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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox German location
|name        = Gelsenkirchen
|German_name = <small>{{native name|wep|Gelsenkiärken}}</small>
|type        = City
|image_photo = {{photomontage|position=center
|photo1a     = Gelsenkirchen aug2004 002.jpg
|photo2a     = 2010-06-03 Arena AufSchalke 20.jpg
|photo2b     = Musiktheater im Revier.jpg
|photo3a     = 2045 Nordstern park.jpg
|photo3b     = SchlossHorst01.jpg
|size        = 280
|spacing     = 2
|color       = #FFFFFF
|border      = 0}}
|image_caption      = Gelsenkirchen skyline, [[Arena AufSchalke]], [[Musiktheater im Revier]], [[Nordsternpark]], [[Horst Castle]]
|image_coa          = DEU Gelsenkirchen COA.svg
|image_flag         = Flagge der kreisfreien Stadt Gelsenkirchen.svg
|coordinates        = {{coord|51|31|N|07|06|E|format=dms|display=inline,title|dim:30km}}
|state              = North Rhine-Westphalia
|region             = [[Münster (region)|Münster]]
|district           = Kreisfreie Stadt
|elevation          = 60<!--AVERAGE VALUE BETWEEN 25 AND 95-->
|area               = 104.84
|Gemeindeschlüssel  = 05513000
|postal_code        = 45801-45899
|area_code          = 0209
|licence            = GE
|website            = [https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/ gelsenkirchen.de]
|mayor              = {{ill|Karin Welge|de}}<ref>[https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/index_obb_lr.shtml#ob_lr Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020], Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.</ref>
|leader_term        = 2020&ndash;25
|Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
|party              = SPD
|ruling_party1      = SPD
|ruling_party2      = CDU
}}
{{Multiple image|total_width=400
|image1=BuerSueden1955 1.jpg|width1=1334|height1=964|caption1=Gelsenkirchen-Buer looking south towards downtown Gelsenkirchen, 1955
|image2=BuerSueden2005 1.jpg|width2=797|height2=600|caption2=The same view 50 years later}}
[[File:Buer stadtwald.jpg|thumb|[[Municipal forest]] of Buer (''Buerscher Stadtwald'')]]
[[File:Zechensiedlung.jpg|thumb|A former mining settlement]]

'''Gelsenkirchen''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɡ|ɛ|l|z|ən|ˈ|k|ɪər|x|ən}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɛ|l|z|ən|k|ɪər|x|ən}};<ref>{{Cite American Heritage Dictionary|Gelsenkirchen|access-date=18 April 2019}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190418120131/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/Gelsenkirchen "Gelsenkirchen"] (US) and {{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Gelsenkirchen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182552/https://www.lexico.com/definition/gelsenkirchen |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=Gelsenkirchen |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Gelsenkirchen|access-date=18 April 2019}}</ref> {{IPA|de|ˌɡɛlzn̩ˈkɪʁçn̩|lang|De-Gelsenkirchen.ogg}}; {{langx|wep|Gelsenkiärken}}) is the [[List of cities in Germany by population|25th-most populous city]] of Germany and the 11th-most populous in the state of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the [[Emscher|Emscher River]] (a [[tributary]] of the [[Rhine]]), it lies at the centre of the [[Ruhr|Ruhr area]], the largest urban area of Germany, of which it is the fifth-largest city after [[Dortmund]], [[Essen]], [[Duisburg]] and [[Bochum]]. The Ruhr is located in the [[Rhine-Ruhr]] metropolitan region, the [[List of EU metropolitan regions by GDP#2021 ranking of top 4 German metropolitan regions|second-biggest metropolitan region by GDP]] in the European Union. Gelsenkirchen is the fifth-largest city of [[Westphalia]] after Dortmund, Bochum, [[Bielefeld]] and [[Münster]], and it is one of the southernmost cities in the [[Low German]] dialect area. The city is home to the [[Association football|football]] club [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke 04]], which is named after [[Gelsenkirchen-Schalke]]. The club's current stadium [[Veltins-Arena]], however, is located in {{ill|Gelsenkirchen-Erle|de}}.

