View source for Essen

{{Use Oxford spelling |date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{About}}
{{Dist|Assen}}
{{Infobox German location
|type              = City
|image_photo       = {{multiple image
| total_width            = 280
| border                 = infobox
| perrow                 = 1/2/2/2
| caption_align          = center
|image1 = Essen Panorama.jpg
|caption1 = Skyline of the city
|image2 = ThyssenKrupp Quartier (31798903101).jpg
|caption2 = {{ill|ThyssenKrupp Headquarters|de|Thyssenkrupp-Hauptquartier}}
|image3 = Essen-Südviertel Luft.jpg
|caption3 = {{ill|Essen Business District|de|Südviertel (Essen)}}
|image4 = Schloss-Borbeck-Komplettansicht-Sonnenuntergang-2012.jpg
|caption4 = {{ill|Borbeck Castle|de|Schloss Borbeck}}
|image5 = Essener Dom am Abend.jpg
|caption5 = [[Essen Minster]]
|image6 = Zollverein 8107 2.jpg
|caption6 = [[Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex|Zollverein]]
|image7 = Villa Hügel, Essen, 20071222.jpg
|caption7 = [[Villa Hügel]]
|image8 = Essen, Saalbau, 2017-04 CN-07.jpg
|caption8 = [[Saalbau Essen]]
}}
|image_caption     = 
|image_flag        = Flagge Essen.svg
|image_coa         = DEU Essen COA.svg
|coordinates       = {{coord|51|27|3|N|7|0|47|E|format=dms|dim:50km|display=inline,title}}
<!-- |image_plan        = North rhine w E.svg Use mapframe instead -->
|state             = North Rhine-Westphalia
|region            = [[Düsseldorf (region)|Düsseldorf]]
|district          = urban
|elevation         = 116
|area              = 210.34
<!-- |population= |pop_ref= |population_as_of= All filled in by [[Template:Infobox German location]] via [[Template:Metadata Population DE-NW]] -->
|postal_code       = 45001–45359
|area_code         = 0201, 02054 ([[Kettwig]])
|licence           = E
|Gemeindeschlüssel = 05 1 13 000
|divisions         = 9 districts, 50 boroughs
|website           = [https://www.essen.de/ www.essen.de]
|mayor             = [[Thomas Kufen]]<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517032138/https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr |date=17 May 2022 }}, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.</ref>
|leader_term       = 2020&ndash;25
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party             = CDU
}}
[[File:Stadt-Essen-Logo.svg|thumb|upright|Logo of the city of Essen]]
'''Essen''' ({{IPA|de|ˈɛsn̩|-|De-Essen2.ogg}}) is the central and, after [[Dortmund]], second-largest city of the [[Ruhr]], the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of {{formatnum:{{Population Germany|key=05113000}}}} makes it the fourth-largest city of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] after [[Cologne]], [[Düsseldorf]] and Dortmund, as well as the [[List of cities in Germany by population|tenth-largest city]]<!-- Note that the numbers in that table are not dynamically fetched like the one in this article. --> of Germany. Essen lies in the larger [[Rhine-Ruhr]] metropolitan region, [[List of EU metropolitan regions by GDP#2021 ranking of top 4 German metropolitan regions|second largest by GDP in the EU]], and is part of the cultural area of [[Rhineland]]. Because of its central location in the Ruhr, Essen is often regarded as the Ruhr's "secret capital".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www1.wdr.de/fernsehen/doku-am-freitag/sendungen/heimatabend-essen140.html |title=Heimatabend Essen – Die heimliche Hauptstadt des Ruhrgebiets |date=10 September 2014 |access-date=19 June 2020 |language=de |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417085829/https://www1.wdr.de/fernsehen/doku-am-freitag/sendungen/heimatabend-essen140.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Two rivers flow through the city: the [[Emscher]] in the north, and in the south the [[Ruhr (river)|Ruhr River]], which is dammed in Essen to form the {{ill |Lake Baldeney |de |Baldeneysee}} and {{ill |Lake Kettwig |de |Kettwiger See}} [[reservoir]]s. The central and northern boroughs of Essen historically belong to the [[Low German]] [[Westphalian dialects]] area, and the south of the city to the [[Low Franconian]] [[Bergish dialects|Bergish]] area.

Essen is seat to several of the region's authorities, as well as to eight of the 100 largest publicly held German corporations by revenue, including three [[DAX]]-listed corporations. Essen is often considered the energy capital of Germany with [[E.ON]] and [[RWE]], Germany's largest energy providers, both headquartered in the city. Essen is also known for its impact on the arts through the respected [[Folkwang University of the Arts]], its {{langr|de|Zollverein}} School of Management and Design, and the [[Red Dot]] industrial product design award. In early 2003, the universities of Essen and the nearby city of [[Duisburg]] (both established in 1972) were merged into the [[University of Duisburg-Essen]] with campuses in both cities and a [[university hospital]] in Essen. In 1958, Essen was chosen as the seat to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen]], often referred to as the diocese of the Ruhr ({{lang|de|Ruhrbistum}}).

Founded around 845, Essen remained a small town within the sphere of influence of an important [[Imperial Abbey|ecclesiastical principality]], [[Essen Abbey]], until the onset of industrialization. The city then—especially through the [[Krupp]] family's iron works—became one of Germany's most important coal and steel centres. Essen, until the 1970s, attracted workers from all over the country; it was the fifth-largest city in Germany between 1929 and 1988, peaking at over 730,000 inhabitants in 1962. Following the region-wide decline of heavy industries in the last decades of the 20th century, the city has seen the development of a strong [[tertiary sector of the economy]]. The most notable witness of this structural change ({{lang|de|Strukturwandel}}) is the [[Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex]], which had once been the largest of its kind in Europe. Ultimately closed in 1993, both the [[coking plant]] and the [[coal mine|mine]] have been listed by [[UNESCO]] as a [[World Heritage Site]] since 2001.

Notable accomplishments of the city in recent years include the title of [[European Capital of Culture]] on behalf of the whole Ruhr area in 2010 and the selection as the [[European Green Capital]] for 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/applying-for-the-award/2017-egca-applicant-cities/ |title=European Green Capital |publisher=ec.europa.eu |access-date=12 May 2017 |archive-date=20 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520005738/http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/applying-for-the-award/2017-egca-applicant-cities/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Geography ==

=== General ===
<!-- Please do not change the alignment of the column content since they reflect the geographic positions. -->
{| style="width: 400px; float: right; clear: right;"
|-
| style="text-align:right; width:25%; vertical-align:bottom;"| [[File:DEU Oberhausen COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Oberhausen]]
| style="text-align:center; width:10%; vertical-align:bottom;"| [[File:DEU Bottrop COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Bottrop]]
| style="text-align:left; width:15%; vertical-align:bottom;"| [[File:DEU Gladbeck COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Gladbeck]]
| style="text-align:left; width:25%; vertical-align:bottom;"| [[File:DEU Gelsenkirchen COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Gelsenkirchen]]
|-
| style="width:25%; text-align:right;"| [[File:DEU Mülheim an der Ruhr COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Mülheim|Mülheim an der Ruhr]]
| style="width:50%; text-align:center;" colspan="2"| [[File:Essen Stadtteile und Stadtbezirke.svg|100px|center|Map of the Districts and Boroughs of Essen]] Essen<br /><small>(map of districts and boroughs)</small>
| style="width:25%; text-align:left;"| [[File:DEU Bochum COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Bochum]]
|-
| style="text-align:right; width:25%; vertical-align:top;"| [[File:DEU Ratingen COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Ratingen]]
| style="text-align:right; width:25%; vertical-align:top;"| [[File:DEU Heiligenhaus COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Heiligenhaus]]
| style="text-align:center; width:25%; vertical-align:top;"| [[File:DEU Velbert COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Velbert]]
| style="text-align:left; width:25%; vertical-align:top;"| [[File:DEU Hattingen COA.svg|20px]]<br />[[Hattingen]]
|-
|}
Essen is located in the centre of the [[Ruhr]] area, one of the largest [[urban area]]s in Europe comprising eleven [[independent city|independent cities]] and four districts with some 5.3 million inhabitants into a [[megalopolis (city type)|megalopolis]]. The city limits of Essen itself are {{convert|87|km|mi|0}} long, and border ten cities{{snd}}five belonging to a district ({{lang|de|kreisangehörig}}) and five independent{{snd}}with a total population of approximately 1.4 million. The city extends over {{convert|21|km|mi|0}} from north to south and {{convert|17|km|mi|0}} from west to east, mainly north of the [[Ruhr (river)|River Ruhr]].

The Ruhr forms the {{ill |Lake Baldeney |de |Baldeneysee}} [[reservoir]] in the boroughs of Fischlaken, Kupferdreh, Heisingen and [[Essen-Werden|Werden]]. The lake, a popular recreational area, dates from 1931 to 1933, when some thousands of unemployed [[coal miner]]s dredged it with primitive tools. Generally, large areas south of the River Ruhr (including the suburbs of Schuir and [[Kettwig]]) are quite green and are often quoted as examples of rural structures in the otherwise relatively densely populated central Ruhr area. According to the [[Federal Statistical Office of Germany]], Essen with 9.2% of its area covered by recreational green is the greenest city in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-125300649.html|title=Kommunen: Der Tausendfüßler|date=October 2014|work=[[Der Spiegel]]|access-date=12 May 2017|archive-date=29 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429074540/http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-125300649.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and the third-greenest city in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/panorama/reise-leben/top-ten-das-sind-deutschlands-gruenste-staedte/4369498.html|title=Top ten: Das sind Deutschlands grünste Städte|work=[[Handelsblatt]]|access-date=12 May 2017|archive-date=30 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430163200/http://www.handelsblatt.com/panorama/reise-leben/top-ten-das-sind-deutschlands-gruenste-staedte/4369498.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The city has been shortlisted for the title of [[European Green Capital]] two consecutive times, for 2016 and 2017, winning for 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/media-corner/press-releases/index.html|title=European Green Capital|website=ec.europa.eu|access-date=12 May 2017|archive-date=10 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510211112/http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/media-corner/press-releases/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The city was singled out for its exemplary practices in protecting and enhancing nature and biodiversity and efforts to reduce water consumption. Essen participates in a variety of networks and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the city's resilience in the face of climate change.

The lowest point can be found in the northern borough of Karnap at {{convert|26.5|m|ft|1}}, the highest point in the borough of Heidhausen at {{convert|202.5|m|ft|0}}. The average elevation is {{convert|116|m|ft|0}}.

=== City districts ===
Essen comprises fifty boroughs which in turn are grouped into nine suburban districts (called ''[[Stadtbezirk]]e'') often named after the most important boroughs. Each Stadtbezirk is assigned a [[Roman numeral]] and has a local body of nineteen members with limited authority. Most of the boroughs were originally independent municipalities but were gradually annexed from 1901 to 1975. This long-lasting process of annexation has led to a strong identification of the population with "their" boroughs or districts and to a rare peculiarity: the borough of [[Kettwig]], located south of the Ruhr River, and which was not annexed until 1975, has its own [[Telephone numbering plan|area code]] and remains part of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne|Archdiocese of Cologne]], whereas all other boroughs of Essen and some neighbouring cities constitute the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen|Diocese of Essen]].

