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Gelsenkirchen is far removed today from being the "City of a Thousand Fires" and smoking industrial plants. Coalmine buildings and factory halls have become venues for cultural events today. The "Kaue" in Gelsenkirchen is a renowned address for comedy, discotheques and music. The machine hall at the "Zeche Oberschuir", a former coalmine, regularly stages exhibitions on architecture, cultural and the working world. The former coal and steel region is experiencing a difficult structural change from heavy industry into a new future. Gelsenkirchen with around 280,000 inhabitants is the largest town in the Emscher-Lippe region. In this time of radical change its situation offers chances and opportunities for new projects. Hardly any other town is as mad about football as Gelsenkirchen. The national division team FC Schalke 04 is not only a club that boasts a long tradition, but with its highly modern arena it has constructed a future-oriented event venue, which is unique in Europe. At the "Auf Schalke" - stadium (the Arena) up to 62,000 spectators can watch the royal blue championship games as well as enjoy rock and pop concerts or other major events. The range of culture and leisure amenities is also diverse: not only opera performances are choreographed in the "Musiktheater im Revier", one of the most beautiful German post-war theatre buildings, it is also the artistic home of the "Schindowski Ballet". This ballet company has made a name for itself nationwide with its child and youth productions. The City's figureheads for contemporary arts are formed by the city museum with its expansive kinetics department and the "Halfmannshof" artists' village. The economic pillars of the city today are chemistry, medium-sized industrial and handicraft companies, the service industry, commerce, science and research. |
