Oberhausen
Encyclopedia
Oberhausen (ˈoːbɐhaʊzən) is a city on the river Emscher
in the Ruhr Area
, Germany, located between Duisburg
(c. 12 km) and Essen
(c. 13 km). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
and its Gasometer Oberhausen
is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage
. It is also well known for the Centro, which is the biggest shopping mall in Germany. The city's Sea Life Centre
was home to Paul the Octopus
.
mines and steel
mills. Awarded town rights in 1874, Oberhausen absorbed several neighbouring boroughs like Alstaden, parts of Styrum
and Dümpten in 1910. After becoming a city in 1901, Oberhausen incorporated the towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld in 1929. The Ruhrchemie AG
synthetic oil plant ("Oberhausen-Holten" or "Sterkrade/Holten") was a bombing target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
, and the US Forces had reached the plant by April 4, 1945.
Oberhausen was largely focused on mining and steel production until the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1992 and the large Thyssen
iron and steel mill closed in 1997 (over 50,000 jobs). The Altenberg
zinc factory closed in 1981, was taken over by the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
(Rhineland Industry Museum) in 1984, and opened in 1997.
In 1954 the city began hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
, and the 1982 Deutscher Filmpreis
was awarded to a group that wrote the Oberhausen Manifesto
.
Oberhausen performs chemical processing, mechanical engineering, and education. The "Neue Mitte Oberhausen" at the former site of the Thyssen mill has light industry.
Oberhausen has 4 city centres, and Alt-Oberhausen, Sterkrade and Osterfeld are common town centres. The new city centre with its mall draws many people from more distant places as it also boasts a larger number of exceptional shops. Much of the city is composed of low- to medium-density residential areas, most of which date from the 1950s-1970s.
in the Ruhr Area
, Germany, located between Duisburg
(c. 12 km) and Essen
(c. 13 km). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
and its Gasometer Oberhausen
is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage
. It is also well known for the Centro, which is the biggest shopping mall in Germany. The city's Sea Life Centre
was home to Paul the Octopus
.
mines and steel
mills. Awarded town rights in 1874, Oberhausen absorbed several neighbouring boroughs like Alstaden, parts of Styrum
and Dümpten in 1910. After becoming a city in 1901, Oberhausen incorporated the towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld in 1929. The Ruhrchemie AG
synthetic oil plant ("Oberhausen-Holten" or "Sterkrade/Holten") was a bombing target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
, and the US Forces had reached the plant by April 4, 1945.
Oberhausen was largely focused on mining and steel production until the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1992 and the large Thyssen
iron and steel mill closed in 1997 (over 50,000 jobs). The Altenberg
zinc factory closed in 1981, was taken over by the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
(Rhineland Industry Museum) in 1984, and opened in 1997.
In 1954 the city began hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
, and the 1982 Deutscher Filmpreis
was awarded to a group that wrote the Oberhausen Manifesto
.
Oberhausen performs chemical processing, mechanical engineering, and education. The "Neue Mitte Oberhausen" at the former site of the Thyssen mill has light industry.
Oberhausen has 4 city centres, and Alt-Oberhausen, Sterkrade and Osterfeld are common town centres. The new city centre with its mall draws many people from more distant places as it also boasts a larger number of exceptional shops. Much of the city is composed of low- to medium-density residential areas, most of which date from the 1950s-1970s.
in the Ruhr Area
, Germany, located between Duisburg
(c. 12 km) and Essen
(c. 13 km). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
and its Gasometer Oberhausen
is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage
. It is also well known for the Centro, which is the biggest shopping mall in Germany. The city's Sea Life Centre
was home to Paul the Octopus
.
mines and steel
mills. Awarded town rights in 1874, Oberhausen absorbed several neighbouring boroughs like Alstaden, parts of Styrum
and Dümpten in 1910. After becoming a city in 1901, Oberhausen incorporated the towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld in 1929. The Ruhrchemie AG
synthetic oil plant ("Oberhausen-Holten" or "Sterkrade/Holten") was a bombing target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
, and the US Forces had reached the plant by April 4, 1945.
