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, Zeche Zollverein, a World Heritage Site also in Essen. The Folkwang University is home to the international dance company ''Folkwang Tanz Studio'' (FTS). In 1963 the Folkwang school was renamed ''Folkwang-Hochschule'' (Folkwang Academy). In 2010 the institution began offering graduate studies and was renamed Folkwang University of the Arts. This coincided with Ruhr.2010, the festival in which the Ruhr district was designated the European Capital of Culture for the year 2010. Essen_Kloster_Werden_Innenhof_2_2005.jpg,
Folkwang University of the Arts The Folkwang University of the Arts is a university for music, theater, dance, design, and academic studies, located in four German cities of North Rhine-Westphalia. Since 1927, its traditional main location has been in the former Werden Abbey in E ...
Zollverein School of Management and Design 3116754.jpg, Zollverein School of Management and Design Universität Essen Panorama.jpg, Universität Essen Essen Werden - Folkwang-Hochschule 08 ies.jpg, Folkwang University
The
University of Duisburg-Essen The University of Duisburg-Essen (german: link=no, Universität Duisburg-Essen) is a public research university in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In the 2019 ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', the university was awarded ...
, which resulted from a 2003 merger of the universities of Essen and Duisburg, is one of Germany's "youngest" universities with about 42,000 Students. One of its primary research areas is ''urban systems'' (i.e., sustainable development, logistics and transportation), a theme largely inspired by the highly urbanised Ruhr area. Other fields include nanotechnology, discrete mathematics and "education in the 21st century". Another university in Essen is the private ''Fachhochschule für Ökonomie und Management'', a university of applied sciences with over 6,000 students and branches in 15 other major cities throughout Germany.


Medicine

Essen offers a highly diversified health care system with more than 1,350 resident doctors and almost 6,000 beds in 13 hospitals, including a university hospital. The university hospital dates back to 1909, when the city council established a municipal hospital; although it was largely destroyed during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, it was later rebuilt, and finally gained the title of a university hospital in 1963. It focuses on List of ICD-9 codes 390-459: Diseases of the circulatory system#7. Diseases of the circulatory system (390–459), diseases of the circulatory system (West German Heart Centre Essen), oncology and organ transplant, transplantation medicine, with the department of bone marrow transplantation being the second-largest of its kind in the world. Elisabethkrankenhaus Essen.jpg, Elisabethkrankenhaus Essen Uniklinik Essen, 20071222.jpg, University Hospital Essen


Transport


Streets and motorways

The road network of Essen consists of over 3,200 streets, which in total have a length of roughly . Four ''German Autobahnen, Autobahnen'' touch Essen territory, most importantly the Bundesautobahn 40, Ruhrschnellweg (Ruhr expressway, A 40), which runs directly through the city, dividing it roughly in half. In a west-eastern direction, the A 40 connects the Dutch city of Venlo with Dortmund, running through the whole
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area. It is one of the arterial roads of the Ruhr area (> 140,000 vehicles/day) and suffers from heavy congestion during rush hours, which is why many people in the area nicknamed it ''Ruhrschleichweg'' (Ruhr crawling way). A tunnel was built in the 1970s, when the then-Bundesstraße was upgraded to Autobahn, motorway standards, so that the A 40 is hidden from public view in the inner-city district near the
main railway station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
. In the north, the Bundesautobahn 42, A 42 briefly touches Essen territory, serving as an interconnection between the neighboring cities of Oberhausen and Gelsenkirchen and destinations beyond. A part of the Bundesautobahn 44, A 44, a highly segmented connection from Aachen and the Belgian border to Kassel, planned to go further into Central_Germany_(cultural_area), Central Germany, ends in Essens south. A segment of the Bundesautobahn 52, A 52 connects Essen with the more southern region around
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
. On Essen territory, the A 52 runs from the southern boroughs near Mülheim, Mülheim an der Ruhr past the fairground and then merges with the Bundesautobahn 40, Ruhrschnellweg at the Autobahndreieck Essen-Ost junction east of the city centre. With the A 40/A 52 in the southern parts of the city and the A 42 in the north, there is a gap in the motorway system often leading to congestion on streets leading from the central to the northern boroughs. An extension of the A 52 to connect the Essen-Ost junction with the A 42 to close this gap is considered urgent; it has been planned for years but not yet been realized – most importantly due to the high-density areas this extension would lead through, resulting in high costs and concerns with the citizens.


