|
The Ruhr District (Ruhrgebiet)
From outside often it is called 'The Ruhr', which can lead to some confusion. Ruhr is also the name of the river, a trunc of river Rhine, where mining and industrialisation began 200 years ago. The region is limited by river Ruhr in the south and river Lippe in the north. The western limit is river Rhine and the eastern limit the city of Hamm. It is situated in the state of Northrhine-Westfalia in the north-west of the Federal Republic of Germany. The name 'Ruhrgebiet' was first used in the end of the 18th century for the upcomming industrial region based on coal and steel. In total at the Ruhr live about 5.3 Million people, which make it after London and Paris to the largest city in middle Europe. Compared with other important cities the Ruhr is a very young city, or I should better say region (compare next chapter). About 1850 it was a rural region with some lovely villages whose inhabitants lived mainly of farming. With the discovering of cast-steel and the upcomming industry people came to the Ruhr from all over Europe. Within a few decades the population increased by 100 times and the region became one of the most dynamic ones in the world. With the end of montan industry (coal and steel) in Germany in the seventies of the 20th century a structural transformation began which made the region again very dynamic. |
|
The Ruhr is in no way a unitary region. It consists of 11 cities and 4 subdistricts with their own local authorities each. Additionally there are about 40 smaller townships. Every single city is too small to be in focus on an international level. Therefore the city mayors have agreed in a common representative.
The Ruhr is separated in three administrative districts. There are plans of the current state government to reorganize the administratice structure of state Northrhine-Westfalia with the aim to create an administrative district Ruhr. The Ruhr belongs to two regional associations, Westfalia in the east and the Rhinelands is the west. By the way, this is the same for the total state Northrhine-Westfalia. It is an artifical state formed after the world war with completely different character of population. Often this leads to some jokes of one part of the population about the other part. The Rhinelanders sometimes say: "The Westfaliens booze like the cattle". You should know that Westfalia was originally old farmeland and major parts are still today. The farmers used to meet after work with a beer and contracts are sealed by handshake. One man, one word. So the Westfaliens strike back by saying: "We keep those promises the Rhinelanders have given (and sometimes have forgotten the next day)". From a geological point of view the Ruhr is situated at the intersection of the 'Rheinisches Schiefergebirge' (a montanious region, the rest of mountains folded up in the age of Carbon, 300 mill. years ago), the 'Westfälische Bucht' (lowland with some glacial valleys) and the 'Niederrheinische Ebene' (valley of river Rhine). |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The increase of population is linked to the industrial development. The rise of about 20 times was only possible by imigration of foreign workers.
The first foreigners were experienced miners from Belgium, North-France, England and Scotland. They brought know-how to the Ruhr. During the first imigration period from 1890 to 1918 many imigrants came from East- or West-Prussia or from Schlesien. Their culture was formed by Poland but they owned german citizenship. The second imigration period was in the sixties of the 20th century. Imigrants came from mediterranien region, mainly from Turkey. Since the eighties there is a imigration from Easteurope and from Russia caused by the political changel at the end of the 20th century. At least the Ruhr is the region with the most imigrants in Germany. |
|
End of 2002 lived at the Ruhr about 588.599 persons with foreign roots. That makes about 11 % of the population. |
|
The population at the Ruhr is older than in the rest of state Northrhine-Westfalia. The reasons are on one hand that families have less children. In 1975 50.631 children were born while in 2002 only 44.628 children were born. In the same year 61.707 died. On the other hand blue collar workers, who lost their job in result of the structural transformation, can hardly find a new one at the Ruhr and move to other regions. For the older, retired ones there is no reason to move home. Also their identification with the region is stronger. |
| January | the coldest month, temperature often below zero, up to 20 degrees below zero are possible, snow is quite probable, usually some days with sunshine |
| February | temperature about zero, snow is possible, daylight time increases |
| March | cold but most above zero, first flowers, sometimes snow |
| April | summer and winter fight out who rules, sudden changes between sun, rain and hail are typically |
| May | usual the start of spring. Most trees flower, warm and comfortable temperatures, rain is probable |
| June | increasing temperatures, much sunshine, rain is possible |
| July | full power of summer, many sunshine, warm nights |
| August | still power of summer, sometimes leaves become limp because of lack of rain, sometimes it rains, daylight time shortens noticeable |
| Septembre | the heat is gone, first leaves turn to brown, when daylight-saving-time ends it is dark at 19:00 |
| October | often called the golden October because all leaves are shining red or brown, sun shines quite often - the last warm days of the year |
| November | the darkest and most uncomfortable month because the sky is nearly always cloudy, much rain, temperature some degrees above zero |
| December | it becomes colder and colder, sometimes snow falls, but usually there are also some days where you can see the sun |
| 4 434 squarekilometers | 5,3 million inhabitants | 11,2% of population with foreign roots | |
| 11 459 ha surface of water | 5 609 farms | 43 255 ha forrest area | |
| 16 000 sales boothes | 5 800 sport clubs | 200 Museums | |
| 14 universities | 160 739 students | 60 cinemas, 240 silver screens | |
| 731 theatres and kid's libraries | 523 Bibliotheken | 95 public indoor swimmingpools | |
| 25,9 million tons hard coal produced | 18,5 million tons steel produced per annum | ||
| 597 bus- and subway-routes | 2,05 million passengers | ||
| 1470 km railway tracks | 600 km highway | ||
| 1 observatory | 7 miners bands | 9158 doctor's surgerys | |
| 4 617 200 overnight stays | 5 500 shows of musical 'Starlight Express' since first night in 1988 | ||
Home