Gelsenkirchen was first documented in 1150, but it remained a tiny village until the 19th century, when the [[Industrial Revolution]] led to the economic and population growth of the region. In 1840, when the mining of [[coal]] began, 6,000 inhabitants lived in Gelsenkirchen; by 1900 the population had increased to 138,000. In the early 20th century, Gelsenkirchen was the most important coalmining town in Europe. It was called the "city of a thousand fires" for the flames of mine gases flaring at night. In 1928, Gelsenkirchen was merged with the adjoining cities of [[Buer, Germany|Buer]] and {{Interlanguage link|Gelsenkirchen-Horst|de}}. The city bore the name Gelsenkirchen-Buer, until it was renamed Gelsenkirchen in 1930. The city remained a center of coal mining and oil refining during the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi era]], so was often a target of Allied bombing raids during [[World War II]]: nevertheless, over a third of the city's buildings date from before 1949.<ref>[https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 "Zensus 2011: Gebäude- und Wohnungsbestand in Deutschland"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329165923/https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 |date=29 March 2024 }}, p. 84, Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder (December 2025) (in German)</ref> There are no longer coalmines in and around Gelsenkirchen; the city is searching for a new economic basis, having been afflicted for decades with one of the country's highest unemployment rates.
{{TOC limit}}

== History ==
[[File:Einwohnerentwicklung von Gelsenkirchen.svg|thumb|Population development since 1800]]

===Ancient and medieval times===
Although the part of town now called Buer was first mentioned by [[Heribert of Cologne|Heribert I]] in a document as ''Puira'' in 1003, there were hunting people on a hill north of the [[Emscher]] as early as the [[Bronze Age]] &ndash; earlier than 1000 BC. They did not live in houses as such, but in small yards gathered together near each other. Later, the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] pushed into the area. In about 700, the region was settled by the [[Saxons]]. A few other parts of town which today lie in Gelsenkirchen's north end were mentioned in documents from the early [[Middle Ages]], some examples being: ''Raedese'' (nowadays ''Resse''), Middelvic (''Middelich'', today part of Resse), ''Sutheim'' (''Sutum''; today part of Beckhausen) and ''Sculven'' (nowadays ''Scholven''). Many nearby farming communities were later identified as {{Lang|la|iuxta Bure}} ("near Buer").

It was about 1150 when the name ''Gelstenkerken'' or ''Geilistirinkirkin'' appeared up for the first time. At about the same time, the first [[Church (building)|church]] in town was built in what is now Buer. This {{Lang|la|ecclesia Buron}} ("church at Buer") was listed in a directory of [[parish]] churches by the sexton from [[Deutz, Cologne|Deutz]], Theodericus. This settlement belonged to the [[County of Mark|Mark]]. However, in ancient times and even in the Middle Ages, only a few dozen people actually lived in the settlements around the Emscher basin.

===Industrialisation===
Up until the middle of the 19th century, the area in and around Gelsenkirchen was only thinly settled and almost exclusively agrarian. In 1815, after temporarily belonging to the [[Grand Duchy]] of [[Duchy of Berg|Berg]], the land now comprising the city of Gelsenkirchen passed to the [[Kingdom of Prussia]], which assigned it to the [[province of Westphalia]]. Whereas the Gelsenkirchen of that time &ndash; not including today's north-end communities, such as Buer &ndash; was put in the {{lang|de|[[Amt]]}} of [[Wattenscheid]] in the [[Bochum]] district, in the governmental [[Arnsberg (region)|region of Arnsberg]], Buer, which was an {{lang|de|Amt}} in its own right, was along with nearby Horst joined to [[Recklinghausen (district)|Recklinghausen district]] in the governmental [[Münster (region)|region of Münster]]. This arrangement came to an end in 1928.

After the discovery of [[coal]] &ndash; lovingly known as "Black Gold" &ndash; in the [[Ruhr]] area in 1840, and the subsequent [[industrialisation]], the [[Cologne]]–[[Minden]] Railway and the Gelsenkirchen Main Railway Station were opened. In 1868, Gelsenkirchen became the seat of an {{lang|de|Amt}} within the Bochum district which encompassed the communities of Gelsenkirchen, Braubauerschaft (since 1900, {{Interlanguage link|Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck|de}}), Schalke, Heßler, Bulmke and Hüllen.

[[Friedrich Grillo]] founded the Corporation for Chemical Industry ({{lang|de|Aktiengesellschaft für Chemische Industrie|italic=no}}) in Schalke in 1872, as well as founding Vogelsang & Co. with the Grevel family (later {{lang|de|[[Schalker Eisenhütte Maschinenfabrik]]|italic=no}}), and also the Schalke Mining and Ironworks Association ({{lang|de|Schalker Gruben- und Hüttenverein|italic=no}}). A year later, and once again in Schalke, he founded the Glass and Mirror Factory Incorporated ({{lang|de|Glas- und Spiegel-Manufaktur AG|italic=no}}).