Oberhausen was largely focused on mining and steel production until the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1992 and the large Thyssen
iron and steel mill closed in 1997 (over 50,000 jobs). The Altenberg
zinc factory closed in 1981, was taken over by the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
(Rhineland Industry Museum) in 1984, and opened in 1997.
In 1954 the city began hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
, and the 1982 Deutscher Filmpreis
was awarded to a group that wrote the Oberhausen Manifesto
.
Oberhausen performs chemical processing, mechanical engineering, and education. The "Neue Mitte Oberhausen" at the former site of the Thyssen mill has light industry.
Oberhausen has 4 city centres, and Alt-Oberhausen, Sterkrade and Osterfeld are common town centres. The new city centre with its mall draws many people from more distant places as it also boasts a larger number of exceptional shops. Much of the city is composed of low- to medium-density residential areas, most of which date from the 1950s-1970s.
File:Oberhausen bahnhof1.JPG|Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof
File:Gasometer Oberhausen aussen.jpg|Gasometer
File:Schloss Oberhausen-vom Gasometer.jpg|Castle Oberhausen as seen from the Gasometer
File:Rathaus(Grillopark).jpg|Townhall with Grillo-Park
File:Stadttheater Oberhausen.jpg|Theatre
Oberhausen is well connected to the German motorway network.
Rail
Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in the city. Long-distance trains stop at the station (some even to Amsterdam
and Basel
) as well as regional and local services. There are stations at Holten, Sterkrade and Osterfeld, catering for regional and local travel.
Airports
Nearby commercial airports are at Düsseldorf International Airport
(28 km), Dortmund Airport
(50 km) and Weeze Airport (60 km).
Waterways
The Rhein-Herne Canal bisects the city, and the Ruhr is in the city's south-west (river navigation uses a shortcut canal to the south).
Public Transport
The city-owned company "STOAG" provides an extensive coverage of bus and tram services. It is part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr
transport association covering the whole Rhine-Ruhr
area.
, United Kingdom
, since 1974 Zaporizhia
, Ukraine
, since 1986 Freital
, Germany
, since 1990 Iglesias
, Italy
, since 2002 Carbonia, Italy, since 2002 Mersin
, Turkey
, since 2004
Emscher
The Emscher is a relatively small river and tributary of the Rhine, flowing through the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Its total length is 84km with an average discharge near the mouth into the lower Rhine of 16 m³/s .The Emscher has its source in Holzwickede, east of the...
in the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
, Germany, located between Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
(c. 12 km) and Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
(c. 13 km). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world and one of the major international platforms for the short form...
and its Gasometer Oberhausen
Gasometer Oberhausen
The Oberhausen gasometer, the largest disc-type gas holder in Europe, is an industrial monument located in Oberhausen, Germany. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929. Today it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and serves as an exhibition hall...
is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains...
. It is also well known for the Centro, which is the biggest shopping mall in Germany. The city's Sea Life Centre
Sea Life Centres
Sea Life Centres are a chain of commercial sealife-themed attractions. There are twenty-six centres located in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom , and the United States...
was home to Paul the Octopus
Paul the Octopus
Paul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
.
History
Oberhausen was named for its 1847 railway station which had taken its name from the Castle Oberhausen . The new borough was formed in 1862 following inflow of people for the local coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mines and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
mills. Awarded town rights in 1874, Oberhausen absorbed several neighbouring boroughs like Alstaden, parts of Styrum
Styrum
Styrum was an immediate lordship in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Mülheim an der Ruhr in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It held no seat in the Diet, and was totally circumvened by the lordship of Broich....
and Dümpten in 1910. After becoming a city in 1901, Oberhausen incorporated the towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld in 1929. The Ruhrchemie AG
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
synthetic oil plant ("Oberhausen-Holten" or "Sterkrade/Holten") was a bombing target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
, and the US Forces had reached the plant by April 4, 1945.
