European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 now open!

The cultural capital year was officially kicked off at the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site Zeche Zollverein, the region’s main landmark, by German President Horst Köhler with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and other political heavyweights in attendance. More than 100,000 Ruhr residents braved icy temperatures to celebrate the grand opening until the early morning hours.

The city of Essen bears the title of European Capital of Culture as the representative of the 53 cities of the Ruhr with around 5.3 million residents. That makes the region the European Union’s third largest urban agglomeration behind Paris and London. Following the decline of the coal and steel industries, the region has transformed itself into a cultural metropolis. The title of European Capital of Culture marks the high point of this development so far. 300 projects with more than 2,500 events will create new images to replace the old clichés.
Information and programme.