Public transport

As with most communes in the Ruhr area, local transport is carried out by a local, publicly owned company for transport within the city, the DB Regio subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn for regional transport and Deutsche Bahn itself for long-distance journeys. The local carrier, Ruhrbahn, is a member of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) association of public transport companies in the Ruhr area, which provides a uniform fare structure in the whole region. Within the VRR region, tickets are valid on lines of all members as well as DB's railway lines (except the high-speed InterCity and Intercity-Express networks) and can be bought at ticket machines and service centres of Ruhrbahn, all other members of VRR, and DB. , Ruhrbahn operates 3 U-Stadtbahn lines of the Essen Stadtbahn network, 7 Trams in Essen, Straßenbahn (tram) lines and 57 bus lines (16 of these serving as ''Nacht Express'' late-night lines only). The Stadtbahn and Straßenbahn operate on total route lengths of and , respectively. One tram line and a few bus lines coming from neighboring cities are operated by these cities' respective carriers. The U-Stadtbahn, which partly runs on used Docklands Light Railway stock, is a mixture of tram and full rapid transit, underground systems with 20 underground stations for the U-Stadtbahn and additional four underground stations used by the tram. Two lines of the U-Stadtbahn are completely intersection-free and hence independent from other traffic, and the U18 line leading from Mülheim main station to the ''Bismarckplatz'' station at the gates of the city centre partly runs above ground amidst the Bundesautobahn 40, A 40 motorway. The Essen Stadtbahn is one of the Stadtbahn systems integrated into the greater Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn network. Essen hbf 1817.jpg, Main station EVAG (Essen) NF2-TW 1601.jpg, Essen Stadtbahn NF2-TW 1601 Essen Hbf 02 Empfangsgebäude.jpg, Essen Hauptbahnhof Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit.jpg, Essen Hauptbahnhof in the city centre U-bahnhof-essenhbf.JPG, Essen Hauptbahnhof subway station Stadtbahn Essen - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park.jpg, Platforms at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park On the same motorway, a long-term test of a guided bus system is being held since 1980. Many Ruhrbahn rail lines meet at the main station but only a handful of bus lines. However, all but one of the Nacht Express bus lines originate from / lead to Essen Hauptbahnhof in a star-shaped manner. All Ruhrbahn lines, including the Nacht Express lines, are closed on weekdays from 1:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. Of the Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn net's 13 lines, 5 lines lead through Essen territory and meet at the Essen Hauptbahnhof main station, which also serves as the connection to the Regional-Express and Intercity-Express network of regional and nationwide high-speed trains, respectively. Following Essen's appointment as European Capital of Culture 2010, the main station, which is classified as a German railway station categories#Category 1, station of highest importance and which had not been substantially renovated over decades, will be redeveloped with a budget of €57 million until early 2010. Other important stations in Essen, where regional and local traffic are connected, are the (regional railway stations) in the boroughs of Altenessen, Essen-Borbeck-Mitte, Borbeck, Kray and Steele. Further 20 S-Bahn stations can be found in the whole urban area. In 2017 the public transport organization of Mülheim, the Mülheimer Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and the Essener Verkehrsgesellschaft (EVAG) merged and became the ''Ruhrbahn''. All vehicles and staff were merged and are now operated together.