Oberhausen was largely focused on mining and steel production until the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1992 and the large Thyssen
Thyssen AG
Thyssen was a major German steel producer founded by August Thyssen. After over 100 years of existence the company merged with Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp to form ThyssenKrupp in 1999.-History:...
iron and steel mill closed in 1997 (over 50,000 jobs). The Altenberg
Altenberg
Altenberg is a German language place name and may refer to:Places in Germany:*Altenberg, Germany, a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany...
zinc factory closed in 1981, was taken over by the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
Rheinisches Industriemuseum
The Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
(Rhineland Industry Museum) in 1984, and opened in 1997.
In 1954 the city began hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world and one of the major international platforms for the short form...
, and the 1982 Deutscher Filmpreis
Deutscher Filmpreis
The Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
was awarded to a group that wrote the Oberhausen Manifesto
Oberhausen Manifesto
The Oberhausen Manifesto was a declaration by a group of 26 young German filmmakers at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia on February 28, 1962. The manifesto was a call to arms to establish a "new German feature film". It was initiated by Haro Senft and among...
.
Demographics and Industry
The age breakdown of the population is 0-18, 18.2%; 18-64, 62.9%; >65, 18.9%; while the unemployment rate is 13.2% (January 2007) and the foreign population ratio is 12.4%.Oberhausen performs chemical processing, mechanical engineering, and education. The "Neue Mitte Oberhausen" at the former site of the Thyssen mill has light industry.
Cityscape
Main sights
- Gasometer OberhausenGasometer OberhausenThe Oberhausen gasometer, the largest disc-type gas holder in Europe, is an industrial monument located in Oberhausen, Germany. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929. Today it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and serves as an exhibition hall...
, a huge gas holder converted into exhibition space. - Ludwiggalerie in the Castle Oberhausen
- "Neue Mitte" with CentrOCentrOCentrO is part of a large commercial development in Oberhausen, Germany, called the "Neue Mitte" or "new center". A large steel production plant used to occupy the site until the late 1980s. Besides the CentrO shopping mall the area today houses attractions such as a children's theme park and a...
shopping mall, Sea Life aquarium, König Pilsener ArenaKönig Pilsener ArenaKönig Pilsener Arena, formerly Arena Oberhausen, is an indoor sports arena, located in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The capacity of the arena is 13,000 and was opened in 1998....
, and CentrO.park, an amusement park. - OLGA-Park, a landscaped garden in Osterfeld created for a horticultural show
- Rheinisches IndustriemuseumRheinisches IndustriemuseumThe Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
(Rhineland Industrial Museum) - The memorial shrine of Paul the OctopusPaul the OctopusPaul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
in the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre, who predicted national soccer match winners by choosing between two food boxes labelled with flags
Gallery
Oberhausen (ˈoːbɐhaʊzən) is a city on the river EmscherEmscher
The Emscher is a relatively small river and tributary of the Rhine, flowing through the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Its total length is 84km with an average discharge near the mouth into the lower Rhine of 16 m³/s .The Emscher has its source in Holzwickede, east of the...
in the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
, Germany, located between Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
(c. 12 km) and Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
(c. 13 km). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world and one of the major international platforms for the short form...
and its Gasometer Oberhausen
Gasometer Oberhausen
The Oberhausen gasometer, the largest disc-type gas holder in Europe, is an industrial monument located in Oberhausen, Germany. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929. Today it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and serves as an exhibition hall...
is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains...
. It is also well known for the Centro, which is the biggest shopping mall in Germany. The city's Sea Life Centre
Sea Life Centres
Sea Life Centres are a chain of commercial sealife-themed attractions. There are twenty-six centres located in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom , and the United States...
was home to Paul the Octopus
Paul the Octopus
Paul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
.
