A post-industrial mindscape? Industrial heritage in the Ruhr and regional identity

The representation of regional identity in Germany’s Ruhr region is predominantly based on industrial heritage. Since the 1960s, in the course of its ongoing transition from heavy industry to a post-industrial landscape, the Ruhr has experienced a movement to preserve the historical objects associated with its coal and steel industry. While this had initially been a movement from below, industrial heritage has become a mainstream phenomenon in the Ruhr.
This event will provide an overview of the most important developments in the history of industrial heritage in the Ruhr: the origins of industrial heritage in the Ruhr; the mainstreaming of industrial heritage during the Ruhr’s deindustrialisation; and the recent developments and controversies in the region. Finally, the presenters will take a look at other coal and steel regions around the world to compare the role of industrial heritage in their regional identity repertoire.