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Carts overflowing with jet-black coal rested on tracks covered with dust and dirt; the rushing sounds of steam and distant clattering of pickaxes filled my ears. Locals and tech-savvy hipster types mingled in line for the various attractions, ranging from beach scenes and games to an immersive exploration of the effects of depression. In an outdoor gathering space in a back courtyard, festival staff and attendees watched keynote talks on big television screens and typed away on their laptops.
If this had been Berlin, with its vibrant start-up scene and hordes of tech staffers, such an event would have been unremarkable. But this was taking place in a city of , in the western Ruhr regionโa place most often known for its high unemployment and low incomes, one about which jokes are made, and whose identity is inextricably tied to the mines I experienced through those VR goggles.
It was a fitting metaphor for the promise and challenges of Gelsenkirchen, a way of embracing the past while looking toward the futureโall in a place no one would expect. That afternoon combined two of the most recurrent threads of my impressions of the city: The extent to which its present is shaped by the heyday, then slow death, of its coal mining industry; and the desire to move past its reputation, to show the city can be innovative and open and future-oriented.
That can be a tall order, as I learned during my time hereโbut there are many in town seeking to make things better, in ways big and small. A whole month? In a survey of the most livable cities in Germany, out of the included, Gelsenkirchen came in at number When people from other parts of the country picture the Ruhr region, they imagine dirty, grey, desolate scenes, trash on the ground and children going hungry, not a speck of green in sight, the epitome of a place that has undoubtedly seen better days.
Gelsenkirchen is one of them. With local-level elections taking place on Sept. What I found was complicated. I saw and heard things that confirmed certain stereotypes about the city, and which made it clear the city has legitimate problems that fuel support for the far-right party: With creating quality jobs and building up sustainable long-term industries; figuring out how to integrate its many newcomers; and improving its image outside the region.