The Open (Factory) Door Trail
No entry! Authorised personnel only!
That was then. Nowadays, our modern information and service-led society has opened doors. Follow this trail and take a look at production facilities in action, or see what's new, ready and waiting at disused sites.
These days, you're more than welcome - so what are you waiting for?
Nordstern Colliery - an old landmark in new surroundings
When Nordstern (literally, 'North Star') Colliery first shone in 1858, it was the most northerly mine in the Ruhr; when it went out in 1993, it was the furthest south. But the lights weren't out for long, because 1997 saw this legacy of heavy industry revamped for the National Garden Show.
As a result of this turn-around, the imposing headgear now sits on the edge of the Nordstern Park (see www.nordsternpark.de). The stark, straight lines of the park's waterways contrast impressively with the open landscape, meadows, wetland habitats and stark industrial architecture. The famous architects Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer left their mark on the steel-framed buildings here, too.
Panorama image: Nordsternpark - canal stage
Panorama image: Nordsternpark - amphitheatre
Bus:
Lines CE 56 and 383
Alight at Nordsternpark (north entrance) or Krokuswinkel bus stops
Gelsenkirchen-Scholven - the energy centre of the Ruhr
Nowhere else produces more power than this place! You simply cannot miss Europe's largest and cleanest coal-fired power station in the Gelsenkirchen district of Scholven, which used to go by the name of VEBA but now operates under the Preussen Elektra umbrella.
For a long time after World War II, the generation of electricity from coal that could not be converted to coke was seen as the mining industry's last chance of survival. Large power stations replaced smaller plants.
Five powerful coal-fired generators and two oil-fired units generate enormous amounts of electricity, and district heating is also produced. The neighbouring industrial complexes also house large sections of the oil and chemical industries, who are integrated within regional and global networks and consume steam produced at the power station.
The view from the rural setting of Ulfkotter Strasse across to chimneys towering 300m and more into the air illustrates the extent to which agricultural land was swallowed up as heavy industry took hold in large parts of the Ruhr more than 100 years ago. A sharply contrasting urban, rural and industrial landscape on the outskirts of Gelsenkirchen that at night sends out bright signals into the surrounding area, not only by artistic design.
Want to get up close and personal with a gigantic power station? No problem - here in Gelsenkirchen you can do just that!
Visits to the power station include a look at the flue gas purification process, machine room and boiler house, and the inner chamber of a cooling tower. Did you know, for instance, that a boiler weighs in at 20,000 tonnes and contains over 610km of pipework? Look down on the world from the 120m-high boiler house roof.
The tour is free and lasts around three hours, including a film showing. Minimum group size is 15 people. For insurance reasons, children cannot be included on the tour. School children aged 16 and above are eligible to take part. Single visitors may accompany larger groups by prior arrangement.
Groups are kindly requested to allow a few weeks' notice.
Please apply to:
e.on AG
Herr Franzen
Tel: 0209/601 62 72
Fax: 0209/601 62 36
Scholven power station
Glückaufstrasse 56
45896 Gelsenkirchen
Access via the west entrance (Tor West) on Glückaufstrasse. Cyclists may also enter from Gelsenkirchen-Scholven via Schwedenstrasse.
Bus:
Line 258
Alight at Vossstrasse bus stop (15 minutes' walk from West Gate works entrance)
Line 252 (route to/from Gladbeck-Oberhof/Gladbeck-Mitte - not from Gelsenkirchen-Buer town hall!)
Alight at Schwedenstrasse bus stop (10 minutes' walk)
Consolidation Colliery - a forbidden town becomes the new centre of Bismarck district
A word or two before we begin on why Bismarck is called Bismar(c)k'
Let's go back a hundred years to 22 January 1900 when, at the instigation of the senior civil servant Baron von Eberstein, the Prussian king Wilhelm II agreed to rename the district of Braubauerschaft in honour of the imperial chancellor Otto von Bismarck. People were proud of the extremely rapid growth achieved back in those days and were happy to do away with the old name, which carried no particular meaning. By order of the minister of the interior, the change was introduced retrospectively with effect from 1 January 1900.
Today, a lot of people in this part of town are no longer aware of this event, as you are more and more likely to see local firms using the incorrect spelling 'Bismark'.
But that's enough about the name of the district, which became part of Gelsenkirchen in 1903. It would be impossible to review the history of Bismarck without mentioning Consolidation Colliery. Here, at the heart of the Ruhr industrial area, people adopted an abbreviated language of their own to allow them to communicate quickly and without fear of misunderstanding while underground. That's why to this day hardly anyone says Consolidation Colliery - it's known simply as Consol!
