Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between the cities of Essen and Dortmund. Population (30.11.2003): 393,324 .

German Mining Museum

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 1973, 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.

Two castles from the Middle Ages survive on the northern banks of the Ruhr river. More famous are the German Mining Museum, and the nostalgic Train Museum in the borough of Dahlhausen .

Twin cities

Bochum is twinned with

• Sheffield, England, since 1950
• Oviedo Spain, since 1980
• Donetsk Ukraine, since 1987
• Nordhausen Thuringia, since 1990
• Xuzhou China, since 1994