Darren Cooper heads to the
European Capital of Culture and finds a phoenix rising from the ashes of Germany’s former industrial heart.
When heading to Germany on a short break the first area that many of us consider visiting probably isn’t the post-industrial heartland of one of the world’s most industrialised nations. That is exactly where I have just returned from though, finding more than a few surprises along the way during an action packed weekend with a difference!
The reason for my visit to Germany’s Ruhr Valley was in fact not to explore some post apocalyptic industrial wasteland, quite the opposite in fact. The whole Ruhr Valley region has apparently been the beneficiary of a massive regeneration project over recent decades and is now home to over
1,000 industrial monuments, 200 museums, 100 arts centres, 120 theatres, 100 concert venue as well as hosting more than 250 festivals and fairs too.
As if that wasn’t reason enough the Ruhr Valley is also the European City of Culture for 2010 and the region will be hosting o
ver 2,500 different events over the coming year making it the essential cultural destination for 2010! So, interest suitably peaked, I packed my bags and headed to the airport for the short hop across the channel to see for myself.
Luckily my new found spirit of adventure stands me in good stead for the short flight to Dusseldorf. The twin propellered aeroplane isn’t quite what I was expecting if I‘m honest, but after a rather noisy and shaky start we are airborn and Germany bound. Although this aircraft is much smaller than any planes I’ve flown on before it also proves (rather suprisingly) more enjoyable than a larger jet engined plane and is a suitably exhilirating start to the trip.
My first stop after touching down at Dusseldorf airport is the town of Essen which is located in the heart of the Ruhr. Essen is playing a central role in the Capital of Culture programme, the official name being 'RUHR.2010, Essen for the Ruhr' and this is the first time that an entire region, rather than a city has held the prestigious Capital of Culture title.
Situated in the west of Germany, close to the Dutch border the Ruhr is a rather unique metropolis and home to over 7 million people. This actually makes it the largest urban agglomeration in Germany and the fourth largest ‘city’ in Europe after Moscow, London and Paris although the population density is much less than other urban centres of a similar size. It’s hard to believe you are in such a huge ‘city’ when driving through the area as there’s a huge amount of open space and the characteristics are very different from somewhere such as London.
The reason for this is the polycentric nature of the Ruhr which actually consists of over 50 different towns and cities which have all grown independently and finally, merged into one large urban landscape. There are still several distinct city and town ‘centres’ throughout the Ruhr, but essentially it is one, rather spread out city that now flows seamlessly from Duisburg and Oberhausen in the east through the towns of
Essen and Bochum to Dortmund and Hamm in the West.
After arriving and safely ensconcing myself in the Sheraton, conveniently located in the centre of Essen it’s time to explore, first stop the World Heritage listed Zollverein museum. This former coal mine on the edge of Essen is now one of the most impressive industrial monuments in the Ruhr and was once dubbed ‘the most beautiful coal mine in the world’. The enormous pithead is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the area and still towers above this huge Bauhaus building, the last coal mine to operate in Essen.
It’s a rather poignant and magnificent memorial that now houses several important cultural and leisure facilities. The Red Dot Museum’s contemporary exhibition of design is housed in Shaft 12, one of the most architecturally important buildings of Zollverein. Another of the old Bauhaus mine buildings houses Pact Zollverein, a dance centre that also has a programme of theatre, film and art and a visual arts centre.
It’s the fluorescent glowing orange escalators that disappear up into the main building that really grab my attention though.
It’s impossible to resist climbing into these glowing amber walkways that disappear into the bowels of the former coal washing plant. The heavy machinery that used to run day and night here is now silent and provides the setting for The Ruhr Museum, and extensive collections on the geology, archaeology, history and photography of the Ruhrgebiet.
After exploring the several floors of exhibits and the stunning panoramic views from the roof top terrace I discover that it isn’t just the past that is celebrated at this site. The Zollverein School of Management & Design is the first new building to be constructed here, the suitably modernist design; a huge glowing cube is a stunning addition to this huge leisure park.
We finish the evening with dinner in the equally impressive restaurant, Casino Zollverein. Once again the functional architecture has been used to dramatic effect. The former compressor hall now houses one of the most talked about eateries in the Ruhr which more than lives up to its reputation for excellent modern cuisine with an excellent wine list.
The following morning – destination, Duisburg. This city in the west of the region sits at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers and is still an important port and transport hub with the largest inland port in the world. En-route via Bochum there’s time for a quick stop at the Bergbau archaeological Museum, which charts the regions medieval history and also an art exhibition held in an old World War 2 bunker! These two very different pit-stops hint at the enormously varied and diverse venues that are being used for the multitude of events planned for RUHR.2010.