Aviation

Together with the neighbouring city of Mülheim, Mülheim an der Ruhr and the state of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
, Essen maintains Essen/Mülheim Airport (IATA airport code, IATA: ESS, ICAO airport code, ICAO: EDLE). While the first flights had already arrived in 1919, it was officially opened on 25 August 1925. Significantly expanded in 1935, Essen/Mülheim became the central airport of the Ruhr area until the end of the Second World War, providing an asphalted runway of , another unsurfaced runway for gliding and destinations to most major European cities. It was heavily damaged during the war, yet partly reconstructed and used by the Allies of World War II, Allies as a secondary airport since visibility is less often fog, obscured than at Düsseldorf Airport. The latter then developed into the large civil airport that it is now, while Essen/Mülheim now mainly serves occasional air traffic (some 33,000 passengers each year), the base of a fleet of airships and Germany's oldest public flight training company. Residents of the region around Essen typically use Düsseldorf Airport (≈20 driving minutes) and occasionally Dortmund Airport (≈30 driving minutes) for both domestic and international flights.


Landmarks


Zollverein Industrial Complex

The
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (German Zeche Zollverein) is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The first coal mine on the premises was founded in 1847, and mining activities took plac ...
is the city's most famous landmark. For decades, the coal mine (current form mainly from 1932, closed in 1986) and the coking plant (closed in 1993) ranked among the largest of their kinds in Europe. Shaft XII, built in Bauhaus style, with its characteristic winding tower, which over the years has become a symbol for the whole
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area, is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the "most beautiful coal mine in the world". After
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
had declared it a World Heritage Site in 2001, the complex, which had lain idle for a long time and was even threatened to be demolished, began to see a period of redevelopment. Under the direction of an agency borne by the land of
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
and the city itself, several arts and design institutions settled mainly on the grounds of the former coal mine; a redevelopment plan for the coking plant is to be realised. On the grounds of the coal mine and the coking plant, which are both accessible free of charge while paid guided tours (some with former ) are available, several tourist attractions can be found, most importantly the ''Design Zentrum NRW''/Red Dot, Red Dot Design Museum. The ''Ruhrmuseum'', a museum dedicated to the history of the Ruhr area, which had been existing since 1904, opened its gates as one of the anchor attractions in the former coal-washing facility in 2010. File:Zeche Zollverein Essen Okt10 011.jpg, Coal mine Zollverein File:Zeche Zollverein abends.jpg, Shaft XII of Zollverein File:Essen - Zeche-Zollverein - Eingangstor - 2013.jpg, Zollverein entrance File:Rolltreppe Ruhrmuseum.jpg, Ruhrmuseum File:Ruhrmuseum Staircase.jpg, Ruhrmuseum staircase


Essen Minster and treasury

The former collegiate church of Essen Abbey and nowadays cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen, Bishop of Essen is a Gothic art, Gothic hall church made from light sandstone. The first church on the premises dates back to between 845 and 870; the current church was constructed after a former church had burnt down in 1275. However, the important westwork and
crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
have survived from Ottonian architecture, Ottonian times. The cathedral is located in the centre of the city which evolved around it. It is not spectacular in appearance and the adjacent church ''St. Johann Baptist'', which is located directly within the pedestrian precinct, is often mistakenly referred to as the cathedral. The cathedral treasury, however, ranks amongst the most important in Germany since only few art works have been lost over the centuries. The most precious exhibit, located within the cathedral, is the
Golden Madonna of Essen The Golden Madonna of Essen is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. It is a wooden core covered with sheets of thin gold leaf. The piece is part of the treasury of Essen Cathedral, formerly the church of Essen Abbey, in North Rhi ...
(around 980), the oldest known sculpture of the Madonna (art), Madonna and the oldest free-standing sculpture north of the Alps. Other exhibits include the alleged ''child crown'' of Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor Otto III, the eldest preserved seven-branched Christian candelabrum and several other art works from Ottonian times. Essen muenster goldene madonna-4.jpg,
Golden Madonna of Essen The Golden Madonna of Essen is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. It is a wooden core covered with sheets of thin gold leaf. The piece is part of the treasury of Essen Cathedral, formerly the church of Essen Abbey, in North Rhi ...
Golden Madonna.jpg,
Golden Madonna of Essen The Golden Madonna of Essen is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. It is a wooden core covered with sheets of thin gold leaf. The piece is part of the treasury of Essen Cathedral, formerly the church of Essen Abbey, in North Rhi ...
Otto Mathilden Kreuz.jpg, Cross of Otto and Mathilde, tenth century Essen StLudger von NW1.jpg, St. Ludger Basilica Muenster Rathaus Essen.jpg, Essen Minster overshadowed by the town hall


