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Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between the cities of Essen and Dortmund. Population (November 2003): 393,324.
History
Although Bochum was founded in the 14th century, the town was insignificant until the 19th century, when coal mining and steel industry emerged in the Ruhr area, leading to the growth of the entire region. The population of Bochum increased tenfold between 1850 and 1890.
Between 1960 and 2001, all the mines were closed. Other industries, such as car making, compensated for the loss of jobs. In 1965 the Ruhr University was opened, the first university in the Ruhr area and the first new foundation after World War II. In the course of a comprehensive community reform in 1975, Wattenscheid, a formerly independent city, was integrated into the urban area of Bochum. An exerted local referendum against the integration failed.
The football club, VfL Bochum, relegated to the second Bundesliga in 2005, is in fierce competition especially with neighbour teams Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 of Gelsenkirchen. They will be promoted to the First Division (1. Bundesliga) for the upcoming season of 2006/07.
Two castles from the Middle Ages survive on the northern banks of the Ruhr river. More famous are the German Mining Museum, the musical Starlight Express (opening show in 1988) and the nostalgic Train Museum in the borough of Dahlhausen.
Traffic
Bochum is connected to the Autobahn network by the A 40 and A 43 autobahns. It has a central station situated on the line from Duisburg to Dortmund, connecting the city to the long-distance network of Deutsche Bahn as well as to the S-Bahn network of Rhine-Ruhr. Local service is carried out by the BOGESTRA, a joint venture between the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen. There is a single underground Stadtbahn line connecting Bochum to Herne, and several tram lines connecting to Gelsenkirchen and Witten. Public transport in the city is carried out according to the fare system of the VRR transport association.
Twin cities
Bochum is twinned with
People affiliated with Bochum
- Andrei Osterman, Russian Statesman
- Wolfgang Clement, former minister of economics and work
- Norbert Lammert, President (Speaker) of the German Parliament, Bundestag
- Herbert Grönemeyer, singer, wrote a popular song about Bochum in 1984.
- Frank Goosen, writer, wrote an epic story taking place in Bochum in the 1980's and 90's (liegen lernen)
- Otto Schily, former minister of the interior
- Mark Warnecke, breaststroke swimmer, won the world title at age 35
External links
Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia | Bochum
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"Bochum"