Gelsenkirchen And Bavaria: Are They Connected?

Gelsenkirchen is a city in Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, and is one of the largest cities in the country. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr region, which is Germany's industrial heartland.

Gelsenkirchen was first documented in 1150, but it remained a small village until the 19th century when the Industrial Revolution led to economic and population growth in the region. By the early 20th century, it was the most important coal-mining town in Europe, earning it the nickname city of a thousand fires. Today, the city is known for its football club, Schalke 04, and its high-technology products, including solar panels.

So, is Gelsenkirchen in Bavaria?

Gelsenkirchen is in North Rhine-Westphalia, not Bavaria

Gelsenkirchen is a city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr region, just north of Essen. The city is part of the heavily populated municipal area of Dortmund, Essen, Bochum, and Munster, among others.

Gelsenkirchen was first documented in 1150, but it remained a small village until the 19th century when the Industrial Revolution transformed the region. In 1840, when coal mining began, Gelsenkirchen had 6,000 inhabitants. By 1900, the population had increased to 138,000. In the early 20th century, it was the most important coal mining town in Europe, earning it the nickname "city of a thousand fires."

Today, Gelsenkirchen is a nice community with a diverse population, including a significant Jewish and Turkish presence. The city has several landmarks, including the Industrial Heritage Trail, the Municipal Forest of Buer, and Schloss Berge, a 13th-century castle. It is also known for its professional soccer team, Schalke 04, which plays at the Veltins-Arena, considered one of the most modern stadiums in Europe.

Gelsenkirchen is not in Bavaria. It is located in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is one of the most populous states in Germany.

Gelsenkirchen is Germany's 25th-most populous city

Gelsenkirchen is a city in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of around 257,000 as of 2022, it is indeed Germany's 25th most populous city. This ranking, however, was not always the case, as Gelsenkirchen has seen its population fluctuate over the years. The city's population peaked in the 1960s, reaching nearly 380,000, making it one of the largest cities in West Germany at the time. However, like many cities in the Ruhr area, Gelsenkirchen experienced a decline in population starting in the 1970s, as the coal and steel industries, which the city's economy depended on, started to shrink. This decline continued for several decades, and Gelsenkirchen lost its place as one of Germany's ten largest cities.

Despite this, Gelsenkirchen remains a significant city in Germany, both historically and culturally. The city is known for its football club, Schalke 04, which has a large and dedicated fan base and has contributed to the city's reputation and popularity domestically and internationally. Gelsenkirchen has also undergone significant efforts to revitalize and transform its economy, moving away from its heavy industrial past toward more diverse sectors, including technology, services, and renewable energy. These efforts have helped stabilize the city's population in recent years, preventing a further decline seen in some other regions dependent on coal and heavy industry.

The city's population density is approximately 2,300 people per square kilometer (5,900 per square mile), which is relatively high compared to the average population density of Germany, reflecting the urban and built-up nature of the city and its surrounding municipalities. Gelsenkirchen is part of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe, with a total population of over 11 million people. Within this region, Gelsenkirchen forms part of the polycentric urban area, where it is considered a medium-sized city, with its influence extending beyond its administrative boundaries through economic and social links.

While Gelsenkirchen is the 25th most populous city in Germany as of 2022, this ranking is subject to change over time due to various factors, including birth rates, migration patterns, and economic conditions. Cities may grow or decline in population, and their rankings can shift accordingly. However, with its current size and place in the urban structure of the Rhine-Ruhr region, Gelsenkirchen is likely to remain one of Germany's larger cities, even if its ranking within the top 25 fluctuates slightly in the coming years. This stability is a testament to the city's resilience and successful efforts to adapt to a changing economic landscape.

The city is home to football club Schalke 04

The city of Gelsenkirchen is home to the football club Schalke 04, commonly known as Schalke, which plays in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of the German football league system. Schalke 04 is a professional sports club named after the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, where it is based. The club was founded on 4 May 1904 as Westfalia Schalke by a group of high school students and has a rich history in German football.

Schalke 04 has experienced both highs and lows throughout its existence. The club's heyday was in the 1930s and 1940s, during which it dominated German football and won multiple championships. Schalke has won seven German championships, five DFB-Pokals, one DFB Ligapokal, one DFL-Supercup, one UEFA Cup, and two UEFA Intertoto Cups. They hold a long-standing rivalry with Ruhr neighbours Borussia Dortmund, known as the Revierderby.

The club has a strong fanbase and, as of 2023, has 178,000 members, making it the second-largest football club in Germany and the fourth-largest club in the world in terms of membership. Schalke 04's stadium, the Veltins-Arena, was built in 2001 and has a capacity of 62,271 spectators, regularly drawing sell-out crowds. The club's colours are blue and white, and its nickname is Die Königsblauen (The Royal Blues).

Schalke 04 has produced several notable German footballers, including İlkay Gündoğan, Mesut Özil, Olaf Thon, and Manuel Neuer, who were all born in Gelsenkirchen. The club has also faced financial troubles in recent years, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected its performance and standing in the German football league system.

Gelsenkirchen was once dominated by heavy industry

Gelsenkirchen is a city in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. It is part of the Ruhr region, the country's largest conurbation of coal mining, steel production and electricity generation.

However, the heavy industry left an ecological mark on the city, with dust emissions from coking plants, steel mills and coal-fired power plants causing a dramatic deterioration in air quality. This led to increased lung cancer rates in the late 1950s. The decline in coal and steel sectors since the 1960s has also hit Gelsenkirchen hard, with the city losing more than 30% of its population since 1960.

Today, while some heavy industry remains, Gelsenkirchen is now a centre for high-technology products, including solar panels, and consumer goods such as food, clothing and cosmetics. The city has also created architectural landmarks by restoring and reusing shaft towers and other mine buildings, serving as reminders of its past and symbols of a new start.

The city has a rich Jewish history

Gelsenkirchen, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, has a rich Jewish history. The Jewish community in the city was officially established in 1874, which was relatively late compared to the Jewish Ashkenazi communities in Germany. The community grew as the town grew, with about 120 Jews living in the town in 1880. A synagogue was established in 1885, and a bigger building was later constructed to serve as the community school.

By 1901, the community had grown to around 1,100 Jews, with a peak of 1,300 individuals in 1933. At the turn of the 20th century, the Reform Jewish community was the most dominant group in town. However, after an organ was installed inside the synagogue and most prayers were performed in German instead of Hebrew, the town's orthodox community decided to stop attending the synagogue and attempted to establish a new orthodox community.

In addition to the Reform and Orthodox communities, there was also a Jewish orthodox congregation of Polish Jews in the town. The Jewish community in Gelsenkirchen maintained an elementary school, which had 121 pupils in 1906. The community also had its own cemetery, established in 1908, which contains about 400 graves today.

Under the Nazi regime, Jewish life in Gelsenkirchen was impacted severely. In 1938, an official ban restricted Jewish businesses, and all Jewish doctors became unemployed. The Jewish community was expelled from the town, and their population decreased from 1,600 in 1937 to 1,000 in 1939. During Kristallnacht, the town's synagogue was destroyed, and many Jewish businesses, dwellings, and cemeteries were vandalised. On January 27, 1942, 350 of the remaining 500 Jews were deported to the Riga Ghetto, and the last remaining Jews were later deported to Warsaw and Theresienstadt.

After World War II, 69 Jews returned to Gelsenkirchen in 1946, and a new synagogue and communal centre were built in 1958. In 2005, the Jewish population was around 450, and a new, bigger synagogue was constructed to accommodate the growing community.

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