Old Synagogue

Opened in 1913, the then-New Synagogue served as the central meeting place of Essen's pre-war Jewish community. The building ranks as one of the largest and most impressive testimonies of Jewish culture in pre-World War II, war Germany. In post-war Germany, the former house of worship was bought by the city, used as an exhibition hall and later rededicated as a cultural meeting centre and house of Jewish culture. Synagoge 1917.jpg, Synagogue, 1917 Synagoge 1922.jpg, Synagogue 1922 Alte Synagoge, Essen.jpg, Old Synagogue, 2010 Alte Synagoge Essen 2014.jpg, Old Synagogue, 2014 Essen - Alte Synagoge in 04 ies.jpg, Old Synagogue interior


Villa Hügel

Built in 1873 by industrial magnate Alfred Krupp, Villa Hügel, the 269-room mansion () and the surrounding park of served as the
Krupp The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krup ...
family's representative seat. The city's land register solely lists the property, which at times had a staff of up to 640 people, as a single-family home. At the time of its construction, the villa featured some technical novelties and peculiarity, peculiarities, such as a central hot air heating system, own water- and gas works and electric internal and external telegraph- and telephone systems (with a central Electromagnetic induction, induction alarm for the staff). The mansion's central clock became the reference clock for the whole Krupp enterprise; every clock was to be set with a maximum difference of half a minute. It even acquired its own railway station, ''Essen Hügel'', which is still a regular stop. The Krupp family had to leave the Gründerzeit mansion in 1945, when it was annexed by the Allies of World War II, allies. Given back in 1952, Villa Hügel is now seat of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation (major shareholder of Thyssen-Krupp) and was opened for concerts and sporadic yet high-profile exhibitions. Villa huegel.jpg, Villa Hügel Villa Hügel, Essen, 20071222.jpg, Villa Hügel Villa Hügel Terrassenseite.jpg, Villa Hügel Villa Hügel erster Stock.jpg, Great hall


Kettwig and Werden

In the south of the city, the boroughs of Kettwig and Werden exceptionally stand for towns once of their own, which have been annexed in 1929 (Werden) and 1975 (Kettwig), respectively, and which have largely preserved their pre-annexation character. While most of the northern boroughs were heavily damaged during the Second World War and often lost their historic town centres; the more southern parts got off more lightly. In Werden, St. Ludger founded
Werden Abbey Werden Abbey (german: Kloster Werden) was a Benedictine monastery in Essen-Werden (Germany), situated on the Ruhr. The foundation of the abbey Near Essen Saint Ludger founded a monastery in 799 and became its first abbot. The little church w ...
around 799, 45 years before St. Altfrid founded the later cornerstone of the modern city, Essen Abbey. The old church of Werden abbey, ''St. Ludgerus'', was designated a pope, papal basilica minor in 1993, while the main building of the former abbey today is the headquarters of the Folkwang University of music and performing arts. Kettwig, which was annexed in 1975, much to the dismay of the population that still struggles for independence, was mainly shaped by the textile industry. The most southern borough of Essen is also the city's largest (with regard to area) and presumably greenest. Essen Werden - Werdener Markt 06 ies.jpg, Essen Werden Werden, zicht op stadsdeel vanaf de brug over de Ruhr foto62012-08-19 16.51.jpg, Essen Werden Essen Werden - Grafenstraße 01 ies.jpg, Essen Werden historic town centre Essen Werden - Heckstraße - Evangelische Kirche Werden 11 ies.jpg, Protestant church Essen Werden Essen Werden - Brandstorstraße 01 ies.jpg, Essen Werden WerdenerRathaus.JPG, Essen Werden, old town hall Essen Kettwig 1.jpg, Historic town centre of Kettwig Blick auf Kettwig mit Uferpalais im Herbst 2013.jpg, Essen Kettwig