=== Climate ===
Essen has a typical [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dobk'') with cool winters and warm summers (different from [[Berlin]] or [[Stuttgart]]). Without large mountains and the presence of inland seas, it ends up extending a predominantly [[Oceanic climate|marine climate]] is found in Essen, usually a little more extreme and drier in other continents in such [[Location|geographical location]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=1401&cityname=Essen,+North+Rhine-Westphalia,+Germany&units=|title=Essen, Germany Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=31 January 2019|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131174402/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=1401&cityname=Essen%252C+North+Rhine-Westphalia%252C+Germany&units=|url-status=live}}</ref> Its average annual temperature is {{convert|10|C|F|0}}: {{convert|13.3|C|F|0}} during the day and {{convert|6.7|C|F|0}} at night. The average annual precipitation is {{convert|934|mm|in|0}}. The coldest month of the year is January, when the average temperature is {{convert|2.4|C|F|0}}. The warmest months are July and August, with an average temperature of {{convert|18|C|F|0}}.<ref name = wmo>{{Cite web|url=https://worldweather.wmo.int/016/c01345.htm|title=World Weather Information Service – Essen|website=worldweather.wmo.int|access-date=4 May 2022|archive-date=10 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310082909/https://worldweather.wmo.int/016/c01345.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Essen weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Highest Temperature {{convert|40.0|C|F}} on [[2019_European_heatwaves#Germany|25 July 2019]].
* Warmest Minimum {{convert|24.4|C|F}} on 1 August 1943.
* Coldest Maximum {{convert|-13.8|C|F}} on 1 February 1956.
* Lowest Temperature {{convert|-24.0|C|F}} on 27 January 1942.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://meteorologyclimate.com/extreme-temperature-records.htm|title=Extreme temperature records since 1850|website=meteorologyclimate.com|access-date=12 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329142642/http://www.meteorologyclimate.com/extreme-temperature-records.htm|archive-date=29 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=wetterzentrale/>
* Highest Daily Precipitation {{convert|109.8|mm|in|abbr=on}} on 14 August 1954.
* Wettest Month {{convert|235.0|mm|in|abbr=on}} in August 1938.
* Wettest Year {{convert|1372.1|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 2023.
* Driest Year {{convert|573.0|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1959.
* Earliest Snowfall: 4 November 1966.
* Latest Snowfall: 28 April 1985.
* Longest annual sunshine: 2,058.8 hours in 2022.
* Shortest annual sunshine: 1,192.5 hours in 1962.

{{Weather box
|width=auto	
|location = Essen-[[Bredeney]]: 161m, 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1935-present
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 16.2
|Feb record high C = 19.5
|Mar record high C = 24.5
|Apr record high C = 28.9
|May record high C = 32.0
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 40.0
|Aug record high C = 36.6
|Sep record high C = 32.7
|Oct record high C = 26.4
|Nov record high C = 20.2
|Dec record high C = 16.8
|Jan avg record high C = 11.9
|Feb avg record high C = 13.0
|Mar avg record high C = 18.0
|Apr avg record high C = 23.0
|May avg record high C = 26.4
|Jun avg record high C = 30.1
|Jul avg record high C = 32.0
|Aug avg record high C = 31.3
|Sep avg record high C = 26.3
|Oct avg record high C = 21.2
|Nov avg record high C = 15.9
|Dec avg record high C = 12.2
|year avg record high C = 33.7
|Jan high C = 5.1
|Feb high C = 6.1
|Mar high C = 10.0
|Apr high C = 14.5
|May high C = 18.2
|Jun high C = 21.1
|Jul high C = 23.5
|Aug high C = 23.0
|Sep high C = 19.0
|Oct high C = 14.2
|Nov high C = 9.1
|Dec high C = 5.7
|year high C = 14.1
|Jan mean C = 2.9
|Feb mean C = 3.4
|Mar mean C = 6.4
|Apr mean C = 10.2
|May mean C = 13.8
|Jun mean C = 16.6
|Jul mean C = 18.7
|Aug mean C = 18.4
|Sep mean C = 14.9
|Oct mean C = 10.8
|Nov mean C = 6.7
|Dec mean C = 3.7
|year mean C = 10.5
|Jan low C = 0.6
|Feb low C = 0.8
|Mar low C = 3.1
|Apr low C = 5.9
|May low C = 9.2
|Jun low C = 12.0
|Jul low C = 14.3
|Aug low C = 14.2
|Sep low C = 11.3
|Oct low C = 7.9
|Nov low C = 4.3
|Dec low C = 1.6
|year low C = 7.1
|Jan avg record low C = -6.9
|Feb avg record low C = -5.6
|Mar avg record low C = -2.9
|Apr avg record low C = -0.3
|May avg record low C = 3.1
|Jun avg record low C = 6.9
|Jul avg record low C = 9.7
|Aug avg record low C = 9.2
|Sep avg record low C = 6.5
|Oct avg record low C = 1.5
|Nov avg record low C = -1.7
|Dec avg record low C = -5.3
|year avg record low C = -9.0
|Jan record low C = -24.0
|Feb record low C = -18.2
|Mar record low C = -11.1
|Apr record low C = -4.6
|May record low C = -1.8
|Jun record low C = 1.0
|Jul record low C = 4.4
|Aug record low C = 6.0
|Sep record low C = 0.7
|Oct record low C = -4.7
|Nov record low C = -7.8
|Dec record low C = -16.7
|precipitation colour = green	
|Jan precipitation mm = 84.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 66.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 65.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 52.5
|May precipitation mm = 67.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 79.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 85.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 92.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 74.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 77.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 79.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 94.0
|year precipitation mm = 925.3
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm	
|Jan precipitation days = 18.6
|Feb precipitation days = 16.1
|Mar precipitation days = 16.4
|Apr precipitation days = 13.3
|May precipitation days = 14.3
|Jun precipitation days = 14.5
|Jul precipitation days = 15.2
|Aug precipitation days = 15.3
|Sep precipitation days = 14.8
|Oct precipitation days = 16.3
|Nov precipitation days = 18.6
|Dec precipitation days = 19.9
|year precipitation days = 193.1
|Jan snow depth cm = 4.4
|Feb snow depth cm = 4.0
|Mar snow depth cm = 1.6
|Apr snow depth cm = trace
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 0
|Nov snow depth cm = 1.6
|Dec snow depth cm = 3.6
|year snow depth cm = 8.4
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 84.0
|Feb humidity = 80.5
|Mar humidity = 74.8
|Apr humidity = 68.8
|May humidity = 69.4
|Jun humidity = 71.3
|Jul humidity = 70.7
|Aug humidity = 71.4
|Sep humidity = 77.5
|Oct humidity = 81.9
|Nov humidity = 85.3
|Dec humidity = 86.1
|year humidity = 76.8
|Jan sun = 55.4
|Feb sun = 72.8
|Mar sun = 125.9
|Apr sun = 172.9
|May sun = 204.7
|Jun sun = 197.7
|Jul sun = 208.2
|Aug sun = 193.0
|Sep sun = 149.7
|Oct sun = 109.7
|Nov sun = 60.6
|Dec sun = 45.1
|year sun = 1593.7
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230916130115/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Essen-Bredeney_10410.csv
|archive-date = 16 September 2023
|url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Germany/CSV/Essen-Bredeney_10410.csv
|title = Essen-Bredeney Climate Normals 1991–2020
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = 16 September 2023}}</ref>
|source 2 = DWD Open Data<ref name=wetterzentrale>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.wetterzentrale.de/extremes_y.php?station=1303&country=1&order=1&extreem=X_TX
|title = Extremwertanalyse der DWD-Stationen, Tagesmaxima, Dekadenrekorde, usw.
|publisher = DWD
|language = de
|access-date = 29 October 2024}}</ref><ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 29 October 2024}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|width = 100%
|collapsed = y
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|location = Essen-[[Bredeney]]: 161m, 1961-1990 normals
|Jan high C = 3.9
|Feb high C = 5.1
|Mar high C = 8.3
|Apr high C = 12.4
|May high C = 17.1
|Jun high C = 20.0
|Jul high C = 21.6 
|Aug high C = 21.6    
|Sep high C = 18.4    
|Oct high C = 14.0   
|Nov high C = 8.1
|Dec high C = 4.9
|year high C = 12.9
|Jan mean C = 1.9
|Feb mean C = 2.5
|Mar mean C = 5.1
|Apr mean C = 8.5
|May mean C = 12.9
|Jun mean C = 15.7
|Jul mean C = 17.4
|Aug mean C = 17.2
|Sep mean C = 14.4
|Oct mean C = 10.4
|Nov mean C = 5.7
|Dec mean C = 2.9
|year mean C = 9.6
|Jan low C = -0.3
|Feb low C = 0.0
|Mar low C = 2.2
|Apr low C = 4.8
|May low C = 8.7    
|Jun low C = 11.5    
|Jul low C = 13.2    
|Aug low C = 13.3    
|Sep low C = 11.1   
|Oct low C = 7.9   
|Nov low C = 3.5
|Dec low C = 0.9  
|year low C = 6.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 81
|Feb precipitation mm = 57
|Mar precipitation mm = 75
|Apr precipitation mm = 68
|May precipitation mm = 73
|Jun precipitation mm = 97
|Jul precipitation mm = 89
|Aug precipitation mm = 77
|Sep precipitation mm = 73
|Oct precipitation mm = 70
|Nov precipitation mm = 83
|Dec precipitation mm = 90
|year precipitation mm = 933
|Jan sun = 44.5
|Feb sun = 76.2
|Mar sun = 102.6
|Apr sun = 147.0
|May sun = 192.6
|Jun sun = 181.6
|Jul sun = 186.0
|Aug sun = 183.1
|Sep sun = 134.5
|Oct sun = 111.1
|Nov sun = 55.7
|Dec sun = 38.8
|year sun = 1453.7
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 14
|Feb precipitation days = 10
|Mar precipitation days = 13
|Apr precipitation days = 12
|May precipitation days = 12
|Jun precipitation days = 12
|Jul precipitation days = 11
|Aug precipitation days = 10
|Sep precipitation days = 11
|Oct precipitation days = 10
|Nov precipitation days = 14
|Dec precipitation days = 14
|year precipitation days = 143
|source = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref name = noaa>{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/DL/10410.TXT
|title = Essen (10410) – WMO Weather Station
|access-date = 31 January 2019
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230930145718/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_VI/DL/10410.TXT
|archive-date = 2023-09-30
|url-status = dead
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]
}} [https://archive.org/details/19611990NormalsNOAAEssen Archived] 31 January 2019, at the [[Wayback Machine]]</ref>
}}

== History ==
{{For timeline}}
[[File:Essen-Kupferstich-Merian.png|thumb|upright=1.35|Essen on an engraving from 1647]]

=== Origin of the name ===
In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it has the same form as the German [[infinitive]] of the [[German verbs|verb]] for "eating" (written as lowercase ''[[wikt:essen|essen]]''), and/or the German [[German nouns|noun]] for [[food]] (which is always [[Capitalization#Nouns|capitalized]] as ''[[wikt:Essen|Essen]]'', adding to the confusion). Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of the name,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.essen.de/rathaus/aemter/ordner_41/stadtarchiv/geschichte/Geschichte_Namensdeutung.de.html |title=Origin of place names |language=de|website=Essen.de |access-date=6 April 2011 |archive-date=24 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140124061443/http://www.essen.de/rathaus/aemter/ordner_41/stadtarchiv/geschichte/Geschichte_Namensdeutung.de.html |url-status=live }}</ref> there remain a few noteworthy interpretations. The oldest known form of the city's name is ''Astnide'', which changed to Essen by way of forms such as Astnidum, Assinde, Essendia and Esnede. The name Astnide may have referred either to a region where many [[ash tree]]s were found or to a region in the east (of the [[Frankish Empire]]).<ref>Paul Derks: ''Der Ortsname Essen'', in: ''Essener Beiträge'' 103 (1989/90), pp. 27–51</ref>

=== Early history ===
The oldest archaeological find, the ''[[Vogelheimer Klinge]]'', dates back to {{BCE|280,000{{snd}}250,000}}. It is a [[blade]] found in the borough of {{Interlanguage link multi|Vogelheim|de}} in the northern part of the city during the construction of the [[Rhine–Herne Canal]] in 1926.<ref>[https://media.essen.de/media/wwwessende/aemter/41/stadtarchiv/1_ergrabene_zeit.pdf "Ergrabene Zeiten"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071935/https://media.essen.de/media/wwwessende/aemter/41/stadtarchiv/1_ergrabene_zeit.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}, City of Essen, undated {{in lang|de}}</ref> Other artifacts from the [[Stone Age]] have also been found, although these are not overly numerous. Land utilization was very high—especially due to mining activities during the Industrial Age—and any more major finds, especially from the [[Mesolithic]] era, are not expected. Finds from {{BCE|3,000}} and onwards are far more common, the most important one being a [[Megalith|Megalithic tomb]] found in 1937. Simply called ''Chest of Stone'' ({{lang|de|Steinkiste}}), it is referred to as "Essen's earliest preserved example of architecture".<ref>Detlef Hopp: ''Essen vor der Geschichte – Die Archäologie der Stadt bis zum 9. Jahrhundert'', in Borsdorf (Ed.): ''Essen – Geschichte einer Stadt'', 2002, p. 32</ref>

Essen was part of the settlement areas of several Germanic peoples ([[Chatti]], [[Bructeri]], [[Marsi (Germanic)|Marsi]]), although a clear distinction among these groupings is difficult.

