Oberhausen: Guide

Oberhausen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area, 35 km to the north of Düsseldorf. Population: 220,033 (31.12.2003).

The city is a result of economic growth in the 19th century. It was but a rural area until about 1860, when coal mines were opened and the production of steel began to turn large areas of today's city into a huge industrial complex. Several villages merged in 1862 to make up a new town. In 1929 the nearby towns of Sterkrade and Osterfeld were incorporated.

Oberhausen is a typical city of the Ruhr area, which had been growing around industries.

Today the city is trying to get a new standing. In the 1990s a huge shopping mall, CentrO was built on an abandoned steel works site. There is also an art gallery called "Gasometer" and an international award festival for short films.

Sister Cities