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Essen

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Essen is a major city located in the heart of the Ruhr area in Germany.

Essen pan
Essen pan

This region is one of the largest urban areas in all of Europe. Within this area, Essen is the second-largest city, following Dortmund. It is also the tenth-largest city in the entire country of Germany. The city sits within the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. This area is very important because it has the second-largest GDP in the EU. Because of its central spot in the Ruhr, some people call it the "secret capital" of the region.

Essen Stadtteile und Stadtbezirke
Essen Stadtteile und Stadtbezirke

Nature plays a big role in how the city looks and feels. Two rivers flow through the city to provide water and scenery. The Emscher River flows through the northern part of Essen. In the south, the Ruhr River flows through the city. This river is dammed to create the Baldeneysee lake and other reservoirs.

Kettwig
Kettwig

This lake is a very popular place for people to visit for fun. Essen is known for being quite green compared to other cities. In fact, it is the greenest city in North Rhine-Westphalia. About 9.2% of the city is covered by recreational green space. This makes it the third-greenest city in all of Germany.

The history of Essen goes back a very long time. It was founded around the year 845 as a small town. At that time, it was part of the Essen Abbey. This abbey was a special place for the daughters and widows of noble families.

Essen-Kupferstich-Merian
Essen-Kupferstich-Merian

Later on, the city changed a lot because of industry. It became a very important center for coal and steel. The Krupp family ran large iron works there. Between 1929 and 1988, Essen was the fifth-largest city in Germany. At its peak in 1962, the city had over 730,000 people living in it.

Today, the city has moved away from heavy industry toward new types of work. One famous site is the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex. This was once the largest coal mine of its kind in Europe.

Essen-Kupferstich-Merian
Essen-Kupferstich-Merian

It closed in 1993, but it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Essen is also famous as the energy capital of Germany. Two of the country's largest energy providers, E.ON and RWE, are based here. The city also cares deeply about art and design. It is home to the Folkwang University of the Arts and the Red Dot design award.

Messe-Essen-Logo
Messe-Essen-Logo

Many different things connect Essen to the rest of the world. In 2010, it was named the European Capital of Culture. It also won the title of European Green Capital for 2017.

Messe-Essen-Logo
Messe-Essen-Logo

This award recognized how the city protects nature and biodiversity. People in Essen also feel a strong bond with their local neighborhoods. The city is made of fifty different boroughs. Some of these boroughs were once independent towns before they joined Essen. Even today, some areas like Kettwig keep their own unique local identities.

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🖼️ Images & Media (26)
File:Stadt-Essen-Logo.svg
Stadt-Essen-Logo.svg
File:DEU Oberhausen COA.svg
DEU Oberhausen COA.svg
File:DEU Bottrop COA.svg
DEU Bottrop COA.svg
File:DEU Gladbeck COA.svg
DEU Gladbeck COA.svg
File:DEU Gelsenkirchen COA.svg
DEU Gelsenkirchen COA.svg
File:DEU Mülheim an der Ruhr COA.svg
DEU Mülheim an der Ruhr COA.svg
File:Essen Stadtteile und Stadtbezirke.svg
Essen Stadtteile und Stadtbezirke.svg
File:DEU Bochum COA.svg
DEU Bochum COA.svg
File:DEU Ratingen COA.svg
DEU Ratingen COA.svg
File:DEU Heiligenhaus COA.svg
DEU Heiligenhaus COA.svg
File:DEU Velbert COA.svg
DEU Velbert COA.svg
File:DEU Hattingen COA.svg
DEU Hattingen COA.svg

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