History
Oberhausen was named for its 1847 railway station which had taken its name from the Castle Oberhausen . The new borough was formed in 1862 following inflow of people for the local coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mines and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
mills. Awarded town rights in 1874, Oberhausen absorbed several neighbouring boroughs like Alstaden, parts of Styrum
Styrum
Styrum was an immediate lordship in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Mülheim an der Ruhr in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It held no seat in the Diet, and was totally circumvened by the lordship of Broich....
and Dümpten in 1910. After becoming a city in 1901, Oberhausen incorporated the towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld in 1929. The Ruhrchemie AG
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
synthetic oil plant ("Oberhausen-Holten" or "Sterkrade/Holten") was a bombing target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
, and the US Forces had reached the plant by April 4, 1945.
Oberhausen was largely focused on mining and steel production until the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1992 and the large Thyssen
Thyssen AG
Thyssen was a major German steel producer founded by August Thyssen. After over 100 years of existence the company merged with Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp to form ThyssenKrupp in 1999.-History:...
iron and steel mill closed in 1997 (over 50,000 jobs). The Altenberg
Altenberg
Altenberg is a German language place name and may refer to:Places in Germany:*Altenberg, Germany, a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany...
zinc factory closed in 1981, was taken over by the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
Rheinisches Industriemuseum
The Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
(Rhineland Industry Museum) in 1984, and opened in 1997.
In 1954 the city began hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world and one of the major international platforms for the short form...
, and the 1982 Deutscher Filmpreis
Deutscher Filmpreis
The Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
was awarded to a group that wrote the Oberhausen Manifesto
Oberhausen Manifesto
The Oberhausen Manifesto was a declaration by a group of 26 young German filmmakers at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia on February 28, 1962. The manifesto was a call to arms to establish a "new German feature film". It was initiated by Haro Senft and among...
.
Demographics and Industry
The age breakdown of the population is 0-18, 18.2%; 18-64, 62.9%; >65, 18.9%; while the unemployment rate is 13.2% (January 2007) and the foreign population ratio is 12.4%.Oberhausen performs chemical processing, mechanical engineering, and education. The "Neue Mitte Oberhausen" at the former site of the Thyssen mill has light industry.
Cityscape
Main sights
- Gasometer OberhausenGasometer OberhausenThe Oberhausen gasometer, the largest disc-type gas holder in Europe, is an industrial monument located in Oberhausen, Germany. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929. Today it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and serves as an exhibition hall...
, a huge gas holder converted into exhibition space. - Ludwiggalerie in the Castle Oberhausen
- "Neue Mitte" with CentrOCentrOCentrO is part of a large commercial development in Oberhausen, Germany, called the "Neue Mitte" or "new center". A large steel production plant used to occupy the site until the late 1980s. Besides the CentrO shopping mall the area today houses attractions such as a children's theme park and a...
shopping mall, Sea Life aquarium, König Pilsener ArenaKönig Pilsener ArenaKönig Pilsener Arena, formerly Arena Oberhausen, is an indoor sports arena, located in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The capacity of the arena is 13,000 and was opened in 1998....
, and CentrO.park, an amusement park. - OLGA-Park, a landscaped garden in Osterfeld created for a horticultural show
- Rheinisches IndustriemuseumRheinisches IndustriemuseumThe Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
(Rhineland Industrial Museum) - The memorial shrine of Paul the OctopusPaul the OctopusPaul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
in the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre, who predicted national soccer match winners by choosing between two food boxes labelled with flags
Gallery
Oberhausen (ˈoːbɐhaʊzən) is a city on the river EmscherEmscher
The Emscher is a relatively small river and tributary of the Rhine, flowing through the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. Its total length is 84km with an average discharge near the mouth into the lower Rhine of 16 m³/s .The Emscher has its source in Holzwickede, east of the...
in the Ruhr Area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
, Germany, located between Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
(c. 12 km) and Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
(c. 13 km). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world and one of the major international platforms for the short form...
and its Gasometer Oberhausen
Gasometer Oberhausen
The Oberhausen gasometer, the largest disc-type gas holder in Europe, is an industrial monument located in Oberhausen, Germany. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929. Today it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and serves as an exhibition hall...
is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains...
