The Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia is the largest urban area in Germany with a high population of more than 5 mio. people and therefore extremely high density. The development of the region into an urbanized industrial area started in the late 18th century. By 1850, there were almost 300 coal mines in operation in the Ruhr area. The Ruhrpott was at the center of the German economic miracle ‘Wirtschaftswunder’ of the 1950s and 1960s, as very rapid economic growth created a heavy demand for coal and steel. As demand for coal decreased after 1958, the area went through phases of structural crisis and industrial diversification, first developing traditional heavy industry, then moving into service industries and high technology.
Nowadays the Industrial Heritage Trail (German: Route der Industriekultur) links to industrial museums like the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (Zeche Zollverein Essen) or the Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord.