Other important cultural sites

* Museum Folkwang: One of the Ruhr area's major art collections, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. Major parts of the museum have recently been rebuilt and expanded according to plans by David Chipperfield & Co. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation is the sole funder of the €55 million project which was completed in early 2010. After its re-opening, it also hosts the collection of the ''Deutsches Poster, Plakat Museum'' (more than 340 000 exhibits). * Aalto Theatre: Opened in 1988 (the plans dating back to 1959), the asymmetry, asymmetric building with its deep indigo interior is home to the acclaimed Essen Opera and Ballet. * Saalbau Essen: Home of the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra, completely renovated in 2003/2004. Critics have repeatedly voted the Essen Philharmonic as Germany's Orchestra of the Year. * Colosseum Theater: Situated in a former Krupp factory building at the fringe of the central pedestrian precinct, the has been home to several musical theatre productions since 1996. * Zeche Carl, a former coal mine, now a cultural centre and venue for Rock music, Rock concerts and home of Offener Kanal Essen. *
Grillo-Theater Grillo-Theater is a theatre in Essen, Germany. Named after the industrialist Friedrich Grillo, who made the building possible, it opened on 16 September 1892 with Lessing's drama ''Minna von Barnhelm''. The building was badly damaged in World ...
, a theatre in the centre of the city. Saalbau Essen 01.jpg, Saalbau Essen Folkwang322.jpg, Museum Folkwang Essen, Aalto-Theater, 2017-04 CN-03.jpg, Aalto Theatre Colosseum Theater Essen 2011.jpg, Colosseum Theater Grillo-Theater-2012.jpg,
Grillo-Theater Grillo-Theater is a theatre in Essen, Germany. Named after the industrialist Friedrich Grillo, who made the building possible, it opened on 16 September 1892 with Lessing's drama ''Minna von Barnhelm''. The building was badly damaged in World ...
Grugahalle.jpg, Grugahalle concert hall Schloss-Borbeck-Komplettansicht-Sonnenuntergang-2012.jpg, Schloss Borbeck Hugenpoet-Wassergraben-2012.jpg, Hugenpoet castle