. It is also well known for the Centro, which is the biggest shopping mall in Germany. The city's Sea Life Centre
Sea Life Centres
Sea Life Centres are a chain of commercial sealife-themed attractions. There are twenty-six centres located in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom , and the United States...
was home to Paul the Octopus
Paul the Octopus
Paul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
.
History
Oberhausen was named for its 1847 railway station which had taken its name from the Castle Oberhausen . The new borough was formed in 1862 following inflow of people for the local coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mines and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
mills. Awarded town rights in 1874, Oberhausen absorbed several neighbouring boroughs like Alstaden, parts of Styrum
Styrum
Styrum was an immediate lordship in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Mülheim an der Ruhr in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It held no seat in the Diet, and was totally circumvened by the lordship of Broich....
and Dümpten in 1910. After becoming a city in 1901, Oberhausen incorporated the towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld in 1929. The Ruhrchemie AG
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
synthetic oil plant ("Oberhausen-Holten" or "Sterkrade/Holten") was a bombing target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
, and the US Forces had reached the plant by April 4, 1945.
Oberhausen was largely focused on mining and steel production until the 1960s. The last coal mine closed in 1992 and the large Thyssen
Thyssen AG
Thyssen was a major German steel producer founded by August Thyssen. After over 100 years of existence the company merged with Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp to form ThyssenKrupp in 1999.-History:...
iron and steel mill closed in 1997 (over 50,000 jobs). The Altenberg
Altenberg
Altenberg is a German language place name and may refer to:Places in Germany:*Altenberg, Germany, a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany...
zinc factory closed in 1981, was taken over by the Rheinisches Industriemuseum
Rheinisches Industriemuseum
The Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
(Rhineland Industry Museum) in 1984, and opened in 1997.
In 1954 the city began hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
The International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest short film festivals in the world and one of the major international platforms for the short form...
, and the 1982 Deutscher Filmpreis
Deutscher Filmpreis
The Deutscher Filmpreis is the highest German movie award. From 1951 to 2004 it was awarded by a commission, since 2005 the award has been given by the Deutsche Filmakademie...
was awarded to a group that wrote the Oberhausen Manifesto
Oberhausen Manifesto
The Oberhausen Manifesto was a declaration by a group of 26 young German filmmakers at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia on February 28, 1962. The manifesto was a call to arms to establish a "new German feature film". It was initiated by Haro Senft and among...
.
Demographics and Industry
The age breakdown of the population is 0-18, 18.2%; 18-64, 62.9%; >65, 18.9%; while the unemployment rate is 13.2% (January 2007) and the foreign population ratio is 12.4%.Oberhausen performs chemical processing, mechanical engineering, and education. The "Neue Mitte Oberhausen" at the former site of the Thyssen mill has light industry.
Cityscape
Main sights
- Gasometer OberhausenGasometer OberhausenThe Oberhausen gasometer, the largest disc-type gas holder in Europe, is an industrial monument located in Oberhausen, Germany. It was constructed between 1927 and 1929. Today it is an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and serves as an exhibition hall...
, a huge gas holder converted into exhibition space. - Ludwiggalerie in the Castle Oberhausen
- "Neue Mitte" with CentrOCentrOCentrO is part of a large commercial development in Oberhausen, Germany, called the "Neue Mitte" or "new center". A large steel production plant used to occupy the site until the late 1980s. Besides the CentrO shopping mall the area today houses attractions such as a children's theme park and a...
shopping mall, Sea Life aquarium, König Pilsener ArenaKönig Pilsener ArenaKönig Pilsener Arena, formerly Arena Oberhausen, is an indoor sports arena, located in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The capacity of the arena is 13,000 and was opened in 1998....
, and CentrO.park, an amusement park. - OLGA-Park, a landscaped garden in Osterfeld created for a horticultural show
- Rheinisches IndustriemuseumRheinisches IndustriemuseumThe Rheinisches Industriemuseum is a decentralized museum with six locations in Rhineland, western Germany...