The {{ill|Alteburg (Essen)|de|lt=Alteburg}} castle in the south of Essen dates back to the eighth century, the nearby {{ill|Herrenburg|de}} to the ninth century.

Recent research into [[Ptolemy]]'s ''[[Geography (Ptolemy)|Geographia]]'' has identified the ''polis'' or ''[[oppidum]]'' [[Navalia]] as Essen.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/mapping-ancient-germania-berlin-researchers-crack-the-ptolemy-code-a-720513.html "Mapping Ancient Germania: Berlin Researchers Crack the Ptolemy Code"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802160750/http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/mapping-ancient-germania-berlin-researchers-crack-the-ptolemy-code-a-720513.html |date=2 August 2014 }}, ''[[Der Spiegel]]''</ref>

=== Eighth–twelfth centuries ===
[[File:Essen 2011 66-2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Essen Minster]]]]
Around 845, Saint [[Altfrid]] (around 800–874), the later [[Bishopric of Hildesheim|Bishop of Hildesheim]], founded an abbey for women ({{lang|la|coenobium Astnide}}) in the centre of present-day Essen. The first abbess was Altfrid's relative Gerswit (see also: [[Essen Abbey]]). In 799, [[Liudger|Saint Liudger]] had already founded [[Benedictine Order|Benedictine]] [[Werden Abbey]] on its own grounds a few kilometres south. The region was sparsely populated with only a few [[smallholding]]s and an old and probably abandoned castle. Whereas Werden Abbey sought to support Liudger's missionary work in the [[Harz]] region ([[Helmstedt]]/[[Halberstadt]]), Essen Abbey was meant to care for women of the higher [[Saxons|Saxon]] nobility. This abbey was not an abbey in the ordinary sense, but rather intended as a residence and educational institution for the daughters and widows of the higher nobility; led by an abbess, the members other than the abbess herself were not obliged to take vows of [[chastity]].

Around 852, construction of the collegiate church of the abbey began, to be completed in 870. A major fire in 946 heavily damaged both the church and the settlement. The church was rebuilt, expanded considerably, and is the foundation of the present Essen Cathedral.

The first documented mention of Essen dates back to 898, when [[Zwentibold]], King of [[Lotharingia]], willed territory on the western bank of the [[Rhine|River Rhine]] to the abbey. Another document, describing the foundation of the abbey and allegedly dating back to 870, is now considered an 11th-century forgery.

In 971, [[Mathilde, Abbess of Essen|Mathilde II]], granddaughter of Emperor [[Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto I]], took charge of the abbey. She was to become the most important of all abbesses in the history of Essen. She reigned for over 40 years, and endowed the abbey's treasury with invaluable objects such as the oldest preserved seven branched candelabrum, and the [[Golden Madonna of Essen]], the oldest known [[Madonna (art)|sculpture of the Virgin Mary]] in the western world. Mathilde was succeeded by other women related to the [[Ottonian]] emperors: Sophia, daughter of [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto II]] and sister of [[Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor|Otto III]], and Teophanu, granddaughter of Otto II. It was under the reign of Teophanu that Essen, which had been called a city since 1003, received the right to hold markets in 1041. Ten years later, Teophanu had the eastern part of Essen Abbey constructed. Its [[crypt]] contains the tombs of St. Altfrid, Mathilde II, and Teophanu herself.

=== 13th–17th centuries ===
[[File:Altessen, Weltladen Alte Kirche foto3 2012-08-19 12.43.jpg|thumb|upright|Old Church ({{lang|de|Alte Kirche}}) in Altenessen, built 1887]]
In 1216, the abbey, which had only been an important landowner until then, gained the status of a princely residence when Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] called abbess Elisabeth I "Princess of the Empire" ({{lang|de|Reichsfürstin}}) in an official letter. In 1244, 28 years later, Essen received its town charter and seal when [[Konrad von Hochstaden]], the [[Archbishop of Cologne]], marched into the city and erected a city wall together with the population. This proved a temporary emancipation of the population of the city from the princess-abbesses, but this lasted only until 1290. That year, King [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolph I]] restored the princess-abbesses to full sovereignty over the city, much to the dismay of the population of the growing city, who called for self-administration and [[imperial immediacy]]. The title [[free imperial city]] was finally granted by Emperor [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] in 1377. However, in 1372, Charles had paradoxically endorsed Rudolph I's 1290 decision and hence left both the abbey and the city in imperial favour. Disputes between the city and the abbey about supremacy over the region remained common until the abbey's dissolution in 1803. Many lawsuits were filed at the [[Reichskammergericht]], one of them lasting almost 200 years. The final decision of the court in 1670 was that the city had to be "duly obedient in dos and don'ts" to the abbesses but could maintain its old rights—a decision that did not really solve any of the problems.

In 1563, the city council, with its self-conception as the only legitimate ruler of Essen, introduced the [[Protestant Reformation]]. The Catholic abbey had no troops to counter this development.

=== Thirty Years' War ===
During the [[Thirty Years' War]], the Protestant city and the Catholic abbey opposed each other. In 1623, princess-abbess Maria Clara von Spaur, Pflaum und Valör, managed to direct Catholic Spaniards against the city in order to initiate a [[Counter-Reformation]]. In 1624, a "re-Catholicization" law was enacted, and churchgoing was strictly controlled. In 1628, the city council filed against this at the Reichskammergericht. Maria had to flee to Cologne when the Dutch stormed the city in 1629. She returned in the summer of 1631 following the [[Bavarians]] under [[Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim]], only to leave again in September. She died 1644 in Cologne.

The war proved a severe blow to the city, with frequent arrests, kidnapping and rape. Even after the [[Peace of Westphalia]] from 1648, troops remained in the city until 9 September 1650.

=== Industrialisation ===
{{multiple image|align=right|direction=horizontal|total_width=330|image1=Drei Ringe von Krupp.jpg |image2=Essen, Stammhaus Krupp, 2014-11 CN-02.jpg|caption1=Three rings of the [[Krupp]] logo |caption2=The historic house of the Krupp family in 2014}}
The first historic evidence of the important mining tradition of Essen date back to the 14th century, when the princess-abbess was granted mining rights. The first silver mine opened in 1354, but the indisputably more important coal was not mentioned until 1371, and coal mining only began in 1450.

At the end of the 16th century, many coal mines had opened in Essen, and the city earned a name as a centre of the weapons industry. Around 1570, [[gunsmith]]s made high profits and in 1620, they produced 14,000 rifles and pistols a year. The city became increasingly important strategically.

Resident in Essen since the 16th century, the Krupp family dynasty and Essen shaped each other. In 1811, [[Friedrich Krupp]] founded Germany's first cast-steel factory in Essen and laid the cornerstone for what was to be the largest enterprise in Europe for a couple of decades. The weapon factories in Essen became so important that a sign facing the [[Essen Hauptbahnhof|main railway station]] welcomed visitors [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] and [[Benito Mussolini|Mussolini]] to the "Armory of the [[Nazi Germany|Reich]]" ({{lang|de|Waffenschmiede des Reiches}}) in 1937.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nrw2000.de/ns/hitler_mussolini.htm|title=NRW 2000 – Epoche des Nationalsozialismus – Einleitung – Hitler und Mussolini besuchen die "Waffenschmiede des Reiches" und die Krupp-Werke Essen|publisher=Nrw2000.de|date=25 September 1937|access-date=6 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716112925/http://www.nrw2000.de/ns/hitler_mussolini.htm|archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref> The Krupp Works also were the main reason for the [[:File:Essen Bevoelkerungsentwicklung 01 KMJ.png|large population growth]] beginning in the mid-19th century. Essen reached a population of 100,000 in 1896. Other industrialists, such as [[Friedrich Grillo]], who in 1892 donated the [[Grillo-Theater]] to the city, also played a major role in the shaping of the city and the [[Ruhr]] area in the late 19th and early 20th century. The main competitor of Krupp in the Ruhr area was Thyssen & Company, later the [[Thyssen AG]]. In 1999 the Krupp and Thyssen steel works merged to form [[ThyssenKrupp]] with a headquarter in Essen.<ref>{{cite book|title=Precious Metal: German Steel, Modernity, and Ecology|author=Peter H. Christensen|author-link=Peter H. Christensen|date=2022|publisher=Penn State University Press|isbn=9780271092454|page=[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=LR1tEAAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA42 42]}}</ref>

=== World War I and occupation ===
[[File:French enter Essen.jpg|thumb|French troops enter Essen in 1923.]]
Riots broke out in February 1917 following a breakdown in the supply of flour. There were then strikes in the Krupp factory.<ref>"{{Lang|de|Auszug aus der Zusammenstellung der Monatsberichte der stellv. Generalkommandos an das preußische Kriegsministerium betr. die allgemeine Stimmung im Volke|italic=no}}" (Excerpt from the compilation of monthly reports of the Deputy Commanding Generals to the Prussian War Ministry concerning the morale of the population). 3 March 1917, no. 230/17 g. B. 6., Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe, Abt. 456, vol. 70. Reprinted in [[Wilhelm Deist]], ''Militär und Innenpolitik im Weltkrieg 1914–1918'' (Military and Domestic Policy in the World War, 1914–1918). 2 volumes. Düsseldorf: Droste, 1970, vol. 2, pp.&nbsp;666–667.</ref>

On 11 January 1923 the [[Occupation of the Ruhr]] was carried out by the invasion of French and Belgian troops into the Ruhr. The French Prime Minister, [[Raymond Poincaré]], was convinced that Germany failed to comply the demands of the [[Treaty of Versailles]]. On the morning of 31 March 1923, the culmination of this French-German confrontation<ref>[http://einestages.spiegel.de/static/topicalbumbackground/1157/her_mit_der_kohle.html "Her mit der Kohle"], ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' EinesTages; retrieved 4 May 2012 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202142941/http://einestages.spiegel.de/static/topicalbumbackground/1157/her_mit_der_kohle.html |date=2 February 2014 }}</ref> occurred when a small French military command, occupied the Krupp car hall to seize several vehicles. This event caused 13 deaths and 28 injured. The occupation of the Ruhr ended in summer 1925.<ref>[https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/misc/68ujy5.htm "The occupation of the Ruhr (Germany, 1923–1925)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009223135/https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/misc/68ujy5.htm |date=9 October 2021 }}, [[International Committee of the Red Cross]], 21 January 2005</ref>

=== Nazism, World War II ===
On the night of [[Kristallnacht]] on 10 November 1938, the [[Old Synagogue, Essen|synagogue]] was sacked, but remained through the whole war in the exterior almost intact.<ref>{{cite web |title=Geschichte des Hauses |language=de |url=http://www.essen.de/rathaus/aemter/ordner_45_9/alte_synagoge/geschichte_des_hauses/Geschichte_des_Hauses.de.html |access-date=21 October 2014 |archive-date=21 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021151243/http://www.essen.de/rathaus/aemter/ordner_45_9/alte_synagoge/geschichte_des_hauses/Geschichte_des_Hauses.de.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Steele, Germany|Steele]] synagogue was completely destroyed.

