Essen

Essen (ĕs`ən), city (1994 pop. 622,380), North Rhine–Westphalia, W Germany, on the Ruhr River. The major industrial center of the Ruhr district, it was the seat of the famous Krupp steelworks. Essen is a retail trade center, a rail junction, and a steel and electricity producer. Its diversified industrial base includes chemical, glass, textile, and precision-instrument plants. The region's last coal mine closed in 1986 and in recent years there has a move away from heavy industry into the service and technology sectors. Essen grew up around a Benedictine convent (founded in the mid-9th cent.). It was a small imperial state, ruled by the abbess of the convent, from the 13th cent. until 1802, when it passed to Prussia. The city's main industrial growth dates from the second half of the 19th cent. Essen was heavily bombed during World War II, but was rebuilt in modern style after 1945. The city has a number of large parks. There is a noteworthy cathedral (9th–14th cent.).

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Essen

City (pop., 2002 est.: city, 591,889; metro. area, 5,823,685), North Rhine–Westphalia state, western Germany. Located on the Ruhr River, it is the site of an extensive ironworks and steelworks. It was originally the seat of a convent (founded 852), whose 15th-century cathedral still stands. Essen became a city in the 10th century and was locally sovereign until 1802, when it passed to Prussia. The development of ironworks, steelworks, and coal mines stimulated growth in the 19th century. The city was largely destroyed in World War II, when it was targeted by the Allies as a centre of the German war industry. It has since been rebuilt with large, modern buildings, including concert halls, an economic research institute, and an art institute.