Other sites

* Garden city movement, Gartenstadt Margarethenhöhe: Founded by Margarethe Krupp in 1906, the garden city with its 3092 units in 935 buildings on an area of (of which 50 ha are woodland) is considered the first of its kind in Germany. All buildings follow the same stylistic concept, with slight variations for each one. Although originally designed as an area for the lower classes with quite small flats, the old part Margarethenhöhe I has developed into a middle class residential area and housing space has become highly sought after. A new part, Margarehenhöhe II, was built in the 1960s and 1970s but is architecturally inferior and especially the multi-storey buildings are still considered social hot spots. *Moltkeviertel (Moltke Quarter): from 1908 on, following reformative plans of the city deputy ''Robert Schmidt'', this quarter was developed just south-east of the city centre. Large green zones, forming broad urban ventilation lanes and incorporating sporting and playing areas and high quality architecture – invariably in the style of Reform Architecture, combine to create a unique example worldwide of modern town planning. It reflects reformative ideas and dates from the early part of the 20th century. The Moltkeviertel continues to be a much sought-after area for residential, educational, health care and small-scale commercial purposes. On the Moltkeplatz, the quarter's largest square, an ensemble of high quality contemporary art is maintained and cared for by local residents. *Grugapark: With a total area of , the park near the exhibition halls is one of the largest urban parks in Germany and, although entry is not free of charge, one of the most popular recreational sites of the city. It includes the city's botanical garden, the Botanischer Garten Grugapark. *: The largest of the six
reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
s of the River Ruhr, situated in the south of the city, is another popular recreational area. It is used for sailing, rowing (sport), rowing and ship tours. The hilly and only lightly developed forest area around the lake, from which the Kettwig area is easily reachable, is popular with hiking, hikers. File:Orangerie mit Orion.jpg, Grugapark, Kranichwiese facing the Orangerie and the sculpture ''Orion'' File:Skulptur Joseph Enseling Trauer Essen Südwestfriedhof 2013.jpg, Grugapark, Sculpture "Trauer" by Joseph Enseling File:Reichsgartenschau 1938 Keramikhof Essen.jpg, Grugapark, Reichsgartenschau 1938, Keramikhof File:Parkleuchten 2015, Essen, Grugapark 46.JPG, Grugapark illuminated, 2015 File:Wasserfall Grugapark 2013 02.jpg, Grugapark, Waterfall File:BaldeneyseeVonWerden.jpg, Baldeneysee File:Baldeneysee Abends Essen.jpg, Baldeneysee File:Baldeneysee Segler 2 db.jpg, Baldeneysee File:Essen-Margarethenhöhe Markt.jpg, Marketplace of Margarethenhöhe I File:Marga haeuser1.jpg, Margarethenhöhe houses File:Moltkeviertel 0741 2.jpg, Sculptures by Friedrich Gräsel and Gloria Friedmann at the Moltkeplatz


Notable people


Natives

People born in Essen: *Gerd Albrecht (1935-2014), conductor *Karl Albrecht (1920-2014), entrepreneur *Theo Albrecht (1922-2010), entrepreneur; brother of Karl *Peter Anders (tenor), Peter Anders (1908-1954), operatic tenor *Karl Baedeker (1801-1859), publisher *Jürgen Bartsch (1946-1976), serial killer *Ute Berg (born 1953), politician *Naftali Bezem (1924-2018), artist *Ali Bilgin (born 1981), footballer *Franz Blücher (1896-1959), politician *Hermann Blumenthal (1905-1942), sculptor *Karl Brandt (economist), Karl Brandt (1899-1975), agricultural economist *Sabine Braun (born 1965), track athlete *Dennis Brinkmann (born 1978), footballer *Ernst Busch (field marshal), Ernest B.H. Busch (1885-1945), Generalfeldmarschall *Gunter d'Alquen (1910-1998), editor *Marc Degens (born 1971), writer *Marius Ebbers (born 1978), footballer *Friedrich Karl Florian (1894-1975), gauleiter *James Ingo Freed (1930-2005), architect *Matt Frei (born 1963), journalist *Harald Grohs (born 1944), race car driver *Brigitte Hamann (1940-2016), author *Hildegard Hamm-Brücher (1921-2016), politician *Walter Heiman (1901-2007), centenarian and WW1 survivor *Alfred Herrhausen (1930-1989), banker *Axel Honneth (born 1949), philosopher *Carl Humann (1839-1896), engineer *Christian Keller (born 1972), swimmer *Fritz G. A. Kraemer (1908-2003), military educator *Diether Krebs (1947-2000), actor *Helene Kröller-Müller (1869-1939), art collector *Alfred Krupp (1812-1887), inventor * Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1907-1967), Nazi industrialist *Bertha Krupp (1886-1957), daughter of Friedrich Alfred *Friedrich Alfred Krupp (1854-1902), steel manufacturer *Friedrich Krupp, Friedrich C. Krupp (1787-1826), founder of Krupp family business *Heinz Kubsch (1930-1993), football goalkeeper *Hubert Lampo (1920-2006), writer *Johanna Langefeld (1900-1974), Nazi guard *Arthur Laumann (1894-1970), flying ace *Issachar Berend Lehmann (1661-1730), banker *Jens Lehmann (born 1969), footballer *Helga Niessen Masthoff (born 1941), tennis player *Frank Mill (born 1958), footballer *Harry S. Morgan (1945-2011), pornographic film director *Alfred Müller-Armack (1901-1978), politician *Henry Osterman (1862-????), architect *Friedrich Panse (1899-1973), psychiatrist *Mille Petrozza (born 1967), guitarist *Helmut Rahn (1929-2003), footballer *Uta Ranke-Heinemann (1927-2021), theologian *Otto Rehhagel (born 1938), footballer *Uwe Reinders (born 1955), footballer *Günther Rennert (1911-1978), opera director *Heinz Rühmann (1902-1994), actor *Klaus Scharioth (born 1946), diplomat *Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (1908-1981), tennis player *John Steppling (actor), John Steppling (1870-1932), actor *David D. Stern (born 1956), artist *Martin Stratmann (born 1954), electrochemist *Marianne Strauss (1923-1996), Holocaust survivor *Josef Terboven (1898-1945), Nazi politician *Bernhard Termath (1928-2004), footballer *Johan van Galen (1604-1653), commodore *Kyriakos Velopoulos (born 1965), politician *Albert Vögler (1877-1945), politician *Elisabeth Volkmann (1936-2006), actress *Pia Walkenhorst (born 1993), volleyball player *Daniel Wende (born 1984), skater