During the Nazi era, tens of thousands of slave labourers were forced to work in 350 Essen forced labour camps. Here, they did mining work and worked for companies like Krupp and Siemens.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ausstellung erinnert an Zwangsarbeiter |date=12 September 2010 |language=de |url=https://www.derwesten.de/nrz/staedte/essen/ausstellung-erinnert-an-zwangsarbeiter-id3694582.html |access-date=21 October 2014 |archive-date=26 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226172809/http://www.derwesten.de/nrz/staedte/essen/ausstellung-erinnert-an-zwangsarbeiter-id3694582.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Der LVR in Europa |language=de |url=http://www.lvr.de/de/nav_main/kultur/berdasdezernat_1/lvrineuropa/lvrineuropa_3.html |access-date=21 October 2014 |archive-date=28 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628204402/http://www.lvr.de/de/nav_main/kultur/berdasdezernat_1/lvrineuropa/lvrineuropa_3.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Alfried Krupp]] was convicted in the [[Krupp trial]] at [[Nuremberg trials|Nuremberg]] for his role in this but was pardoned by the US in 1951.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Krupp's Trial at Nuremberg|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/NT_war-criminals_Vol-IX.pdf|access-date=|website=[[Library of Congress]]|archive-date=11 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711172808/http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/NT_war-criminals_Vol-IX.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> There were several [[subcamp]]s in Essen in the [[World War II|Second World War]], such as the subcamps {{ill|Subcamp Humboldtstraße|de|KZ-Außenlager Humboldtstraße|lt=Humboldtstraße}}, [[Gelsenberg Lager|Gelsenberg]], {{ill|Subcamp Schwarze Poth|de|KZ-Außenlager Schwarze Poth|lt=Schwarze Poth}}.

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-941, Essen, zerstörte Krupp-Werke, Luftaufnahme.jpg|thumb|Devastation of Krupp factory]]
As a major industrial centre, Essen was a target for [[Allies of World War II|allied]] bombing, the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) dropping a total of {{convert|36,429|LT|t e6lb|abbr=off|lk=on|order=out}} of bombs on the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1945/1945%20-%201571.html |title=bomber command {{!}} mines laid {{!}} flight august {{!}} 1945 {{!}} 1571 {{!}} Flight Archive |website=www.flightglobal.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110193407/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1945/1945%20-%201571.html |archive-date=2015-01-10}}</ref> Over 270 air raids were launched against the city, destroying 90% of the centre and 60% of the suburbs.<ref>[http://www.gmfus.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=493 Essen, Germany – Transatlantic Cities Network] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619180455/http://gmfus.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=493 |date=19 June 2010 }}, German Marshall Fund of the United States accessed 3 April 2010</ref> On 5 March 1943 Essen was subjected to one of the heaviest air-raids of the war. 461 people were killed, 1,593 injured and a further 50,000 residents of Essen were made homeless.<ref>[http://www.eurotravelling.net/germany/essen/essen_history.htm Essen – History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304074420/http://www.eurotravelling.net/germany/essen/essen_history.htm |date=4 March 2010 }}, eurotravelling.net, accessed 3 April 2010</ref> On 13 December 1944 three British [[Airman|airmen]] were lynched.<ref>[http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/wcc/essen.htm The Essen Lynching Case] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611080448/http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/essen.htm |date=11 June 2009 }}, [[University of the West of England]], accessed 3 April 2010</ref>

The [[Krupp decoy site]] ({{lang|de|Kruppsche Nachtscheinanlage}}) was built in [[Velbert]] to divert Allied airstrikes from the actual production site of the arms factory in Essen.
{{Further|Bombing of Essen in World War II}}

The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Essen in April 1945. The US [[507th Infantry Regiment (United States)|507th Parachute Infantry Regiment]] of the [[17th Airborne Division (United States)|17th Airborne Division]], acting as regular infantry and not in a parachute role, entered the city unopposed and captured it on 10 April 1945.<ref>Stanton, Shelby, ''World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946'' (Revised Edition, 2006), Stackpole Books, p. 97.</ref>

After the occupation of Germany by the allies, Essen was assigned to the [[British Zone of Occupation]]. On 8 March 1946, a German army officer and a civilian were hanged for the lynching of three British airmen in December 1944.

=== Twenty-first century ===
[[File:Essen pan.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|View over central Essen from [[Bottrop]]]]
Although weaponry is no longer produced in Essen, old industrial enterprises such as [[ThyssenKrupp]] and [[RWE]] remain large employers in the city. Foundations such as the [[Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach]]-[[Stiftung]] still promote the well-being of the city, for example by supporting a hospital and donating {{Euro|55{{nbsp}}million}} for a new building for the [[Museum Folkwang]], one of the Ruhr area's major art museums.

== Politics ==
[[File:Muenster Rathaus Essen.jpg|thumb|Old and new government seats: Essen Cathedral (front) and the [[Essen City Hall|city hall]] (background)]]

=== Historical development ===
The administration of Essen had for a long time been in the hands of the [[princess-abbess]]es as heads of the [[Imperial Abbey]] of [[Essen Abbey|Essen]]. However, from the 14th century onwards, the [[city council]] increasingly grew in importance. In 1335, it started choosing two [[burgomaster]]s, one of whom was placed in charge of the treasury. In 1377, Essen was granted [[imperial immediacy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://essen.de/de/Rathaus/Aemter/Ordner_41/Stadtarchiv/geschichte/Geschichte_Chronik_8_16.html|title=Chronik der Stadt Essen|trans-title=Time-line of the City of Essen|website=essen.de|access-date=12 May 2017|archive-date=24 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111124123001/http://essen.de/de/Rathaus/Aemter/Ordner_41/Stadtarchiv/geschichte/Geschichte_Chronik_8_16.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Needs independent confirmation|date=March 2022|reason=This claim is quite contentious.}} but had to abandon this privilege later on. Between the early 15th and 20th centuries, the political system of Essen underwent several changes, most importantly the introduction of the [[Protestant Reformation]] in 1563, the [[annexation]] of 1802 by [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]], and the subsequent [[secularization]] of the principality in 1803. The territory was made part of the Prussian [[Province of Jülich-Cleves-Berg]] from 1815 to 1822, after which it became part of the Prussian [[Rhine Province]] until its dissolution in 1946.

During the [[German Revolution of 1918–19]], Essen was the home of the Essen Tendency ({{lang|de|Essener Richtung}}) within the [[Communist Workers' Party of Germany]]. In 1922 they founded the [[Communist Workers' International]]. Essen became one of the centres of resistance to [[Social Democracy]] and the [[Freikorps]] alike.

During the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] era (1933–1945), mayors were installed by the [[Nazi Party]]. After [[World War II]], the military government of the [[British occupation zone]] installed a new mayor and a municipal constitution modelled on that of British cities. Later, the city council was again elected by the population. The mayor was elected by the council as its head and as the city's main [[Representation (politics)|representative]]. The [[Executive (government)|administration]] was led by a full-time {{lang|de|Oberstadtdirektor}}. In 1999, the position of {{lang|de|Oberstadtdirektor}} was abolished in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] and the mayor became both main representative and administrative head. In addition, the population now elects the mayor directly.

=== Mayor ===
The current mayor of Essen is [[Thomas Kufen]] of the [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU), who was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2020.

The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Candidate
! Party
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Thomas Kufen]]
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 115,415
| 54.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| Oliver Kern
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 43,093
| 20.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|
| align=left| Mehrdad Mostofizadeh
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]]
| 25,924
| 12.2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|
| align=left| Harald Parussel
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 12,695
| 6.0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|
| align=left| Daniel Kerekeš
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 5,414
| 2.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}|
| align=left| Annie Maria Tarrach
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]]
| 5,168
| 2.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|
| align=left| Karlgeorg Raimund Krüger
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 4,200
| 2.0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|German Communist Party}}|
| align=left| Peter Köster
| align=left| [[German Communist Party]]
| 546
| 0.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|National Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| Detlef Albert Fergeé
| align=left| [[National Democratic Party of Germany|National Democratic Party]]
| 232
| 0.1
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 212,687
! 99.1
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 1,861
! 0.9
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 214,548
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 446,384
! 48.1
|-
| colspan=5| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/b113000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

=== City council ===
[[File:2020 Essen City Council election.svg|thumb|350px|Results of the 2020 city council election]]
The Essen city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The current coalition in the council is between the Greens and the CDU.<ref name="e663">{{cite web | title=Neue Koalition in Essen: Das wollen CDU und Grüne in Essen verändern | website=Radio Essen | date=2020-09-21 | url=https://www.radioessen.de/artikel/neue-koalition-in-essen-das-wollen-cdu-und-gruene-in-essen-veraendern-817452.html | language=de | access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref> The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 73,206
| 34.4
| {{increase}} 3.0
| 30
| {{increase}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 51,550
| 24.3
| {{decrease}} 9.7
| 21
| {{decrease}} 10
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 39,569
| 18.6
| {{increase}} 7.4
| 16
| {{increase}} 6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 15,849
| 7.5
| {{increase}} 3.7
| 6
| {{increase}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 8,309
| 3.9
| {{decrease}} 1.4
| 3
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 6,476
| 3.0
| {{decrease}} 0.2
| 3
| ±0
|-
|
| align=left| Essen Citizens' Alliance (EBB)
| 6,209
| 2.9
| {{decrease}} 1.4
| 3
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}|
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]] (PARTEI)
| 5,282
| 2.5
| {{increase}} 1.7
| 2
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Human Environment Animal Protection}}|
| align=left| [[Human Environment Animal Protection]] (Tierschutz)
| 4,396
| 2.1
| New
| 2
| New
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey|
|-
|
| align=left| Social Liberal Alliance (SLB)
| 760
| 0.4
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|German Communist Party}}|
| align=left| [[German Communist Party]] (DKP)
| 463
| 0.2
| {{decrease}} 0.1
| 0
| ±0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Europa}}|
| align=left| [[Volt Europa#Germany|Volt Germany]] (Volt)
| 357
| 0.2
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Pirate Party Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Pirate Party Germany]] (Piraten)
| 86
| 0.0
| {{decrease}} 1.8
| 0
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 212,512
! 98.9
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 2,327
! 1.1
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 214,839
! 100.0
!
! 86
! {{decrease}} 4
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 446,384
! 48.1
! {{increase}} 2.8
!
!
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/a113000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

=== Coat of arms ===
[[File:Hotel Handelshof Essen.jpg|thumb|Hotel Handelshof with modified coat of arms and former unofficial motto]]
{{stack|[[File:DEU Essen COA.svg|thumb|upright|Essen's coat of arms]]}}
The coat of arms of the city of Essen is a heraldic peculiarity. Granted in 1886, it is a so-called [[arms of alliance]] ({{lang|de|Allianzwappen}}) and consists of two separate shields under a single crown. Most other coats of arms of cities use a [[mural crown]] instead of a heraldic crown. The crown, however, does not refer to the city of Essen itself, but instead to the [[German Mediatisation|secularized]] [[Principality|ecclesiastical principality]] of [[Essen Abbey|Essen]] under the reign of the princess-abbesses. The dexter (heraldically right) [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]] shows the double-headed Imperial Eagle of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], granted to the city in 1623. The sinister (heraldically left) escutcheon is one of the oldest emblems of Essen and shows a sword that people believed was used to behead the city's [[patron saint|patron]] [[Saints Cosmas and Damian]]. People tend to connect the sword in the left shield with one found in the cathedral treasury. This sword, however, is much more recent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://regesta-imperii.adwmainz.de/regesten/regshow.php?pk=8837&offset=0&bandanzeige=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311161524/http://regesta-imperii.adwmainz.de/regesten/regshow.php?pk=8837&offset=0&bandanzeige=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 March 2007|title=Origin of the sword in the Essen Cathedral Treasury|publisher=Regesta-imperii.adwmainz.de|access-date=6 April 2011}}</ref> A slightly modified and more heraldically correct version of the coat of arms can be found on the roof of the {{ill|Handelshof|de|Hotel Handelshof}} hotel near the [[Essen Hauptbahnhof|main station]].

