Bochum
History and Location
The history of Bochum can be traced back to first documents from around 890. City rights were granted in 1321. But it was the 19th century, when coal mining turned Bochum into a fast-growing city. Located in the south of what is called the Ruhr area (Ruhrgebiet) today, Bochum is part of an agglomeration of small and medium sized cities, which together form the largest metropolitan area of Germany with about 5.1 million inhabitants. However, being set up of different cities the Ruhr area never formed a distinct center – a disadvantage compared to smaller but internationally well-known cities like Cologne, Hamburg, Munich and even Berlin on the one hand, but for the inhabitants a source of economic and cultural richness on the other hand, because each city tries to position itself in a competition for attractiveness.
Bochum is located quite central in northern Europe. By train it takes 1½ hours to Cologne, 3½ hours to Berlin, 2½ hours to Amsterdam, 4 hours to Brussels, and 6 hours to Paris. Flight connections to locations in Europe and beyond are available from Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which can be reached by local trains within 40 minutes.
From Coal and Steel to Science and High Tech
After the second world war, coal and steel production in the Ruhr area helped Germany to recover fast from the terrible devastation into which nationalism and the inhuman ideology of National Socialism has led not only Germany but large parts of Europe. Large scale immigration had already started early in the 20th century with workingmen coming primarily from eastern Europe. In the 1960’s and 1970’s a large number of immigrants came primarily from southern Europe and from Turkey. The Ruhr area is a melting pot, a prototype of a multicultural society offering examples for excellent integration of immigrants as well as examples for failure of integration.
A witness of the history of steel production in Bochum – bell from 1867 in front of the townhall of Bochum
But the coal seams located relatively close to the surface were soon depleted and coal mining in increasingly large depth (down to more than 1000 m) was not competitive to imported coal anymore. The last coal mine in Bochum is long closed and steel production and heavy industry lose their economic relevance step by step. Instead, science and high-tech companies took over. With just about 370,000 inhabitants, Bochum is home to Ruhr University, with about 42,000 students one of the largest comprehensive universities in Germany, and to five smaller universities of applied science.
Industrial Heritage
However, most of the inhabitants of the Ruhr area are fond of their industrial heritage and still identify themselves with it. A number of coal mines, steel plants and other heavy industries were turned into unique industrial heritage sites, which are definitely worth a visit. The best known site is the UNESCO World Heritage site Zeche Zollverein (https://www.zollverein.de/zollverein-unesco-world-heritage-site/) in Essen. However, other places like the mining museum in Bochum (https://www.bergbaumuseum.de/en/) or the former steel plant Henrichshütte (Lhttps://henrichshuette-hattingen.lwl.org/en/) in Hattingen play in the same league. And next to the city center of Bochum, Westpark and Jahrhunderthalle (century hall) developed into a place where industrial heritage, youth culture, and leisure activities meet.
Ice skating at a former coal mine – Zeche Zollverein in winter
The mining museum in Bochum
The former steel plant Henrichshütte in Hattingen
Next to the city center of Bochum, Jahrhunderthalle (century hall) and Westpark offer a
combination of industrial heritage site, event location, youth culture, and leisure activities.
A City Center Built in the 1950’s
After complete destruction during World War II, the center of Bochum was rebuilt in the 1950’s – a fact that can still be seen in the not exactly attractive architecture of most buildings in the city center of Bochum. However, the last two decades have seen extensive renovation work in the city center, turning parts of it into attractive shopping and leisure areas. And with the Ruhr Park, Bochum offers one of the largest outdoor shopping malls in Germany, which can easily be reached from the city center by bus.
Pedestrian area in the city center of Bochum
The Ruhr Park open air mall
Soccer, Culture and Night Life
Traditionally, soccer has been a central element in workingmen culture in Germany. And still the VFL Bochum 1848 – the professional soccer team of Bochum – has large support by locals, which becomes obvious when visiting its impressive stadium. And of course, beer is a source of identification – everybody in Bochum knows Moritz Fiege, the local brewery. But culture in Bochum has developed well beyond these stereotypes. The theater in Bochum has a long tradition as one of the most innovative stages in Germany, art museums and the new concert hall are praised on national level and beyond. And, last but not least, the musical Starlight Express (http://www.starlightexpress.com/blog/productions/bochum/), which has been performed in Bochum continuously since 1988 (!), is Europe’s most successful musical production.
Vonovia Ruhrstadion – the soccer stadium of Bochum
Haus Weitmar and the Museum Untertage – a particularly picturesque art museum in Bochum
However, culture in Bochum always is the culture of the young generation and simply fun as well. Each year in early summer, Bochum Total turns the city center of Bochum into a set of rock and pop stages for four days. Between one and two million people visit Bochum Total each year, what makes it the biggest free of charge music festival in Europe. And in late summer the Musiksommer repeats the concept on a slightly smaller scale, including not only pop and rock, but also more jazz and classic oriented music. Independent of these festivals, the area called Bermuda3eck has turned into a large city center beer-garden, the nightlife center of the Ruhr area well worth a visit on a summer evening. (We called this triangular agglomeration of bars at the south end of the pedestrian area Bermuda Triangle when we were young, because each weekend a few of us disappeared under the desks. By now the nickname became an official trade mark.)
One of the stages set up in the city center for Bochum Total
The Bermuda Triangle – A city beer garden that became center of the night live
Rural Germany Towards the South
The southern border of Bochum is marked by the river Ruhr and by lake Kemnade, a recreational area in the south east, right next to Ruhr University. And while there is a densely populated metropolitan area on the north side of the river, the south side is characterized by forests, agricultural structures, villages and small cities, where more buildings survived the second world war. There are few places in the world, where the character of a landscape changes so drastically within a few hundred meters, divided just by a small river. The south side of the river Ruhr invites to trips into the history of Germany and into picturesque historical city centers.
The river Ruhr at the southern border of Bochum
Blankenstein Castle right south of Bochum – at this castle Bochum was granted its city rights in 1321
Historic city center of Hattingen, a town right south of Bochum
Welcome to Ruhr University Bochum
And last but not least there is the Ruhr University itself, where the 14th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE) will take place from August 8 to 11, 2022. Organized in 20 faculties, the Ruhr University is one of the biggest (for orientation see the map of the central campus at https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/anreise/download/RUB-Lageplan_en.pdf) and scientifically most productive comprehensive universities in Germany. Interdisciplinary research is organized in ten research departments, which mark special strengths of research at Ruhr University. The most interdisciplinary of these research departments is the Research Department Closed Carbon Cycle Economy. Scientists from ten faculties, from natural and engineering sciences to social sciences and philosophy, work together to address topics that are related to new concepts for supply with power, heat, mobility and base chemicals without or with drastically reduced atmospheric CO2-emissions and to the economic and social implications of the upcoming structural change. The Research Department Closed Carbon Cycle Economy ideally reflects the broad interdisciplinary approach of the ICAE conference series and will act as host for the 14th ICAE.
The structure of Ruhr University with its faculties and research departments
The south-east buildings – four of the fifteen main buildings of Ruhr University
The Auditorium Maximum (Audimax) in winter
The botanical garden of Ruhr University – a nice place to relax between two lectures
We are looking forward to an interesting and inspiring interdisciplinary top-level conference and to hosting you at Ruhr University!