(Rhineland Industrial Museum) - The memorial shrine of Paul the OctopusPaul the OctopusPaul the Octopus was a common octopus from Weymouth, England. Paul lived in a tank at a commercial attraction, the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany and became internationally famous after his feeding behaviour was used to correctly predict the winner of each of the Germany national football...
in the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre, who predicted national soccer match winners by choosing between two food boxes labelled with flags
Gallery
File:Oberhausen bahnhof1.JPG|Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof
File:Gasometer Oberhausen aussen.jpg|Gasometer
File:Schloss Oberhausen-vom Gasometer.jpg|Castle Oberhausen as seen from the Gasometer
File:Rathaus(Grillopark).jpg|Townhall with Grillo-Park
File:Stadttheater Oberhausen.jpg|Theatre
Transport
RoadOberhausen is well connected to the German motorway network.
- A2 (E34) (Oberhausen - DortmundDortmundDortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
- BielefeldBielefeldBielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...
- HanoverHanoverHanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
- MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
- BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
) - A3 (E35) (from ArnhemArnhemArnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
- Oberhausen - CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
- FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
- WürzburgWürzburgWürzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
- NurembergNurembergNuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
- PassauPassauPassau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
- to LinzLinzLinz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
) - A40 (Ruhrschnellweg, VenloVenloVenlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
- DuisburgDuisburg- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
- EssenEssen- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
- DortmundDortmundDortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
) - A42 (Emscherschnellweg, Kamp-LintfortKamp-LintfortKamp-Lintfort is a town in Wesel District, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located 8 km north-west of Moers.- Twin towns :Kamp-Linfort is twinned with the town of Chester-le-Street in the North East of England....
- Oberhausen - GelsenkirchenGelsenkirchenGelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
- DortmundDortmundDortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
) - A516 (Motorway Interchange from A2 to Oberhausen-Zentrum)
Rail
Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in the city. Long-distance trains stop at the station (some even to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
) as well as regional and local services. There are stations at Holten, Sterkrade and Osterfeld, catering for regional and local travel.
Airports
Nearby commercial airports are at Düsseldorf International Airport
Düsseldorf International Airport
Düsseldorf International Airport is the largest airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and the third largest airport in Germany, handling 18.99 million passengers in 2010....
(28 km), Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport , is the international airport located east of Dortmund, Germany. Its slogan is Näher als man denkt . Since 2006 it has been carrying the name "Dortmund Airport 21", in reference to the fact that Dortmund's utility company, DSW21, is its major shareholder...
(50 km) and Weeze Airport (60 km).
Waterways
The Rhein-Herne Canal bisects the city, and the Ruhr is in the city's south-west (river navigation uses a shortcut canal to the south).
Public Transport
The city-owned company "STOAG" provides an extensive coverage of bus and tram services. It is part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr
Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr
The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr is the public transport association covering the area of the Rhine-Ruhr megalopolis in Germany...
transport association covering the whole Rhine-Ruhr
Rhine-Ruhr
The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region is the largest metropolitan region in Germany with about 10,100,000 inhabitants. It is of polycentric nature and the only megacity in Germany. It covers an area of 7,110 square kilometers and lies entirely within the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia...
area.
Sport
With around 250 sports clubs Oberhausen has an active community. Local football club Rot-Weiss Oberhausen currently play in the second tier of the league.Twin towns
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, since 1974 Zaporizhia
Zaporizhia
Zaporizhia or Zaporozhye [formerly Alexandrovsk ] is a city in southeastern Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative center of the Zaporizhia Oblast...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, since 1986 Freital
Freital
Freital is the biggest town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the small river Weißeritz, 8 km southwest of Dresden.- Geography :...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, since 1990 Iglesias
Iglesias
Iglesias is a comune of Carbonia-Iglesias province in Sardinia, Italy.-Overview:Situated at 190 m in the hills in the southwest of Sardinia, it was a centre of a mining district, with lead, zinc, and silver being extracted, as well as for the distillation of sulfuric acid.Iglesias'...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 2002 Carbonia, Italy, since 2002 Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, since 2004