==Demographics==
{{historical populations<!-- 22 July 2024: checked against [[:de:Einwohnerentwicklung von Essen]] -->
|1816|4,721
|1831|5,460
|1849|8,813
|1871|51,513
|1895|96,128
|1905|231,360
|1919|439,257
|1925|470,524
|1933|654,461
|1939|666,743
|1950|605,411
|1956|698,925
|1963|730,970
|1970|696,733
|1975|677,568
|1980|647,643
|1990|626,973
|2001|591,889|2011|566,201|2022|571,039|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. Source:<ref>[https://www.it.nrw/statistik Statistisches Landesamt Nordrhein-Westfalen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616073027/https://www.it.nrw/statistik |date=16 June 2019 }} {{Nonspecific|date=July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Germany: States and Major Cities|url=https://citypopulation.de/en/germany/cities/}}</ref>}}

Essen has a population of {{formatnum:{{Population Germany|key=05113000}}}} and is the 2nd largest city in [[Ruhr]] area after [[Dortmund]] and the 10th largest city in Germany. Essen has also the largest urban density with cities such as [[Bochum]], [[Gelsenkirchen]] and [[Oberhausen]] borders this city. In 1960, the population reached its historical peak of over 720,000 (Essen was the fifth largest German city at that time) due to its booming industrial era of the Ruhr Area and the West German [[Wirtschaftswunder]]. Since 1970s, the population of Essen declined due to loss of jobs by coal and mining. Essen has a large migrant population, most of them are from [[Turkey]], [[Syria]] and [[Poland]].

==International relations==
The [[Monessen, Pennsylvania|City of Monessen, Pennsylvania]], situated along the [[Monongahela River]], was named after the river and Essen.<ref>{{cite web|last=Harvath|first=Les|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_497856.html|title=School colors glimpse history|work=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]|date=18 March 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202044754/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_497856.html|archive-date=2 February 2010|access-date=13 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Twin towns – sister cities===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Essen is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Essens Partnerstädte|url=https://www.essen.de/dasistessen/international/partnerstaedte/essens_partnerstaedte.de.jsp|website=essen.de|publisher=Essen|language=de|access-date=2 February 2021|archive-date=4 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304035256/https://www.essen.de/dasistessen/international/partnerstaedte/essens_partnerstaedte.de.jsp|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Changzhou]], China (2015)
*[[Grenoble]], France (1974)
*[[Nizhny Novgorod]], Russia (1991)
*[[City of Sunderland|Sunderland]], England, United Kingdom (1949)
*[[Tampere]], Finland (1960)
*[[Tel Aviv]], Israel (1991)
*[[Zabrze]], Poland (2015)
{{div col end}}

===Cooperation agreements===
Essen cooperates with:<ref>{{cite web|title=Essen.International|url=https://media.essen.de/media/wwwessende/aemter/0116/internationaler_bericht/FINAL_______2019-10-07_Druckfassung.pdf|website=essen.de|publisher=Essen|page=22|language=de|date=September 2019|access-date=2 February 2021|archive-date=8 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208054204/https://media.essen.de/media/wwwessende/aemter/0116/internationaler_bericht/FINAL_______2019-10-07_Druckfassung.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Kōriyama]], Japan (2017)
*[[Qingdao]], China (2008)
*[[Rivne]], Ukraine (2022)
*[[Ulaanbaatar]], Mongolia (2012)

== Industry and infrastructure ==

=== Economy ===
Essen is home to several large companies, among them the [[ThyssenKrupp]] industrial conglomerate which is also registered in [[Duisburg]] and originates from a 1999 merger between Duisburg-based Thyssen AG and Essen-based [[Krupp|Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp]]. The largest company registered only in Essen is Germany's second-largest [[electric utility]] [[RWE|RWE AG]]. Essen hosts parts of the corporate headquarters of [[Schenker AG]], the logistics division of Deutsche Bahn. Other major companies include Germany's largest construction company [[Hochtief]], as well as [[Aldi|Aldi Nord]], [[Evonik Industries]], [[Karstadt]], [[Medion|Medion AG]] and [[Deichmann SE|Deichmann]], Europe's largest shoe retailer. [[The Coca-Cola Company]] had originally established their German headquarters in Essen (around 1930), where it remained until 2003, when it was moved to the capital Berlin. In light of the [[Energy transition in Germany]], Germany's largest [[electric utility]] [[E.ON]] announced that, after restructuring and splitting off its conventional electricity generation division (coal, gas, atomic energy), it {{update after |2016 |text=will move its headquarters to Essen in 2016,}} becoming a sole provider of [[renewable energy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eon.com/en/media/news/press-releases/2015/4/27/eon-moves-forward-with-transformation-key-organizational-and-personnel-decisions-made.html|title=Press releases|website=www.eon.com|access-date=12 May 2017|archive-date=16 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216233558/http://www.eon.com/en/media/news/press-releases/2015/4/27/eon-moves-forward-with-transformation-key-organizational-and-personnel-decisions-made.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[DAX]]-listed chemical distribution company [[Brenntag]] {{update after |2017 |text=announced it would move its headquarters to Essen at the end of 2017.}}
<gallery widths="180">
Thyssen-Krupp-Quartier-Essen-2013.jpg|[[ThyssenKrupp]] headquarters in Essen
RWE Tower Essen 2014.jpg|[[RWE|RWE AG]] headquarters in the business district
EON-Ruhrgas-Zentrale Essen.jpg|[[E.ON]] headquarters
Hochhaus Kruppstraße 5, Essen(2).jpg|[[RWE|RWE AG]] headquarters
Hochtiefhaus Essen.jpg|[[Hochtief]] headquarters
RellingHaus II, Essen.jpg|[[Evonik Industries]] headquarters
Schenker AG Hauptsitz.jpeg|[[Schenker AG]] headquarters
Postbank-Hochhaus Essen.jpg|Postbank Essen
Ehem. Essener Creditanstalt, heute Deutsche Bank.jpg|Deutsche Bank branch in the financial district
Emschergenossenschaft Essen.jpg|Emschergenossenschaft Essen
</gallery>

=== Fairs ===
[[File:Messe-Essen-Logo.svg|thumb|upright=0.65|Messe Essen logo]]
The city's exhibition centre, [[Messe Essen]], hosts some 50 [[trade fair]]s each year. With around 530.000 visitors each year, [[Essen Motor Show]] is by far the largest event held there. It has been described as "the showcase event of the year for the tuning community"<ref>Nick Hall, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140921192732/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-24864763.html "Getting to grips with the essential Essen"], ''[[The Irish Times]]'', 6 December 2006, via [[HighBeam Research]]</ref> and as the German version of the annual [[SEMA (association)|SEMA]] auto show in [[Las Vegas]].<ref>Jens Meiners, [http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-continental-essen-motor-show-european-politics-and-bmw-remarks/ "The Continental: Essen Motor Show, European Politics, and BMW Remarks"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729225618/http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-continental-essen-motor-show-european-politics-and-bmw-remarks/ |date=29 July 2017 }}, ''[[Car and Driver]]'', 3 December 2013.</ref> As contrasted with the [[Frankfurt Auto Show]], the Essen show is smaller and is focused on [[car tuning]] and racing interests.<ref>John Rettie, [http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/news/events-openings/germanys-essen-motor-show-29679 "Germany's Essen Motor Show"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819092434/http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/news/events-openings/germanys-essen-motor-show-29679 |date=19 August 2014 }}, ''[[Road & Track]]'', 6 December 2011.</ref> Other important fairs open to consumers include [[SPIEL]], the world's biggest consumer fair for tabletop gaming, and one of the leading fairs for [[equestrianism|equestrian sports]], [[Equitana]], held every two years. Important fairs restricted to professionals include "Security" (security and fire protection), IPM (gardening) and E-World (energy and water).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.messe-essen.de/messeplatz-essen/modernisierung/faqs/ |title=Messe Essen &#124; FAQs |access-date=29 July 2017 |archive-date=29 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729222715/https://www.messe-essen.de/messeplatz-essen/modernisierung/faqs/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<gallery widths="180">
File:Essen-MesseSued3-Asio.jpg|Messe Essen south entrance
File:Messe Essen, Osteingang.jpg|Messe Essen east entrance
File:Essen-MesseSued1-Asio.jpg|Messe Essen south entrance
</gallery>

=== Media ===
The [[Westdeutscher Rundfunk]] has a studio in Essen, which is responsible for the central [[Ruhr]] area. Each day, it produces a 30-minute regional evening news magazine (called {{lang|de|Lokalzeit Ruhr}}), a five-minute afternoon news programme, and several radio news programmes. A local broadcasting station went on air in the late 1990s. The [[WAZ-Mediengruppe|WAZ Media Group]] is one of the most important (print) media companies in Europe and publishes the Ruhr area's two most important daily newspapers, ''[[Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung]]'' (WAZ; 580,000 copies) and ''Neue Ruhr/Rhein Zeitung'' (NRZ; 180,000 copies). In Essen, the WAZ Group also publishes the local ''{{ill|Borbecker Nachrichten|de}}'' and ''{{ill|Werdener Nachrichten|de}}'', both of which had been independent weekly newspapers for parts of Essen. Additionally, the [[Axel Springer AG]] runs a printing facility for their boulevard-style daily paper ''[[Bild]]'' in Essen.

=== Education ===
One renowned educational institution in Essen is the [[Folkwang University]], a university of the arts founded in 1927, which is headquartered in Essen and has additional facilities in Duisburg, [[Bochum]] and [[Dortmund]]. Since 1927, its traditional main location has been in the former [[Werden Abbey]] in Essen in the Ruhr area, with additional facilities in [[Duisburg]], [[Bochum]], and [[Dortmund]], and, since 2010, at the [[Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex|Zeche Zollverein]], a [[World Heritage Site]] also in Essen.<ref>[http://www.dradio.de/kulturnachrichten/2010011014/6/ Deutschlandradio] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305222627/http://www.dradio.de/kulturnachrichten/2010011014/6/ |date=5 March 2012 }} New Name and Building, 10 January 2010 (in German)</ref> The Folkwang University is home to the international dance company {{lang|de|Folkwang Tanz Studio}} (FTS). In 1963 the Folkwang school was renamed ''Folkwang Academy'' ({{lang|de|Folkwang-Hochschule}}). In 2010 the institution began offering graduate studies and was renamed ''Folkwang University of the Arts''. This coincided with [[Ruhr.2010]], the festival in which the Ruhr district was designated the [[European Capital of Culture]] for the year 2010.
<gallery widths="180">
Essen_Kloster_Werden_Innenhof_2_2005.jpg|[[Folkwang University of the Arts]]
Zollverein School of Management and Design 3116754.jpg|Zollverein School of Management and Design
Universität Essen Panorama.jpg|Universität Essen
Essen Werden - Folkwang-Hochschule 08 ies.jpg|Folkwang University
</gallery>

The [[University of Duisburg-Essen]], which resulted from a 2003 merger of the universities of Essen and Duisburg, is one of Germany's "youngest" universities with about 42,000 Students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radioessen.de/essen/lokalnachrichten/lokalnachrichten/archive/2016/01/08/article/-84812ba8fa.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042342/http://www.radioessen.de/essen/lokalnachrichten/lokalnachrichten/archive/2016/01/08/article/-84812ba8fa.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 March 2016|title=Lokalnachrichten|publisher={{ill|Radio Essen|de}}|access-date=12 May 2017}}</ref> One of its primary research areas is ''urban systems'' (i.e., sustainable development, logistics and transportation), a theme largely inspired by the highly urbanised Ruhr area. Other fields include [[nanotechnology]], [[discrete mathematics]] and "education in the 21st century". Another university in Essen is the private {{lang|de|[[Fachhochschule]] für Ökonomie und Management}}, a university of applied sciences with over 6,000 students and branches in 15 other major cities throughout Germany.