After Gelsenkirchen had become an important heavy-industry hub, it was raised to city in 1875.

===Independent city===
[[File:Gelsenkirchen nordstern.jpg|thumb|left|Former Nordstern Colliery]]
[[File:Gelsenkirchen altstadt.jpg|thumb|left|Contrasts in the inner-city]]
In 1885, after the Bochum district was split up, Gelsenkirchen became the seat of its own district (''Kreis''), which would last until 1926. The cities of Gelsenkirchen and Wattenscheid, as well as the {{lang|de|[[Amt (administrative division)|Ämter]]}} of Braubauerschaft (in 1900, Bismarck), Schalke, {{ill|Ückendorf|de}}, [[Wanne-Eickel|Wanne]] and [[Wattenscheid]] all belonged to the Gelsenkirchen district. A few years later, in 1896, Gelsenkirchen split off from Gelsenkirchen district to become an [[independent city]] ({{lang|de|kreisfreie Stadt}}). In 1891, Horst was split off from the {{lang|de|Amt}} of Buer, which itself was raised to city status in 1911, and to an independent city status the next year. Meanwhile, Horst became the seat of its own {{lang|de|Amt}}. In 1924, the rural community of [[Flugwerk Deutschland GmbH|Rotthausen]], which until then had belonged to the [[Essen]] district, was made part of the Gelsenkirchen district.

In 1928, under the Prussian local government reforms, the cities of Gelsenkirchen and Buer along with the {{lang|de|Amt}} of Horst together became a new {{lang|de|kreisfreie Stadt}} called Gelsenkirchen-Buer, effective on 1 April that year. From that time, the whole city area belonged to the governmental district of Münster. In 1930, on the city's advice, the city's name was changed to 'Gelsenkirchen', effective 21 May. By this time, the city was home to about 340,000 people.

In 1931, the Gelsenkirchen Mining Corporation ({{lang|de|Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-Aktien-Gesellschaft|italic=no}}) founded the Gelsenberg Petrol Corporation ({{lang|de|Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG|italic=no}}). In 1935, the Hibernia Mining Company founded the {{lang|de|Hydrierwerk Scholven AG GE-Buer|italic=no}} [[coal liquefaction]] plant. Scholven/Buer began operation in 1936 and achieved a capacity of 200,000 tons/year of finished product, mainly aviation base gasoline.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/Bureau_of_Mines/info_circ/ic_7375/ic_7375.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071108041008/http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/Bureau_of_Mines/info_circ/ic_7375/ic_7375.htm |archive-date=8 November 2007 |title=Untitled Document}}</ref> After 1937, Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG opened the Nordstern plant for converting bituminous coal to synthetic oil.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Becker |first=Peter W. |year=1981 |title=The Role of Synthetic Fuel in World War II Germany: implications for today? |url=http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1981/jul-aug/becker.htm |journal=Air University Review |location=[[Maxwell Air Force Base]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222003452/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1981/jul-aug/becker.htm |archive-date=22 February 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Nazi Germany===
The [[9 November in German history|9 November 1938]] [[Kristallnacht]] antisemitic riots destroyed Jewish businesses, dwellings and cemeteries, and a [[synagogue]] in Buer and one in downtown Gelsenkirchen. A new downtown Gelsenkirchen synagogue was opened on 1 February 2007.

Gelsenkirchen was a target of [[strategic bombing during World War II]], particularly during the 1943 [[Battle of the Ruhr]] and the [[Oil campaign of World War II|oil campaign]]. Three quarters of Gelsenkirchen was destroyed<ref>[http://www.dw.com/en/gelsenkirchen/a-1533348 "World Cup 2006 – Gelsenkirchen"], [[Deutsche Welle]], 19 October 2005</ref> and many above-ground [[air raid shelter]]s such as near the town hall in Buer are in nearly original form.

[[Oberst]] [[Werner Mölders]], the legendary [[Luftwaffe]] fighter pilot, was born here.

