The Cultural Heart of Europe
Essen made cultural history as the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010
A40 motorway on the occasion of RUHR.2010 – European Capital of Culture, EssenUNESCO World Heritage Zollverein
Millions of people met at the “still life” on the A40 motorway.
Shaft Signs for RUHR.2010 – European Capital of CultureUNESCO World Heritage Zollverein
Hundreds of yellow balloons evoked the old coal mine sites as “Shaft Signs”, and innumerable performances, exhibitions, festivals and projects made the cultural landscape bubble with activity.
Icy opening
Among the many impressive spaces and places in the Ruhr Area, there is one location that reflects the history and the transformation process in its entirety: Zollverein. Here, the opening ceremony of the Capital of Culture Year was celebrated on 9th January – and in spite of icy cold, snow and rain, there was a great party atmosphere.
The region’s new local history museum
When the Capital of Culture Year began at Zollverein in 2010, the Ruhr Museum was also inaugurated at the World Heritage Site.
It is the local history museum for millions of people and as the memory of the Ruhr Area presents its entire natural and cultural history.
At the same time, the RUHR.VISITORCENTER and the Portal of Industrial Heritage moved into the Coal Washery.
Since 2010, visitors can also discover the authentically preserved facilities of the Coal Mine and the Coking Plant on the restructured Zollverein Monument Path.
RUHR.2010 – European Capital of CultureUNESCO World Heritage Zollverein
During the Capital of Culture Year, Zollverein thus presented itself for the first time as an internationally renowned attraction with a tourist infrastructure.
SANAA building on the occasion of the opening of RUHR.2010 – European Capital of CultureUNESCO World Heritage Zollverein
The Capital of Culture Year attracted a record number of visitors to the Zollverein Coal Mine and Coking Plant: 2,21 million people wanted to see the World Heritage Site – more than twice as many as in previous years.
Zehn nach Zehn (Ten past Ten)
Ten years after the RUHR.2010 Capital of Culture Year, it was time to celebrate its anniversary according to the motto “Zehn nach Zehn” (ten past ten) and to talk about the future of the Ruhr cultural metropolis.
Where everything began on 9th January 2010, the Capital of Culture was once again ablaze with large-scale projections, light and sound installations from 10th to 25th January 2020.
Projections on the occasion of “Ten past Ten”UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein
