Essen Travel Guide

Essen
[ source: Flickr]

Essen Overview

Essen is a city in the center of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the Ruhr River, its population of approximately 579,000 (as of June 30, 2008) makes it the 7th- or 8th-largest-city in Germany. The city was appointed European Capital of Culture for 2010 on behalf of the whole Ruhr Area.

Formerly one of Germany's most important coal and steel centers and historically linked to the centuries-old Krupp family iron works, the city has developed a strong tertiary sector of industry and (sometimes together with nearby Düsseldorf) claims to be the desk of the Ruhr area. It is home to 13 of the 100 largest German corporations and seat to several of the region's authorities.

In 1958, the city was chosen to serve as the seat to a Roman Catholic diocese (often referred to as Ruhrbistum or diocese of the Ruhr). In early 2003, the universities of Essen and the nearby city of Duisburg (Duisburg vacation rentals | Duisburg travel guide) (both established in 1972) were merged into the University of Duisburg-Essen with campuses in both cities and a university hospital in Essen.

Things to See

Zollverein Industrial Complex

The Zollverein Industrial Complex 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 Area, is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the most beautiful coal mine in the world. After UNESCO 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 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 realized.

On the grounds of the coal mine and the coking plant, which are both accessible free of charge with paid guided tours (some with former Kumpels) available, several tourist attractions can be found, most importantly the Design Zentrum NRW/Red Dot Design Museum. The Ruhrmuseum, a museum dedicated to the history of the Ruhr Area, which had been existing since 1904, will open its gates as one of the anchor attractions in the former coal-washing facility in autumn 2009.

Essen Cathedral and Treasury

The former collegiate church of Essen Abbey and nowadays seat of the Bishop of Essen is a 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 have survived from Ottonian times. The cathedral is located right in the center of the city, which evolved around it. It is not spectacular in appearance and the adjacent church St. Johann Baptist, which is located directly at the pedestrian precinct, is often mistakenly referred to as the cathedral. Since only few art works have been lost over the centuries, the cathedral treasury ranks amongst the most important in Germany. The most precious exhibit, located right within the cathedral, is the Golden Madonna of Essen (around 980), the oldest known sculpture of the Madonna and the oldest free-standing sculpture north of the Alps. The Madonna is commonly referred to as Essen sein Schatz or Essen its treasure, to translate literally. Other exhibits include the alleged child crown of Emperor Otto III, the eldest preserved seven-branched Christian candelabrum and several other art works from Ottonian times.

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-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 center and house of Jewish culture.

Villa Hügel

Built in 1873 by industrial magnate Alfred Krupp, the 269-room mansion (8,100 m2/87,190 sq ft) and the surrounding park of 28 ha (69.2 acres) served as the Krupp 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 its time of construction, the villa featured some technical novelties and 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 induction alarm for the staff). The mansion's central clock became the reference clock of the whole Krupp enterprise; every clock was to be set with a maximum difference of half a minute. It even got its own train 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. Given back in 1952, Villa Hügel was opened for concerts and sporadic yet high profile exhibitions.

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 the mid-20th century and which have largely preserved their pre-annexation character. While most of the northern boroughs have been heavily damaged during the Second World War and often lost their historic town centers, the more southern parts got off more lightly. In Werden, St. Ludger founded Werden Abbey 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 papal basilica minor in 1993, while the main building of the former abbey today is the headquarters of the Folkwang Academy 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.

Other important cultural sights

• Museum Folkwang: One of the Ruhr Areas major art collections, mainly from the 19th and 20th century. Currently, major parts of the museum are being rebuilt and expanded according to plans of David Chipperfield & Co. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation is the sole founder of the 55 million project to be completed in late 2009. After its re-opening it will then also host the collection of more than 340.000 exhibits by the Deutsches Plakat Museum.
• Aalto Theater: Opened in 1988 (according to plans dating back to 1959), the asymmetric building with its deep indigo interior is home to the Essen Opera. The interior was designed in a way that it should not have a negative effect on both audience and performers when the show is scarcely attended.
• Saalbau: Home of the Essen philharmonic orchestra, totally renovated in 2003/2004. The Essen philharmonics have repeatedly been appointed Germany's Orchestra of the Year amongst critics.
• Colosseum Theater: Situated in a former Krupp factory building at the gates of the central pedestrian precinct, the Colloseum Theater has been home to several musical productions from 1996 on.
• Gartenstadt Margarethenhöhe: Founded by Margarethe Krupp in 1906, the garden city with its 3092 units in 935 buildings on an area of 115 ha (284.2 acres) (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 70s but is architecturally inferior and especially the multi-storey buildings are still considered social hot spots.
• Grugapark: With a total area of 70 ha (173.0 acres), 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.
• Lake Baldeney: The largest of the six reservoirs of the Ruhr river, situated in the south of the city, is another popular recreational area. Swimming in the lake is forbidden but it is actively used for sailing, rowing and ship tours. The hilly and only densely developed forest area around the lake, from which the Kettwig area is easily reachable, is also popular with hikers.
• Inner city skyline: Quite unusual for German cities is the relatively high density of skyscrapers in the city center, especially around the main station. While Frankfurt (Frankfurt vacation rentals | Frankfurt travel guide) am Main by far features the country's highest density of skyscrapers, the town hall with its 106 m/348 ft, the RWE tower (162 m/531 ft with antenna, highest building of the Ruhr Area) and several other high-risen corporate seats give passengers an impression of the city center that is in contrast to that of the rest of the city, where the height of construction is modest.

[ source: Wikipedia ]