The [[Gelsenberg Lager]] subcamp of the [[Buchenwald concentration camp]] was established in 1944<ref>Edward Victor. [http://www.edwardvictor.com/Holocaust/Gelsenkirchen.htm Alphabetical list of camps, subcamps and other camps], Gelsenkirchen</ref> to provide [[forced labour]] of about 2000 Hungarian women and girls for Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG. About 150 died during September 1944 bombing raids (shelters and protection ditches were forbidden to them).<ref>[http://www.gelsenzentrum.de/gelsenberg_lager.htm Das Gelsenberglager, Außenlager des KZ Buchenwald in Gelsenkirchen] {{in lang|de}}</ref> There was also a camp for [[Sinti]] and [[Romani people]] (see ''[[Romani Holocaust]]'') in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=1522|title=Lager für Sinti und Roma Gelsenkirchen|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=9 January 2024|language=de}}</ref>

From 1933 to 1945, the city's mayor was the appointed [[Nazi]] Carl Engelbert Böhmer. In 1994, the Institute for City History opened the documentation centre "Gelsenkirchen under National Socialism" ({{Lang|de|Dokumentationsstätte "Gelsenkirchen im Nationalsozialismus"}}).

===After the war===
On 17 December 1953, the {{lang|de|Kokerei Hassel}} went into operation, billed as Germany's "first new [[coking plant]]" since the war. The [[Scholven Power Station]] was built in the late 1960s with further development until 1985, one of the largest in Europe at the time.<ref>[https://www.uniper.energy/germany/power-plants-germany/scholven "Scholven"], [[Uniper]]. {{Retrieved|access-date=30 January 2024}}</ref> Its {{convert|302|m|feet}} chimneys are among the tallest in Germany. When [[postal code]]s were introduced in 1961, Gelsenkirchen was one of the few cities in [[West Germany]] to be given two codes: Buer was given 466, while Gelsenkirchen got 465. These were in use until 1 July 1993. The first [[comprehensive school]] in North Rhine-Westphalia was opened in 1969. Scholven-Chemie AG (the old hydrogenation plant) merged with Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG to form the new corporation VEBA-Oel AG. In 1987, [[Pope John Paul II]] celebrated [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] before 85,000 people at Gelsenkirchen's [[Parkstadion]]. The Pope also became an honorary member of [[FC Schalke 04]].

In 1997, the Federal Garden Show ({{lang|de|Bundesgartenschau}} or {{lang|de|BUGA}}) was held on the grounds of the disused {{Interlanguage link|Zeche Nordstern|de|lt=Nordstern}} [[coalmine]] in Horst. In 1999, the last phase of the [[Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park]], an undertaking that brought together many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, was held. [[Coke (fuel)|Coke]] was produced at the old Hassel coking works for the last time on 29 September 1999. This marked the shutdown of the last coking plant in Gelsenkirchen, after being a coking town for more than 117 years. In the same year, Shell Solar Deutschland AG took over production of [[photovoltaic]] equipment. On 28 April 2000, the Ewald-Hugo colliery closed &ndash; Gelsenkirchen's last colliery. Three thousand coalminers lost their jobs. In 2003, Buer celebrated its thousandth anniversary of first documentary mention, and FC Schalke 04 celebrated on 4 May 2004 its hundredth anniversary.

{{wide image|Gelsenkirchen Altstadt Panorama.jpg|2000px|Panorama of Gelsenkirchen}}
{{clear|left}}

===Jewish history===

====19th century====
The [[Jewish]] community of Gelsenkirchen was officially established in 1874, relatively late compared to the Jewish [[Ashkenazi]] communities in Germany. In a list of 1829 to determine the salary for the [[Chief Rabbi]] of [[Westphalia]], {{Interlanguage link|Abraham Sutro|de}}, three families were named: the families of Ruben Levi, Reuben Simon, and Herz Heimann families.<ref name="talmud.de">[http://www.talmud.de/gelsenkirchen/ "Das Judentum in Gelsenkirchen"], by Chajm Guski {{in lang|de}}</ref> With the growth of the town during the second half of the 19th century, its Jewish population also grew bigger, with about 120 Jews living in town in 1880, and a [[synagogue]] established in 1885. With the growth of the community, a bigger building was built to serve as the community school.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0007_0_07162.html Gelsenkirchen], Jewish Virtual Library</ref>