=== Medicine ===
Essen offers a highly diversified health care system with more than 1,350 resident doctors and almost 6,000 beds in 13 hospitals, including a university hospital. The university hospital dates back to 1909, when the city council established a municipal hospital; although it was largely destroyed during [[World War II]], it was later rebuilt, and finally gained the title of a university hospital in 1963. It focuses on [[List of ICD-9 codes 390-459: Diseases of the circulatory system#7. Diseases of the circulatory system (390–459)|diseases of the circulatory system]] (West German Heart Centre Essen), [[oncology]] and [[organ transplant|transplantation medicine]], with the department of [[bone marrow transplant]]ation being the second-largest of its kind in the world.
<gallery widths="180">
Elisabethkrankenhaus Essen.jpg|Elisabethkrankenhaus Essen
Uniklinik Essen, 20071222.jpg|University Hospital Essen
</gallery>

== Transport ==
=== Streets and motorways ===
[[File:A40-Ruhrschnellweg-Huttrop.jpg|thumb|[[Bundesautobahn 40|Ruhrschnellweg]] towards the central business district of Essen]]
The road network of Essen consists of over 3,200 streets, which in total have a length of roughly {{convert|1600|km|mi|0}}.

Four ''[[German Autobahnen|Autobahnen]]'' touch Essen territory, most importantly the [[Bundesautobahn 40|A 40]], known as {{lang|de|Ruhrschnellweg}} ({{lit |Ruhr expressway}}), which runs directly through the city, dividing it roughly in half. In a west-eastern direction, the A 40 connects the Dutch city of [[Venlo]] with Dortmund, running through the whole [[Ruhr]] area. It is one of the arterial roads of the Ruhr area (carrying over 140,000 vehicles per day) and suffers from heavy congestion during rush hours, which is why many people in the area nicknamed it {{lang|de|Ruhrschleichweg}} ({{lit |Ruhr crawlway}}). A tunnel was built in the 1970s, when the then-[[Bundesstraße]] was upgraded to [[Autobahn|motorway]] standards, so that the A 40 is hidden from public view in the inner-city district near the [[Essen Hauptbahnhof|main railway station]].

In the north, the [[Bundesautobahn 42|A 42]] briefly touches Essen territory, serving as an interconnection between the neighboring cities of [[Oberhausen]] and [[Gelsenkirchen]] and destinations beyond.

A part of the [[Bundesautobahn 44|A 44]], a highly segmented connection from [[Aachen]] and the Belgian border to [[Kassel]], planned to go further into [[Central Germany (cultural area)|central Germany]], ends in Essen's south.

A segment of the [[Bundesautobahn 52|A 52]] connects Essen with the more southern region around [[Düsseldorf]]. On Essen territory, the A 52 runs from the southern boroughs near [[Mülheim|Mülheim an der Ruhr]] past the fairground and then merges with the [[Bundesautobahn 40|Ruhrschnellweg]] at the [[Autobahndreieck]] Essen-Ost junction east of the city centre.

With the A 40/A 52 in the southern parts of the city and the A 42 in the north, there is a gap in the motorway system often leading to congestion on streets leading from the central to the northern boroughs. An extension of the A 52 to connect the Essen-Ost junction with the A 42 to close this gap is considered urgent;<ref>Bundesverkehrswegeplan 2003, p. 124{{incomplete short citation|date=July 2021}}</ref> it has been planned for years but not yet been realized – most importantly due to the high-density areas this extension would lead through, resulting in high costs and concerns with the citizens.

=== Public transport ===
As with most communes in the Ruhr area, local transport is carried out by a local, publicly owned company for transport within the city, the [[DB Regio]] subsidiary of [[Deutsche Bahn]] for regional transport and Deutsche Bahn itself for long-distance journeys. The local carrier, Ruhrbahn, is a member of the [[Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr]] (VRR) association of public transport companies in the Ruhr area, which provides a uniform fare structure in the whole region. Within the VRR region, tickets are valid on lines of all members as well as DB's [[railway line]]s (except the high-speed [[InterCity]] and [[Intercity-Express]] networks) and can be bought at ticket machines and service centres of Ruhrbahn, all other members of VRR, and DB.

{{As of|2009}}, Ruhrbahn operates 3 U-[[Stadtbahn]] lines of the [[Essen Stadtbahn]] network, 7 [[Trams in Essen|Straßenbahn (tram)]] lines and 57 bus lines (16 of these serving as {{lang|de|Nacht Express}} late-night lines only). The Stadtbahn and Straßenbahn operate on total route lengths of {{convert|19.6|km|mi}} and {{convert|52.4|km|mi}}, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kleine EVAG Statistik 2010* (*stand 31.12.2009) |url=http://www.evag.de/fileadmin/downloads/Geschaeftsberichte_Statistik_Organigramm/Kleine_EVAG_Statistik_2010.pdf |access-date=20 October 2013 |trans-title=Small EVAG Statistics 2010* (*as of 31.12.2009) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116030233/http://www.evag.de/fileadmin/downloads/Geschaeftsberichte_Statistik_Organigramm/Kleine_EVAG_Statistik_2010.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 November 2011 |publisher=Essener Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (EVAG) |language=de |date=31 December 2009}}</ref> One tram line and a few bus lines coming from neighboring cities are operated by these cities' respective carriers. The U-Stadtbahn, which partly runs on used [[Docklands Light Railway]] stock, is a mixture of tram and full [[rapid transit|underground]] systems with 20 underground stations for the U-Stadtbahn and additional four underground stations used by the tram. Two lines of the U-Stadtbahn are completely intersection-free and hence independent from other traffic, and the U18 line leading from Mülheim main station to the ''Bismarckplatz'' station at the gates of the city centre partly runs above ground amidst the [[Bundesautobahn 40|A 40 motorway]]. The Essen Stadtbahn is one of the Stadtbahn systems integrated into the greater [[Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn]] network.
<gallery widths="180">
Essen hbf 1817.jpg|[[Essen Hauptbahnhof]]
EVAG (Essen) NF2-TW 1601.jpg|[[Essen Stadtbahn]] NF2-TW 1601
Clp 20140717 1848 Bf Essen Hbf EG.jpg|Essen Hauptbahnhof
Essen Hauptbahnhof Freiheit.jpg|Essen Hauptbahnhof in the city centre
U-bahnhof-essenhbf.JPG|[[Essen Hauptbahnhof]] subway station
Stadtbahn Essen - Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park.jpg|Platforms at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Park
</gallery>

On the same motorway, a long-term test of a [[guided bus]] system is being held since 1980. Many Ruhrbahn rail lines meet at the main station but only a handful of bus lines. However, all but one of the Night Express bus lines either originate from or lead to [[Essen Hauptbahnhof]] in a star-shaped manner. All Ruhrbahn lines, including the Night Express lines, are closed on weekdays from 1:30{{nbsp}}am to 4:30{{nbsp}}am.

Of the [[Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn]] network's 13 lines, 5 lines lead through Essen territory and meet at the Essen Hauptbahnhof main station, which also serves as the connection to the [[Regional-Express]] and [[Intercity-Express]] network of regional and nationwide high-speed trains, respectively. Following Essen's appointment as [[European Capital of Culture]] 2010, the main station, which is classified as a [[German railway station categories#Category 1|station of highest importance]] and which had not been substantially renovated over decades, {{update after |2010 |text=will be redeveloped with a budget of €57{{nbsp}}million until early 2010.}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bmvbs.de/-,302.1040342/doc.htm |title=Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906113721/http://www.bmvbs.de/-,302.1040342/doc.htm |url-status=dead|archivedate=6 September 2009}}</ref> Other important stations in Essen, where regional and local traffic are connected, are the {{lang|de|Regionalbahnhöfe}} (regional railway stations) in the boroughs of Altenessen, [[Essen-Borbeck-Mitte|Borbeck]], Kray and Steele. Further 20 S-Bahn stations can be found in the whole urban area.

In 2017, the public transport organization of Mülheim, the Mülheimer Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) and the Essener Verkehrsgesellschaft (EVAG) merged and became the ''Ruhrbahn''. All vehicles and staff were merged and are now operated together.

=== Aviation ===
[[File:Luftbild Flughafen Essen-Mülheim.JPG|thumb|[[Essen/Mülheim Airport]]]]
Together with the neighbouring city of [[Mülheim|Mülheim an der Ruhr]] and the state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], Essen maintains [[Essen/Mülheim Airport]] ([[IATA airport code|IATA]]: ESS, [[ICAO airport code|ICAO]]: EDLE). While the first flights had already arrived in 1919, it was officially opened on 25 August 1925. Significantly expanded in 1935, Essen/Mülheim became the central airport of the Ruhr area until the end of the [[Second World War]], providing an [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]]ed runway of {{convert|1553|m|ft|0}}, another unsurfaced runway for [[gliding]] and destinations to most major European cities. It was heavily damaged during the war, yet partly reconstructed and used by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] as a secondary airport since visibility is less often [[fog|obscured]] than at [[Düsseldorf Airport]]. The latter then developed into the large civil airport that it is now, while Essen/Mülheim now mainly serves occasional air traffic (some 33,000 passengers each year),<ref>According to ''RVV-Verkehrsstatistik 2007'' (''RVV'' Traffic Statistics 2007).</ref> the base of a fleet of [[airships]] and Germany's oldest public [[flight training]] company. Residents of the region around Essen typically use [[Düsseldorf Airport]] (about 20 driving minutes) and occasionally [[Dortmund Airport]] (about 30 driving minutes) for both domestic and international flights.

== Landmarks ==

=== Zollverein Industrial Complex ===
The [[Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex]] is the city's most famous landmark. For decades, the coal mine (current form mainly from 1932, closed in 1986) and the coking plant (closed in 1993) ranked among the largest of their kinds in Europe. Shaft XII, built in [[Bauhaus]] style, with its characteristic winding tower, which over the years has become a symbol for the whole [[Ruhr]] area, is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the "most beautiful coal mine in the world".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.erih.net/index.php?anchor=66&pageId=40 |title=European Route of Industrial Heritage |publisher=En.erih.net |access-date=6 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205211954/http://en.erih.net/index.php?anchor=66&pageId=40 |archive-date=5 February 2012 }}</ref> After [[UNESCO]] had declared it a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2001, the complex, which had lain idle for a long time and was even threatened to be demolished, began to see a period of redevelopment. Under the direction of an agency borne by the land of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] and the city itself, several arts and design institutions settled mainly on the grounds of the former coal mine; a redevelopment plan for the coking plant is to be realised.

