The Ruhr was one of the most polluted areas in all of Germany for decades. Towards the end of the 1980’s, when production ceased in industrial plants and mines were being closed down, a process of revitalisation began as a part of the IBA Emscher Park project, which lasted until 1999. At present, almost 20 years after the completion of the IBA, we can observe the long-term effects of the entire transformation process. The combination of the former industrial areas’ cultural heritage with the natural landscape and assigning completely new functions to them has led to a situation in which we can visit complexes of outstanding character and that constitute the man tourist attractions of the entire region.

Zagłębie Ruhry przez dziesięciolecia było najbardziej zanieczyszczonym obszarem Niemiec. Pod koniec lat 80. XX wieku, kie­dy zakończono produkcję w zakładach przemysłowych i zamknięto kopalnie rozpoczął się proces rewitalizacji w ramach IBA Emscher Park, który trwał do 1999r. Obecnie po prawie 20 latach po zakończeniu IBA można obserwować wieloletnie efekty działania całego procesu transformacji. Połączenie dziedzictwa kulturowego dawnych terenów przemysłowych naturalnym krajobrazem i nadanie im zupełnie nowych funkcji sprawia, że na obszarze zagłębia można zwiedzać wyjątkowe w swoim charakterze założenia, które stanowią główne atrakcje turystyczne całego regionu.

Contemporary Cities of the Ruhr– Green Post-industrial Agglomerations

Abstract

The Ruhr was one of the most polluted areas in all of Germany for decades. Towards the end of the 1980’s, when production ceased in industrial plants and mines were being closed down, a process of revitalisation began as a part of the IBA Emscher Park project, which lasted until 1999. At present, almost 20 years after the completion of the IBA, we can observe the long-term effects of the entire transformation process. The combination of the former industrial areas’ cultural heritage with the natural landscape and assigning completely new functions to them has led to a situation in which we can visit complexes of outstanding character and that constitute the man tourist attractions of the entire region.