====20th century====
The community continued to grow and around 1,100 Jews were living in Gelsenkirchen in 1901, a number that reached its peak of 1,300 individuals in 1933. At the turn of the 20th century the [[Reform Judaism|Reform Jewish]] community was the most dominant among all Jewish communities in town, and after an [[Organ (music)|organ]] was installed inside the synagogue, and most prayers performed mostly in German instead of traditional Hebrew, the town's [[Orthodox Judaism|orthodox]] community decided to stop attending the synagogue and tried to establish a new orthodox community, led by Dr. Max Meyer, Dr. Rubens and Abraham Fröhlich, most of them living on Florastraße.<ref name="talmud.de" /> In addition, another Jewish orthodox congregation of Polish Jews was found in town.<ref>''The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust: A–J'' by Shmuel Spector and Geoffrey Wigoder, New York University Press 2001, [https://books.google.com/books?id=MFn3KeENnA0C&q=Gelsenkirchen&pg=PA422 p. 422], {{ISBN|9780814793565}}</ref> In 1908, a lot on Wanner Straße was purchased and served the community as its cemetery until 1936, today containing about 400 graves.<ref name="talmud.de" /> In addition, another cemetery was built in 1927 in the suburb of Ückendorf.

====Nazi Germany====
With the rise of [[Hitler]] and [[National Socialism]] in 1933, Jewish life in Gelsenkirchen was still relatively unaffected at first. In August 1938, 160 Jewish businesses were still open in town. In October 1938, though, an official ban restricted these businesses and all Jewish doctors became unemployed. In the same month, the Jewish community of the town was expelled. Between 1937 and 1939, the Jewish population of Gelsenkirchen dropped from 1,600 to 1,000. During [[Kristallnacht]], the town's synagogue was destroyed, after two thirds of the town's Jewish population had already left. On 27 January 1942, 350 among the 500 remaining Jews in town were deported to the [[Riga Ghetto]]; later, the last remaining Jews were deported to Warsaw and the [[Theresienstadt concentration camp]].

====The Gelsenkirchen transport====
On 31 March 1942, a Nazi deportation train set out from Gelsenkirchen and, carrying 48 Jews from the town area, made its way to the [[Warsaw Ghetto]]. The train was the first to deport Jews to Warsaw and not to [[Trawniki concentration camp]] in southern Poland, as used before. After it left Gelsenkirchen, the train was boarded by other Jews from [[Münster]], [[Dortmund]] and a few other stops along the way, and mostly by the Jews of [[Hanover]], 500 in number. The arrival of this transport from Westphalia and Upper Saxony was recorded in his diaries by Adam Czerniakov, the last chairman of the Warsaw Ghetto [[Judenrat]]. He stated that those older than 68 were allowed to stay in Germany. The majority of these deportees were killed later on the different death sites around modern-day Poland.<ref>[http://www.blankgenealogy.com/holocaust/Transports/Germany/March%2031%201942%20Deportation%20Transport%20from%20Gelsenkirchen%20to%20Warsaw%20Ghetto.pdf "March 31, 1942, Deportation from Gelsenkirchen to Warsaw Ghetto"] (English), citing A. Gottwaldt and D. Schulle, ''Die "Judendeportationen" aus dem Deutschen Reich 1941–1945''</ref>

====After World War II====
In 1946, 69 Jews returned to Gelsenkirchen and in 1958, a synagogue and cultural centre were built for the remaining community. In 2005, about 450 Jews were living in town. During the last decade of the 20th century, a noted number of Jews came to the town, after emigrating out of the former USSR. This situation made it necessary to extend the synagogue. Eventually, a new and bigger synagogue was built to serve the increasing Jewish community of Gelsenkirchen. The current community practices Orthodox Judaism, even though no family practices it at home.<ref name="talmud.de" /> On 16 May 2014, antisemitic graffiti were painted on the town synagogue.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://antisemitism.org.il/article/87383/swastika-synagogue-old-city|title=CFCA – Swastika on synagogue in an old city|work=antisemitism.org.il|access-date=24 May 2014|archive-date=25 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525200809/http://antisemitism.org.il/article/87383/swastika-synagogue-old-city|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====Sites====
The building at Husemannstraße 75 belonged to Dr. Max Meyer, who built it between 1920 and 1921. A [[mezuzah]] sign can still be seen on the top right side of the door.<ref name="talmud.de" /> On Florastraße, near Kennedyplatz, (formerly Schalker Straße 45), stands the house of the Tepper family, a Jewish family that vanished during the [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]]. As part of the national [[Stolperstein]] project, five bricks, commemorating the Jewish inhabitants, were installed outside the house.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stolpersteine-gelsenkirchen.de/stolpersteine_tepper_family.htm|title=Stolpersteine Gelsenkirchen – Tepper Family lived here...|work=stolpersteine-gelsenkirchen.de}}</ref>