On the grounds of the coal mine and the coking plant, which are both accessible free of charge while paid guided tours (some with former {{lang|de|[[miner|Kumpels]]}}) are available, several tourist attractions can be found, most importantly the ''Design Zentrum NRW''/[[Red Dot|Red Dot Design Museum]]. The ''Ruhrmuseum'', a museum dedicated to the history of the Ruhr area, which had been existing since 1904, opened its gates as one of the anchor attractions in the former coal-washing facility in 2010.
<gallery widths="180">
File:Zeche Zollverein Essen Okt10 011.jpg|Coal mine Zollverein
File:Zeche Zollverein abends.jpg|Shaft XII of Zollverein
File:Essen - Zeche-Zollverein - Eingangstor - 2013.jpg|Zollverein entrance
File:Rolltreppe Ruhrmuseum.jpg|Ruhrmuseum
File:Ruhrmuseum Staircase.jpg|Ruhrmuseum staircase
</gallery>

=== Essen Minster and treasury ===
The former collegiate church of [[Essen Abbey]] and nowadays cathedral of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen|Bishop of Essen]] is a [[Gothic art|Gothic]] hall church made from light [[sandstone]]. The first church on the premises dates back to between 845 and 870; the current church was constructed after a former church had burnt down in 1275. However, the important [[westwork]] and [[crypt]] have survived from [[Ottonian architecture|Ottonian times]]. The cathedral is located in the centre of the city which evolved around it. It is not spectacular in appearance and the adjacent church ''St. Johann Baptist'', which is located directly within the pedestrian precinct, is often mistakenly referred to as the cathedral. The cathedral treasury, however, ranks amongst the most important in Germany since only few art works have been lost over the centuries. The most precious exhibit, located within the cathedral, is the [[Golden Madonna of Essen]] (around 980), the oldest known sculpture of the [[Madonna (art)|Madonna]] and the oldest free-standing sculpture north of the Alps. Other exhibits include the alleged ''child crown'' of [[Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Otto III]], the eldest preserved seven-branched Christian [[candelabrum]] and several other art works from Ottonian times.
<gallery widths="180">
Essen muenster goldene madonna-4.jpg|[[Golden Madonna of Essen]]
Golden Madonna.jpg|[[Golden Madonna of Essen]]
Otto Mathilden Kreuz.jpg|[[Cross of Otto and Mathilde]], tenth century
Essen StLudger von NW1.jpg|St. Ludger Basilica
Muenster Rathaus Essen.jpg|Essen Minster overshadowed by the town hall
</gallery>

=== Old Synagogue ===
{{Main|Old Synagogue, Essen}}
Opened in 1913, the then-New Synagogue served as the central meeting place of Essen's pre-war Jewish community. The building ranks as one of the largest and most impressive testimonies of Jewish culture in pre-[[World War II|war]] Germany. In post-war Germany, the former house of worship was bought by the city, used as an exhibition hall and later rededicated as a cultural meeting centre and house of Jewish culture.
<gallery widths="180">
File:Synagoge 1917.jpg|Synagogue, 1917
File:Synagoge 1922.jpg|Synagogue, 1922
File:Alte Synagoge, Essen.jpg|Old Synagogue, 2010
File:Alte Synagoge Essen 2014.jpg|Old Synagogue, 2014
File:Essen - Alte Synagoge in 04 ies.jpg|Old Synagogue interior
</gallery>

=== Villa Hügel ===
Built in 1873 by industrial magnate [[Alfred Krupp]], [[Villa Hügel]], the 269-room mansion ({{convert|8100|m2|sqft|-1|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and the surrounding park of {{convert|28|ha|acre|1|abbr=on}} served as the [[Krupp]] family's representative seat. The city's land register solely lists the property, which at times had a staff of up to 640 people, as a [[single-family home]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Official Villa Hügel Web Page |url=http://www.villahuegel.de/pub_rk-l.htm|url-status=dead |archivedate=12 September 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912091238/http://www.villahuegel.de/pub_rk-l.htm}}</ref> At the time of its construction, the villa featured some technical [[novelties]] and [[peculiarity|peculiarities]], such as a central hot air heating system, own water- and [[gas works]] and electric internal and external [[telegraph]]- and [[telephone]] systems (with a central [[Electromagnetic induction|induction]] alarm for the staff). The mansion's central [[clock]] became the reference clock for the whole Krupp enterprise; every clock was to be set with a maximum difference of half a minute. It even acquired its own [[railway station]], ''Essen Hügel'', which is still a regular stop. The Krupp family had to leave the {{Lang|de|[[Gründerzeit]]}} mansion in 1945, when it was annexed by the [[Allies of World War II|allies]]. Given back in 1952, Villa Hügel is now seat of the [[Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach]] Foundation (major shareholder of Thyssen-Krupp) and was opened for concerts and sporadic yet high-profile exhibitions.
<gallery widths="180">
Villa huegel.jpg|Villa Hügel
Villa Hügel, Essen, 20071222.jpg|Villa Hügel
Villa Hügel Terrassenseite.jpg|Villa Hügel
Villa Hügel erster Stock.jpg|Great hall
</gallery>

=== Kettwig and Werden ===
[[File:Kettwig.jpg|thumb|Borough of [[Kettwig]], annexed in 1975. Despite its industrial history, Essen is generally regarded as one of Germany's greenest cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/leben/ranking-die-gesuendeste-stadt-deutschlands-1.240517|title=Die gesündeste Stadt Deutschlands|date=17 May 2010|access-date=12 May 2017|work=[[Süddeutsche Zeitung]]|archive-date=30 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730203322/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/leben/ranking-die-gesuendeste-stadt-deutschlands-1.240517|url-status=live}}</ref>]]
In the south of the city, the boroughs of Kettwig and Werden exceptionally stand for towns once of their own, which have been annexed in 1929 (Werden) and 1975 (Kettwig), respectively, and which have largely preserved their pre-annexation character. While most of the northern boroughs were heavily damaged during the [[Second World War]] and often lost their historic town centres; the more southern parts got off more lightly.

In Werden, St. [[Ludger]] founded [[Werden Abbey]] around 799, 45 years before St. [[Altfrid]] founded the later cornerstone of the modern city, [[Essen Abbey]]. The old church of Werden abbey, ''St. Ludgerus'', was designated a [[pope|papal]] [[basilica minor]] in 1993, while the main building of the former abbey today is the headquarters of the [[Folkwang University]] of music and performing arts.

Kettwig, which was annexed in 1975, much to the dismay of the population that still struggles for independence,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.landtag.nrw.de/portal/WWW/Webmaster/GB_II/II.2/Suche/Landtag_Intern/Suchergebnisse_Landtag_Intern.jsp?&w=native(%27(id%3D%27%27LI970215%27%27)%27)&order=native(%27ID(1)%2FDescend+%27)&view=detail |title=Official Site of the State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphaila |publisher=Landtag.nrw.de |access-date=6 April 2011 |archive-date=12 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512234724/http://www.landtag.nrw.de/portal/WWW/Webmaster/GB_II/II.2/Suche/Landtag_Intern/Suchergebnisse_Landtag_Intern.jsp?&w=native(%27(id%3D%27%27LI970215%27%27)%27)&order=native(%27ID(1)%2FDescend+%27)&view=detail |url-status=dead }}</ref> was mainly shaped by the [[textile industry]]. The most southern borough of Essen is also the city's largest (with regard to area) and presumably greenest.

<gallery widths="180">
Essen Werden - Werdener Markt 06 ies.jpg|Essen Werden
Werden, zicht op stadsdeel vanaf de brug over de Ruhr foto62012-08-19 16.51.jpg|Essen Werden
Essen Werden - Grafenstraße 01 ies.jpg|Essen Werden historic town centre
Essen Werden - Heckstraße - Evangelische Kirche Werden 11 ies.jpg|Protestant church Essen Werden
Essen Werden - Brandstorstraße 01 ies.jpg|Essen Werden
WerdenerRathaus.JPG|Essen Werden, old town hall
Essen Kettwig 1.jpg|Historic town centre of Kettwig
Blick auf Kettwig mit Uferpalais im Herbst 2013.jpg|Essen Kettwig
</gallery>

=== Other important cultural sites ===
* [[Museum Folkwang]]: One of the Ruhr area's major art collections, mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries. Major parts of the museum have recently been rebuilt and expanded according to plans by [[David Chipperfield]] & Co. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation is the sole funder of the €55 million project which was completed in early 2010. After its re-opening, it also hosts the collection of the ''Deutsches [[Poster|Plakat]] Museum'' (more than 340 000 exhibits).
* [[Aalto Theatre]]: Opened in 1988 (the plans dating back to 1959), the [[asymmetry|asymmetric]] building with its deep [[indigo]] interior is home to the acclaimed Essen Opera and Ballet.
* [[Saalbau Essen]]: Home of the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra, completely renovated in 2003/2004. Critics have repeatedly voted the Essen Philharmonic as Germany's Orchestra of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opernwelt.de/de/Jahrbuch/pressetext/index.html|title=Pressetext – Oper|work=[[Opernwelt]]|date=28 September 2009|access-date=6 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716085329/http://www.opernwelt.de/de/Jahrbuch/pressetext/index.html|archive-date=16 July 2011}}</ref>
* [[Colosseum Theater]]: Situated in a former Krupp factory building at the fringe of the central pedestrian precinct, the {{Lang|de|Colosseum Theater|italic=no}} has been home to several [[musical theatre]] productions since 1996.
* [[Zeche Carl]], a former coal mine, now a [[cultural centre]] and venue for [[Rock music|Rock]] concerts and home of [[Offener Kanal Essen]].
* [[Grillo-Theater]], a theatre in the centre of the city.

<gallery widths="180">
Saalbau Essen 01.jpg|[[Saalbau Essen]]
Folkwang322.jpg|[[Museum Folkwang]]
Essen, Aalto-Theater, 2017-04 CN-03.jpg|[[Aalto Theatre]]
Colosseum Theater Essen 2011.jpg|[[Colosseum Theater]]
Grillo-Theater-2012.jpg|[[Grillo-Theater]]
Grugahalle.jpg|Grugahalle concert hall
Schloss-Borbeck-Komplettansicht-Sonnenuntergang-2012.jpg|Schloss Borbeck
Hugenpoet-Wassergraben-2012.jpg|Hugenpoet castle
</gallery>

=== Other sites ===
* [[Garden city movement|Gartenstadt]] Margarethenhöhe: Founded by Margarethe Krupp in 1906, the garden city with its 3092 units in 935 buildings on an area of {{convert|115|ha|acre|1|abbr=on}} (of which 50 ha are woodland) is considered the first of its kind in Germany. All buildings follow the same stylistic concept, with slight variations for each one. Although originally designed as an area for the lower classes with quite small flats, the old part Margarethenhöhe I has developed into a middle class residential area and housing space has become highly sought after. A new part, Margarehenhöhe II, was built in the 1960s and 1970s but is architecturally inferior and especially the multi-storey buildings are still considered social hot spots.
*[[Moltkeviertel]] (Moltke Quarter): from 1908 on, following reformative plans of the city deputy ''Robert Schmidt'', this quarter was developed just south-east of the city centre. Large green zones, forming broad urban ventilation lanes and incorporating sporting and playing areas and high quality architecture – invariably in the style of Reform Architecture, combine to create a unique example worldwide of modern town planning. It reflects reformative ideas and dates from the early part of the 20th century. The Moltkeviertel continues to be a much sought-after area for residential, educational, health care and small-scale commercial purposes. On the Moltkeplatz, the quarter's largest square, an ensemble of high quality contemporary art is maintained and cared for by local residents.
*[[Grugapark]]: With a total area of {{convert|70|ha|acre|1|abbr=on}}, the park near the exhibition halls is one of the largest urban parks in Germany and, although entry is not free of charge, one of the most popular recreational sites of the city. It includes the city's [[botanical garden]], the [[Botanischer Garten Grugapark]].
*{{ill|Baldeneysee|de}}: The largest of the six [[reservoir]]s of the [[Ruhr (river)|River Ruhr]], situated in the south of the city, is another popular recreational area. It is used for [[sailing]], [[rowing (sport)|rowing]] and ship tours. The hilly and only lightly developed forest area around the lake, from which the Kettwig area is easily reachable, is popular with [[hiking|hikers]].
<gallery widths="180">
File:Orangerie mit Orion.jpg|[[Grugapark]], Kranichwiese facing the Orangerie and the sculpture ''Orion''
File:Skulptur Joseph Enseling Trauer Essen Südwestfriedhof 2013.jpg|Grugapark, Sculpture "Trauer" by [[Joseph Enseling]]
File:Reichsgartenschau 1938 Keramikhof Essen.jpg|Grugapark, Reichsgartenschau 1938, Keramikhof
File:Parkleuchten 2015, Essen, Grugapark 46.JPG|Grugapark illuminated, 2015
File:Wasserfall Grugapark 2013 02.jpg|Grugapark, Waterfall
File:BaldeneyseeVonWerden.jpg|Baldeneysee
File:Baldeneysee Abends Essen.jpg|Baldeneysee
File:Baldeneysee Segler 2 db.jpg|Baldeneysee
File:Essen-Margarethenhöhe Markt.jpg|Marketplace of Margarethenhöhe I
File:Marga haeuser1.jpg|Margarethenhöhe houses
File:Moltkeviertel 0741 2.jpg|Sculptures by Friedrich Gräsel and Gloria Friedmann at the Moltkeplatz
</gallery>