Honorary citizens

The city of Essen has been awarding honorary citizenships since 1879 but has (coincidentally) discontinued this tradition after the foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. A notable exception was made in 2007, when Berthold Beitz, the president of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation received honorary citizenship for his long lasting commitment to the city. The following list contains all honorary citizens of the city of Essen: *1879 Otto von BismarckChancellor of Germany *1888 politician, lawyer and economist *1895 Roman catholic Theology, theologian *1896 Friedrich Alfred Kruppindustrialist ''(spouse of Margarethe Krupp, see below)'' *1901 Heinrich Carl Söllingtradesman and benefactor (law), benefactor *1906 Lord Mayor (1886–1906) *1912 benefactress ''(spouse of Friedrich Alfred Krupp, see above)'' *1917 Paul von HindenburgField Marshal (Germany), Generalfeldmarschall and army leader, later President of Germany (1919–1945), President of Germany *1949 Viktor Niemeyercouncilman ''(posthumous recognition)'' *2007 Berthold Beitzpresident of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation Today, the highest award of the city is the ''Ring of Honour'', which Berthold Beitz, for example, had already received in 1983. Other bearers of the Ring of Honour include Essen's former Lord Mayor and later President of Germany, Gustav Heinemann, as well as Franz Hengsbach, Franz Cardinal Hengsbach, the first Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen, Bishop of Essen.


Sport

The biggest association football clubs in Essen are Rot-Weiss Essen (Red-White Essen) and Schwarz-Weiß Essen (Black-White Essen). Stadion Essen, is the home stadium for Rot-Weiß, is located in the north of Essen. Rot-Weiss Essen is playing in the third tier of the German football league system, 3. Liga, and Schwarz-Weiß Essen in the fifth tier, Oberliga Nordrhein-Westfalen. Schwarz-Weiß Essens home stadium is Uhlenkrugstadion, located in the southern part of the city. Other football clubs are BV Altenessen and TuS Helene Altenessen. In women's football, SGS Essen are members of top division Frauen-Bundesliga. Another important and famous sports club is TUSEM Essen, with a handball team that have won several national and international titles. The city's main basketball team is ETB Essen, currently called the ETB Wohnbau Baskets for sponsorship reasons. The team is one of the main teams in Germany's second division ProA and has attempted to move up to Germany's elite league Basketball Bundesliga. The Baskets play their home games at the Sportpark am Hallo. Essen hosted the 1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships and the final round of the FIBA EuroBasket 1971. The city is also home to the VV Humann Essen volleyball team.


References


Bibliography


External links

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Essen city panoramas
panoramic views and virtual tours



sites-of-memory.de {{Authority control Essen, Districts of the Rhine Province