==Climate==
{{Weather box
|location = Station Bochum, Gelsenkirchen (2019-2024)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|precipitation colour=green
| Jan precipitation mm  =89
| Feb precipitation mm  =82
| Mar precipitation mm  =98
| Apr precipitation mm  =88
| May precipitation mm  =96
| Jun precipitation mm  =47
| Jul precipitation mm  =144
| Aug precipitation mm  =155
| Sep precipitation mm  =59
| Oct precipitation mm  =121
| Nov precipitation mm  =84
| Dec precipitation mm  =135
| year precipitation mm =
| Jan rain days  =21
| Feb rain days  =19
| Mar rain days  =19
| Apr rain days  =19
| May rain days  =14
| Jun rain days  =7
| Jul rain days  =22
| Aug rain days  =19
| Sep rain days  =12
| Oct rain days  =20
| Nov rain days  =22
| Dec rain days  =22
| Jan mean C  =4.4
| Feb mean C  =7.0
| Mar mean C  =8.3
| Apr mean C  =10.1
| May mean C  =15.1
| Jun mean C  =20.3
| Jul mean C  =18.9
| Aug mean C  =18.2
| Sep mean C  =18.9
| Oct mean C  =13.5
| Nov mean C  =8.3
| Dec mean C  =5.2
| year mean C =
| Jan avg record high C  =6.6
| Feb avg record high C  =9.9
| Mar avg record high C  =12
| Apr avg record high C  =14.6 
| May avg record high C  =20.5
| Jun avg record high C  =25.7
| Jul avg record high C  =23.9
| Aug avg record high C  =23.2
| Sep avg record high C  =24.3
| Oct avg record high C  =17.2
| Nov avg record high C  =11.1
| Dec avg record high C  =7.2
| year avg record high C = 
| Jan avg record low C  = 2.1
| Feb avg record low C  = 4.3
| Mar avg record low C  = 5
| Apr avg record low C  = 6
| May avg record low C  = 10.2
| Jun avg record low C  = 14.3
| Jul avg record low C  = 14.6
| Aug avg record low C  = 14.4
| Sep avg record low C  = 13.9
| Oct avg record low C  = 10.6
| Nov avg record low C  = 5.6
| Dec avg record low C  = 3.1
| year avg record low C = 
| Jan record low C  = -7.9
| Feb record low C  =-3
| Mar record low C  =-3.6
| Apr record low C  =-1.4
| May record low C  =3
| Jun record low C  =8.5
| Jul record low C  =10.6
| Aug record low C  =10.5
| Sep record low C  =9.5
| Oct record low C  =3.7
| Nov record low C  =-3.4
| Dec record low C  =-7.5
| year record low C =
| Jan record high C =16.6
| Feb record high C =16.2
| Mar record high C =19.3
| Apr record high C =26.6
| May record high C =27.8
| Jun record high C =31.1
| Jul record high C =35
| Aug record high C =29.1
| Sep record high C =30.5
| Oct record high C =25.1
| Nov record high C =18.2
| Dec record high C =17.4
| year record high C =
|source 1 = ''[[Deutscher Wetterdienst]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wetterdienst.de/Deutschlandwetter/Gelsenkirchen/Klima/ |title=Klima Gelsenkirchen – Station Bochum (110 m)|access-date=23 February 2024|website=wetterdienst.de |publisher=Deutscher Wetterdienst |no-pp=y |language=German}}</ref>
}}

== Economy and infrastructure ==
[[File:Gelsenwasser.jpg|thumb|Headquarters of the Gelsenwasser AG]]
[[File:Karte Gelsenkirchen Strassen.png|thumb|Highways and main roads in Gelsenkirchen]]
[[File:Bogestra hist.jpg|thumb|Two vintage trams on hand for the reopening of the Essener Straße stop in Horst]]
[[File:Hbf ge ubahn.jpg|thumb|''Stadtbahn'' at main railway station]]
Gelsenkirchen presents itself as a centre of solar technology. Shell Solar Deutschland GmbH produces solar cells in Rotthausen. Scheuten Solar Technology has taken over its solar panel production. There are other large businesses in town: {{Interlanguage link|THS Wohnen|de}}, [[Gelsenwasser]], [[E.ON|e.on]], BP Gelsenkirchen GmbH, Shell Solar Deutschland GmbH and [[Pilkington]]. [[ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen]] is a [[zoo]] founded in 1949 as "Ruhr-Zoo" which is now operated by the city.