Our destination in Duisburg is the cities inner harbour, once another casualty of the industrial decline the waterfront here has been the beneficiary of a stunning facelift, by Sir Norman Foster no less! The collection of modern waterfront apartments, offices and converted warehouses are now some of the most desirable in the Ruhr and this quayside development is a magnet during the evenings and weekends for Duisburg’s party set.
The harbour is also home to the internationally acclaimed Museum Küppersmühle. This former industrial building retains the brick facade but the transformation inside into an art and exhibition space was undertaken by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. Fifteen rooms of the MKM are devoted to key works from the Ströher Collection and contain works of influential German artists since the 1950s with an emphasis on painting. International artists are also represented with retrospectives of established artists and topical group exhibitions in collaboration with other international art institutions.
Unfortunately our allocated time to linger at the Museum Küppersmühle is too short, another time hopefully as the Duisberg-Nord Landscape Park beckons. This 200 hectare site is now home to several venues in the former factory buildings; the Engine House, Blower House and Cast House boast stages that are used for music gigs, theatrical and dance performances, exhibitions and many other events all throughout the year.
The centre piece of the park is undoubtedly the massive decommissioned metal works that stands in the middle of the park. The fluorescent illuminated chimneys and gas towers are the first structures that come into view as the sun sets and up close the park resembles the set of a Mad Max movie. Rather than demolish this gigantic steel processing plant the local authority transformed it into a leisure park with some very interesting facilities. An old gas holder has become the biggest artificial diving centre in Europe, alpine climbing gardens have been created in the former ore storage bunkers, and an extinct blast furnace has been developed into a panoramic tower.
It’s the latter of these that (thanks to our guide) we are invited to experience, and what an experience it is. The only way to reach the top is to climb, and the staircase runs precariously up the outside of the building all the way to the top, 67 metres above the ground. I’m not that big on heights it has to be said, the reward though is not only a great sense of achievement, but a fantastic view of the illuminated park and Duisburg as it lights up for the evening.
Overnight once again at the Sheraton but this time our scheduled destination is within walking distance of the hotel. The Folkwang Museum is one of the most renowned German art museums with outstanding collections of painting and sculpture of the 19th Century, classical modernism, and post-1945 art and photography.
Although the museum was founded in 1902 a new museum building has been constructed for the start of RUHR 2010. An international architectural competition was won by David Chipperfield architects; the resulting building offers acres of space, clean lines and galleries flooded by natural light thanks to the floor to ceiling glass walls. It’s a fantastic exhibition space and for me the highlight was definitely the post-1945 art and photography exhibition which was outstanding.
Once again I had to tear myself away from another excellent Ruhr museum, this time for the last stop on the itinerary, the town of Oberhausen. As well as being home to the Centro shopping centre, which is the largest in the country the town is perhaps best known for the quirky and eccentric Gasometer, a major attraction on the European Route of Industrial Heritage.
This former gas storage facility is yet another former industrial building given a new lease of life thanks to the Ruhr’s regeneration. Standing 117 metres high the Gasometer is certainly an imposing fixture on the Oberhausen landscape. The building now serves several functions, firstly the viewing platform on top (this time thankfully serviced by a lift) provides stunning view of the area.
Once inside though the building’s proportions can be truly appreciated. Accessing the interior two floors below the roof (once more thanks to another scary external staircase) a glass lift descends into the interior of the building which is open apart from the bottom two floors. The ride down isn’t recommended for those prone to vertigo and passes a giant model of the moon suspended in the middle of the tower. This is the centre piece in the exhibition 'Out Of This World - Wonders Of The Solar System' that occupies the bottom floors of the Gasometer.
The former gas pressure disc now splits the bottom two floors at a height of 4.5 metres. The space below is now a 3,000 square metre gallery and exhibition space. Above the disc supports a stage and auditorium that can seat up to 500 people. It’s another stunning reinvention of a former industrial relic that has been transformed to show the optimism that this region has for 2010 and years to come.
Different, quirky, original and thought provoking, Essen and the Ruhr more than lives up to its Capital of Culture status. It’s just these kind of destinations that the Capital of Culture programme should be highlighting and it is definitely living up to the standards set by previous hosts.
For more information on RUHR.2010, Essen for the Ruhr visit the
European City of Culture website of the
German National Tourist Board website.
I'm travel editor of the UK's biggest and best lesbian magazine Diva, which means when I'm not hunting down Deutschland's hot spots, I'm exploring the great and the glamorous gay scenes around the world.
I hate Mondays. Normally they mean a throbbing hangover and a mad busy day where I forget the weekend ever existed as I’m thrust headfirst into the working week. But there’s one Monday I always look forward to and make sure I book the surrounding days off to prepare for and recover from it, and that’s Düsseldorf’s Pink Monday.