While Graf Bismarck Colliery provided the inspiration for renaming the district, its peripheral location and early closure meant it did not shape people's lives as much as Consol, which was situated in the heart of the community. Here on Bismarckstrasse mining commenced at shaft no. 3 back in 1872. The origins of Consolidation, closely linked with its founder Friedrich Grillo, can be traced back to 1863.
Over the years Consol was modernised and extended several times until the bitter end in 1994, though not all the buildings have since fallen victim to the high explosives and JCBs of the demolition squads.
The intricate A-frame headgear from 1922 is and remains a landmark. Today, the site is in the care of an industrial heritage foundation set up by the state government and Ruhrkohle, a mining company.
The 'Keep out' signs have now long since disappeared, and the site was opened up primarily for 'sociocultural' usage in 2001, much to the bemusement of many people in Bismarck, unfamiliar with such academic-sounding terminology.
A fan house has been converted into a theatre focusing on children's and youth productions, and rehearsal rooms for up-and-coming musical talent are providing a boost for cultural developments in the area.
Bismarckstrasse 260
45889 Gelsenkirchen
Bus:
Line 384 (hourly services via Wanne-Eickel railway station, not via Gelsenkirchen railway station)
Alight at Marschallstrasse!
Tram:
Line 301
Alight at Bergwerk Consolidation tram stop (about 10 minutes away on foot)
Tram stations in Bismarck:
A display of artistic images at Trinenkamp station illustrates urban development in the Bismarck area. On a map you can trace the individual stages of industrialisation from an underground perspective. The wall tiles at the Bergwerk Consolidation station, the work of the late artist Alfred Schmidt, lucidly depict scenes from the underground world of the miner.
Oberschuir shaft - a glittering jewel highlights the pride of its founders
You don't have to be an architect to get excited about this complex in the Gelsenkirchen suburb of Feldmark, even though it was taken out of service in the early 1980s.
Oberschuir shaft was an ancillary shaft that served Consol Colliery. The street Boniverstasse was named for a former mine director. As the mining claims covered an extensive area, several shafts had to be sunk to reduce the distances miners needed to travel to the seams and to provide ventilation.
It is this circumstance we have to thank for this unique shaft installation, which was built in 1908 and has since been lovingly restored. The bathhouse, headgear, mortuary (mandatory in those days), admin building and the housing blocks on Schwarzer Weg (numbers 14 to 18) and Boniverstrasse (36-38) are important elements of the complex.
At the end of the 1980s some of the buildings were converted into private accommodation. During the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition (IBA) the machine room was transformed into the Gallery of Architecture and Labour (GAA) and now goes by the name of stadt.bau.raum. A newly constructed glass cube serves as a reception building.
Today, the public's attention focuses on events highlighting urban development and architectural concepts for international projects. Visitors can hold meetings in a relaxing atmosphere that is entirely conducive to constructive discussion.
stadt.bau.raum
Boniverstrasse 30
45883 Gelsenkirchen
Tel: +49 209/46 71 33
E-mail: info@stadtbauraum-nrw.de
Internet: www.stadtbauraum-nrw.de
Bus:
Line 382
Alight at Boniverstrasse bus stop
Tram:
Line 107
Alight at Feldmarkstrasse tram stop
Küppersbusch residential park
The relocation of the former Küppersbusch oven factory made an expanse of land near the city centre available for development. By the mid-1990s, 265 flats had been built here, rounded off by a kindergarten, commercial premises and shops. The small-scale, differentiated style of building, with separate front doors, dedicated external staircases, gardens and roof gardens, accommodates custom residential design within a communal environment. At the heart of it all is an elliptical plaza, where rainwater channelled from the roofs is directed via a system of guttering.
This exemplary project was implemented during the International Building Exhibition of 1989-99.
The complex is enclosed by a walkable 'green wall', which affords fascinating views of Oberschuir shaft and Gelsenkirchen city centre.
Location:
Küppersbuschstrasse/Boniverstrasse
Gelsenkirchen-Feldmark
Bus:
Line 382
Alight at Boniverstrasse bus stop
Line 383
Alight at Küppersbuschstrasse bus stop
Tram:
Line 107
Alight at Feldmarkstrasse tram stop
Responsible for the contents: Stadtmarketing Gesellschaft Gelsenkirchen mbH