In recent years, Gelsenkirchen has embarked on a transformation from its heavy-industry past toward sustainable business parks and renewable energy projects. For example, the ecoPARK Gelsenkirchen is in development on parts of the former [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke club]] grounds: a jointly-developed site expected to offer about 15,800&nbsp;m{{sup|2}} of modern office and hall space, with full renewable infrastructure (photovoltaics, heat-pumps, timber construction) and opening for tenants as early as mid-2025.<ref name=AEW>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-02 |title=In partnership with AEW |url=https://ecoparks.de/en/news/in-partnership-with-aew-ecoparks-develops-sustainable-business-park-in-gelsenkirchen |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=ecoparks.de}}</ref>

The energy sector is undergoing a major shift: the BP-managed refinery site in {{ill|Gelsenkirchen-Horst|de}}/{{ill|Gelsenkirchen-Scholven|de|lt=Scholven}} is scheduled to reduce crude-oil throughput from around 12 million tonnes per year to approximately 8 million, with full conversion toward lower-emission fuels including [[sustainable aviation fuel]] (SAF) by the end of the decade. This change is part of the wider industry transition and reflects the city's move away from coal and traditional heavy industry.<ref name=AEW />

In parallel, the city is mobilizing new infrastructure for rail and mobility: the Spanish rolling-stock manufacturer [[Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles|CAF]] began construction in mid-2025 of a major electric-train depot in {{ill|Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck|de}}, covering a site of roughly 90,000&nbsp;m{{sup|2}}, to support battery-electric train fleets for the region's transport network. The facility is planned for completion by late 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=bp to restructure Gelsenkirchen site towards lower-emission fuels... |url=https://www.ofimagazine.com/news/bp-to-restructure-gelsenkirchen-site-towards-lower-emission-fuels-including-saf |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=Oils & Fats International}}</ref>

Demographically the city is also responding to structural change: as of January 2025 the population was reported at approximately 272,869, of which 27.3 % were aged 60 or over, signaling both an ageing population and the need for new economic directions.<ref name=AGW>{{Cite web |title=Gelsenkirchen – Age-Friendly World |url=https://extranet.who.int/agefriendlyworld/network/gelsenkirchen/ |access-date=2025-11-10}}</ref>

These developments underscore Gelsenkirchen's ongoing efforts to reposition itself in the post-industrial era, emphasizing green industry, advanced mobility, and regional redevelopment.<ref name=AGW />

=== Transport ===
Gelsenkirchen lies on [[autobahn]]s [[Bundesautobahn 2|A 2]], [[Bundesautobahn 40|A 40]], [[Bundesautobahn 42|A 42]] and [[Bundesautobahn 52|A 52]], as well as on Bundesstraßen (Federal Highways) B 224, B 226 and B 227. [[Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof]] (central station) lies at the junction of the [[Duisburg–Dortmund railway|Duisburg–Dortmund]], the [[Essen–Gelsenkirchen railway|Essen–Gelsenkirchen]] and the [[Wanne-Eickel–Hamburg railway|Gelsenkirchen–Münster]] lines.

The [[Rhine–Herne Canal]] has a commercial-industrial harbour in Gelsenkirchen. {{Interlanguage link|Gelsenkirchen Harbour|de|3=Hafen Gelsenkirchen}} has a yearly turnover of 2 million tonnes and a water surface area of about {{convert|1.2|km²|1|abbr=off}}, one of Germany's biggest and most important canal harbours, and is furthermore connected to [[Deutsche Bahn]]'s railway network at Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof.

Local transport in Gelsenkirchen is provided by the [[Trams in Bochum/Gelsenkirchen|Bochum/Gelsenkirchen tramway network]] and buses run by the [[BOGESTRA|Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahn AG]] (BOGESTRA), as well as by buses operated by Vestische Straßenbahnen GmbH in the city's north (despite its name, it nowadays runs only buses). Some [[Stadtbahn]] and tram lines are operated by {{Interlanguage link|Ruhrbahn|de}}. All these services have an integrated fare structure within the [[Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr|VRR]]. There are three tram lines, one light rail line, and about 50 bus routes in Gelsenkirchen.

