Living in Essen
Essen - a cultural capital
Until the 1970s, Essen was considered one of the most important coal and steel hubs in Germany. In 1811, Friedrich Krupp founded Germany's first cast-steel factory; the Essen factory laid the cornerstone for what became the largest European enterprise for nearly half a century. Today, in alignment with global trends, Essen has developed a strong tertiary/service sector. In the 1930s, the Coca-Cola Company established their German headquarters in Essen, but in 2003 it was moved to Berlin. Today, Essen is now home to 13 of the 100 largest German corporations and in 2010, Essen was the European Capital of Culture.
International students may be particularly interested to know that Essen is also one of the warmest cities in Germany. In summer, the Stadtgarten next door to the RGS Econ building becomes a green paradise. The view from the balcony is only superceeded by the feeling sitting in the sunny park itself (maybe with a research paper, sandwich and cool beverage).
An Essen landmark worthy of note is the Zollverein Industrial Complex. Its previous incarnation as a coal mine desisted in 1993, and is now considered an architectural and technical masterpiece. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001 and is now home to a historical and cultural museum; extensive understanding of the German language is not required to enjoy wandering through this wonderful site, although tours are available.
Named after the ‘Folkvanger’ (the ‘People’s Hall’) in the palace of the Norse goddess Freya, the Folkswang Museum is a must see Essen attraction. It contains a compilation of “excellent collection of 19th century and classical modern paintings and sculpture, post-1945 art and photography.”
The Baldeney Lake is a man-made reservoir and was constructed in the early 1930s by thousands of newly unemployed miners who managed with only primitive tools. Today, it is a water-sport haven, and includes nearly 14 km of bicycle and footpaths. In the suburb of Heisingen, is a large bird sanctuary that serves as a shelter and breeding area for several endangered species. Some of the first cruise vessels that utilised the lake still offer tours in summer. One of their first stops is Villa Hügel, in Bredeney. The mansion occupies over 8,100 m² and has 259 rooms; it was built to house the Krupp family in 1873. Today, it contains an extensive collection of the Krupp family history, including archives, art and is also the location of the office of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach Foundation. This foundation generously sponsored the first cohort of RGS Students from 2004 to 2007.
The RGS Econ (and RWI building) is located across the road from Saalbau: the home of the Essen philharmonic orchestra. The current building is a far cry from the wooden building created in 1864, which was replaced by a concert hall in 1904. This second structure was completely demolished in WWII bombings and so was rebuilt. The Philharmonie building was then completely renovated in 2004. The renovation seems to have paid off; the Essen philharmonics have repeatedly impressed critics, naming the Essen philharmonie as Germany's Orchestra of the Year several times in recent years. The Aalto Theatre, for those who prefer theatre to orchestral music, is 10 metres down the road from the Philharmonie.
The Rhine-Ruhr region
All Ph.D students obtain a student semester ticket which allows them to use the public transport sytem for free all around North-Rhine Westfalia. There are not tution fees for PhD student, however, each university charges approximately 250 Euros per semester (6 months) which then includes the semester ticket. A great bargain.
As any real estate agent would point out, Essen also has a great location. Cultural highlights in the area surrounding Essen include 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites: Köln (Cologne) Cathedral (apparently the most visited attraction in Germany), Aachen Cathedral and Augustusburg Palace in Brühl. Essen is also located near the borders of Belgium, France & Netherlands/Holland (Amsterdam is 3,5 hours away by train). A convenient location for weekend trips to historical landmarks or 'the chocolate capital of the world' (believed to be Brussels, Belgium - although some would argue for Switzerland). Essen is also a short train ride from the NRW capital, Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf's famous 'Altstadt' (old city centre) is also a tourist hotspot, as are the gorgeous summer boat trips down the Rhine river.
The concept of German Carnival started long before modern religions, as an event to cast off the winter and ghosts of darkness as the sun warmed the land in springtime. Well-known Carnivals are held in many Rhineland cities, including: Mainz, Aachen, Bonn, Düsseldorf and Köln. RGS students in Essen can pick a city to travel to and enjoy the festivities. The Karneval officially starts on the 11th of November at 11:11am (elften elften elf Uhr elf!), but the celebrations are fairly low key until the climactic day, ‘Rosenmontag’ (the 42nd day before Easter, or ‘Shrove Monday’). On average, 1.5 million people attend the Rosenmontag parade in Köln alone, and many more enjoy watching the festival on television. Overall, Karneval is a beautiful parade of floats and wild costumes, sanctioned ‘crazy’ behaviour and all around fun – it is often an (un)official day off and everything is closed.