== Notable people ==
{{further ill|List of people from Essen|de|Liste von Persönlichkeiten der Stadt Essen}}

===Natives===
People born in Essen:

{{div col |colwidth=27em}}
*[[Gerd Albrecht]] (1935–2014), conductor
*[[Karl Albrecht]] (1920–2014), entrepreneur
*[[Theo Albrecht]] (1922–2010), entrepreneur; brother of Karl
*[[Peter Anders (tenor)|Peter Anders]] (1908–1954), operatic tenor
*[[Karl Baedeker]] (1801–1859), publisher
*[[Jürgen Bartsch]] (1946–1976), serial killer
*[[Ute Berg]] (born 1953), politician
*[[Naftali Bezem]] (1924–2018), artist
*[[Ali Bilgin]] (born 1981), footballer
*[[Franz Blücher]] (1896–1959), politician
*[[Hermann Blumenthal]] (1905–1942), sculptor
*[[Wilhelm Börger]] (1896–1962), Nazi politician 
*[[Karl Brandt (economist)|Karl Brandt]] (1899–1975), agricultural economist
*[[Sabine Braun]] (born 1965), track athlete
*[[Dennis Brinkmann]] (born 1978), footballer
*[[Ernst Busch (field marshal)|Ernest B. H. Busch]] (1885–1945), ''Generalfeldmarschall''
*[[Gunter d'Alquen]] (1910–1998), editor
*[[Marc Degens]] (born 1971), writer
*[[Marius Ebbers]] (born 1978), footballer
*[[Rüdiger Fahlenbrach]] (born 1974), economist
*[[Malek Fakhro]] (born 1997), footballer
*[[Friedrich Karl Florian]] (1894–1975), Nazi ''Gauleiter''
*[[James Ingo Freed]] (1930–2005), architect
*[[Matt Frei]] (born 1963), journalist
*{{ill|Herbert Girardet (publisher)|de|Herbert Girardet (Verleger)}} (1910–1972), publisher
*[[Herbert Girardet]] (born 1943), environmental activist
*[[Harald Grohs]] (born 1944), race car driver
*[[Brigitte Hamann]] (1940–2016), author
*[[Hildegard Hamm-Brücher]] (1921–2016), politician
*[[Walter Heiman]] (1901–2007), centenarian and WW1 survivor
*[[Alfred Herrhausen]] (1930–1989), banker
*[[André Hoffmann (footballer)|André Hoffmann]] (born 1993), footballer
*[[Axel Honneth]] (born 1949), philosopher
*[[Carl Humann]] (1839–1896), engineer
*[[Wilhelm Kalveram]] (1882–1951), university professor
*[[Christian Keller (swimmer)|Christian Keller]] (born 1972), swimmer
*[[Fritz G. A. Kraemer]] (1908–2003), military educator
*[[Diether Krebs]] (1947–2000), actor
*[[Helene Kröller-Müller]] (1869–1939), art collector
*[[Alfred Krupp]] (1812–1887), inventor
*[[Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach]] (1907–1967), Nazi industrialist
*[[Bertha Krupp]] (1886–1957), daughter of Friedrich Alfred
*[[Friedrich Alfred Krupp]] (1854–1902), steel manufacturer
*[[Friedrich Krupp|Friedrich C. Krupp]] (1787–1826), founder of Krupp family business
*[[Heinz Kubsch]] (1930–1993), football goalkeeper
*[[Hubert Lampo]] (1920–2006), writer
*[[Johanna Langefeld]] (1900–1974), Nazi guard
*[[Arthur Laumann]] (1894–1970), flying ace
*[[Issachar Berend Lehmann]] (1661–1730), banker
*[[Jens Lehmann]] (born 1969), footballer
*[[Helga Niessen Masthoff]] (born 1941), tennis player
*[[Hartmut Vogtmann]] (born 1942), organic agriculturist
*[[Armin Meiwes]] (born 1961), convicted murderer known as the Cannibal of Rothenburg
*[[Frank Mill]] (born 1958), footballer
*[[Harry S. Morgan]] (1945–2011), pornographic film director
*[[Alfred Müller-Armack]] (1901–1978), politician
*[[Henry Osterman]] (1862-????), architect
*[[Friedrich Panse]] (1899–1973), psychiatrist
*[[Mille Petrozza]] (born 1967), guitarist
*[[Helmut Rahn]] (1929–2003), footballer
*[[Uta Ranke-Heinemann]] (1927–2021), theologian
*[[Otto Rehhagel]] (born 1938), footballer
*[[Uwe Reinders]] (born 1955), footballer
*[[Günther Rennert]] (1911–1978), opera director
*[[Heinz Rühmann]] (1902–1994), actor
*[[Leroy Sané]] (born 1996), footballer
*[[Klaus Scharioth]] (born 1946), diplomat
*[[Magdalene Schauss-Flake]] (1921–2008), composer and organist
*[[Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling]] (1908–1981), tennis player
*[[John Steppling (actor)|John Steppling]] (1870–1932), actor
*[[David D. Stern]] (born 1956), artist
*[[Martin Stratmann]] (born 1954), electrochemist
*[[Marianne Strauss]] (1923–1996), Holocaust survivor
*[[Josef Terboven]] (1898–1945), Nazi ''Gauleiter''
*[[Bernhard Termath]] (1928–2004), footballer
*[[Johan van Galen]] (1604–1653), commodore
*[[Kyriakos Velopoulos]] (born 1965), politician
*[[Albert Vögler]] (1877–1945), politician
*[[Elisabeth Volkmann]] (1936–2006), actress
*[[Pia Walkenhorst]] (born 1993), volleyball player
*[[Daniel Wende]] (born 1984), skater
{{div col end}}

=== Honorary citizens ===
The city of Essen has been awarding honorary citizenships since 1879 but has (coincidentally) discontinued this tradition after the foundation of the [[Federal Republic of Germany]] in 1949. A notable exception was made in 2007, when Berthold Beitz, the president of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation received honorary citizenship for his long lasting commitment to the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://krupp-guertel.essen.de/Projekte/Rede_OB_fuer_Ehrenbuerger_Beitz_09_05_07.pdf |title=Speech by Mayor Wolfgang Reiniger (German) |access-date=6 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327085507/http://krupp-guertel.essen.de/Projekte/Rede_OB_fuer_Ehrenbuerger_Beitz_09_05_07.pdf |archive-date=27 March 2009 }}</ref>
The following list contains all honorary citizens of the city of Essen:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.essen.de/deutsch/rathaus/aemter/ordner_41/stadtarchiv/ehrenbuerger/ehrenbuerger.asp|title=Honorary Citizens of Essen|website=Essen.de|access-date=6 April 2011|archive-date=12 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512132105/http://www.essen.de/deutsch/rathaus/aemter/ordner_41/stadtarchiv/ehrenbuerger/ehrenbuerger.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*1879 [[Otto von Bismarck]]{{spaced ndash}}[[Chancellor of Germany]]
*1888 {{Interlanguage link multi|Friedrich Hammacher|de}}{{spaced ndash}}[[politician]], lawyer and economist
*1895 {{Interlanguage link multi|Johann Heinrich Peter Beising|de}}{{spaced ndash}}[[Roman catholic]] [[Theology|theologian]]
*1896 [[Friedrich Alfred Krupp]]{{spaced ndash}}[[industrialist]] ''(spouse of Margarethe Krupp, see below)''
*1901 Heinrich Carl Sölling{{spaced ndash}}[[tradesman]] and [[benefactor (law)|benefactor]]
*1906 {{Interlanguage link multi|Erich Zweigert|de}}{{spaced ndash}}[[Lord Mayor]] (1886–1906)
*1912 [[Margarethe Krupp]]{{spaced ndash}}benefactress ''(spouse of Friedrich Alfred Krupp, see above)''
*1917 [[Paul von Hindenburg]]{{spaced ndash}}[[Field Marshal (Germany)|Generalfeldmarschall]] and army leader, later [[President of Germany (1919–1945)|President of Germany]]
*1949 Viktor Niemeyer{{spaced ndash}}[[councilman]] ''([[posthumous recognition]])''
*2007 [[Berthold Beitz]]{{spaced ndash}}president of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation
Today, the highest award of the city is the ''Ring of Honour'', which Berthold Beitz, for example, had already received in 1983. Other bearers of the Ring of Honour include Essen's former Lord Mayor and later [[President of Germany]], [[Gustav Heinemann]], as well as [[Franz Hengsbach|Franz Cardinal Hengsbach]], the first [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Essen|Bishop of Essen]]. Berthold Beitz (1973) and his wife [[Else Beitz]] (2006) are recipients of the [[Righteous Among the Nations]] recognized by the [[Yad Vashem]] for having saved about 800 Jewish lives during [[World War II]].

== Sport ==
[[File:Stadion essen.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Stadion Essen]]]]
The biggest [[association football]] clubs in Essen are [[Rot-Weiss Essen]] (Red-White Essen) and [[Schwarz-Weiß Essen]] (Black-White Essen). [[Stadion Essen]], is the home stadium for Rot-Weiß, is located in the north of Essen. Rot-Weiss Essen is playing in the third tier of the German football league system, [[3. Liga]], and Schwarz-Weiß Essen in the fifth tier, [[Oberliga Nordrhein-Westfalen]]. Schwarz-Weiß Essens home stadium is [[Uhlenkrugstadion]], located in the southern part of the city. Other football clubs are [[BV Altenessen]] and [[TuS Helene Altenessen]]. In women's football, [[SGS Essen]] are members of top division [[Frauen-Bundesliga]].

Another important and famous sports club is [[TUSEM Essen]], with a handball team that have won several national and international titles.

The city's main basketball team is [[ETB Essen]], currently called the ETB Wohnbau Baskets for sponsorship reasons. The team is one of the main teams in Germany's second division [[ProA]] and has attempted to move up to Germany's elite league [[Basketball Bundesliga]]. The Baskets play their home games at the [[Sportpark am Hallo]].

Essen hosted the [[1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships]] and the final round of the FIBA [[EuroBasket 1971]]. The city is also home to the [[VV Humann Essen]] volleyball team.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Main|Timeline of Essen#Bibliography}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Essen}}
{{Wikivoyage|Essen}}
* {{official|https://www.essen.de/}}
* [http://www.panorama-cities.net/essen/essen_germany.html Essen city panoramas], panoramic views and virtual tours
* [https://heinzalbers.org/kettwig.htm Pictures from Kettwig]
* [http://sites-of-memory.de/main/location.html#essen Memorials in Essen], sites-of-memory.de

{{Essen boroughs}}
{{European Capital of Culture}}
{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Germany districts North Rhine-Westphalia|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Essen| ]]
[[Category:Districts of the Rhine Province]]
[[Category:Urban districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Düsseldorf (region)]]