The city is served by [[Düsseldorf Airport]], located {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} south west and [[Dortmund Airport]], located {{convert|45|km|abbr=on}} west of Gelsenkirchen.

=== Media ===
Gelsenkirchen is the headquarters of the ''Verband Lokaler Rundfunk in Nordrhein-Westfalen e.V. (VLR)'' (Network of Local Radio in North Rhine-Westphalia Registered Association). REL (''Radio Emscher-Lippe'') is also headquartered in Gelsenkirchen.

Among newspapers, the ''Buersche Zeitung'' was a daily till 2006. The ''[[Ruhr Nachrichten]]'' ceased publication in Gelsenkirchen in April 2006. Now, the ''[[Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung]]'' is the only local newspaper in Gelsenkirchen. The local station {{Interlanguage link|Radio Emscher-Lippe|de}} also reports the local news.

There is also a free weekly newspaper, the ''Stadtspiegel Gelsenkirchen'', along with monthly, or irregular, local publications called the ''Familienpost'' and the ''Beckhausener Kurier''.

=== Education and science ===
Gelsenkirchen has 51 [[elementary school]]s (36 public schools, 12 Catholic schools, 3 Protestant schools), 8 ''[[Hauptschule]]n'', 6 ''[[Realschule]]n'', 7 ''[[Gymnasium (school)|Gymnasien]]'', and 5 ''[[Education in Germany|Gesamtschule]]n'', among which the ''Gesamtschule Bismarck'', as the only comprehensive school run by the Westphalian branch of the Evangelical ([[Lutheran]]) Church, warrants special mention.

The ''[[Fachhochschule]] Gelsenkirchen'', founded in 1992, also has campuses in [[Bocholt, Germany|Bocholt]] and Recklinghausen. It offers courses in [[Economics]], [[Computer Science]], Engineering Physics, [[Electrical Engineering]], [[Mechanical Engineering]], and Supply and Disposal Engineering.

There is a ''[[Volkshochschule#Germany and Austria|Volkshochschule]]'' for [[adult education]] as well as a city library with three branches.

The Institute for Underground Infrastructure, founded in 1994 and associated with the [[Ruhr University Bochum]], provides a wide range of research, certification, and consulting services. The [[science park]] created in 1995 by [[Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park]], {{Interlanguage link|Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen|de}}, provides a pathway to restructure the local economy from coal- and steel-based industries to solar energy and project management.<ref>[http://www.wipage.de/ueber-uns/geschichte/ Über uns (About us)], Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen {{in lang|de}}</ref>

==Politics==
===Mayor===
[[File:2020 Gelsenkirchen mayoral election (2nd round).svg|thumb|300px|Results of the second round of the 2020 mayoral election.]]
The current mayor of Gelsenkirchen is {{ill|Karin Welge|de}} of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD) since 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| Karin Welge
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 31,341
| 40.4
| 29,397
| 59.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| Malte Stuckmann
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 19,468
| 25.1
| 20,101
| 40.6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|
| align=left| Jörg Schneider
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 9,355
| 12.1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|
| align=left| David Fischer
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]]
| 7,188
| 9.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|
| align=left| Susanne Cichos
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 3,360
| 4.3
|-
|
| align=left| Ali-Riza Akyol
| align=left| Voter Initiative NRW
| 2,752
| 3.6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|
| align=left| Martin Karl-Heinz Gatzemeier
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 2,300
| 3.0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}|
| align=left| Claudia Kapuschinski
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]]
| 1,722
| 2.2
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 77,486
! 98.8
! 49,498
! 98.9
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 924
! 1.2
! 548
! 1.1
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 78,410
! 100.0
! 50,046
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 188,716
! 41.5
! 188,369
! 26.6
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/b513000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

===City council===
[[File:2020 Gelsenkirchen City Council election.svg|thumb|300px|Results of the 2020 city council election.]]
The Gelsenkirch city council governs the city alongside the mayor. 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|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 27,082
| 35.1
| {{decrease}} 15.2
| 31
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 17,932
| 23.2
| {{increase}} 2.2
| 20
| {{increase}} 6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 9,944
| 12.9
| {{increase}} 7.9
| 11
| {{increase}} 8
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}|
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 9,457
| 12.2
| {{increase}} 6.4
| 11
| {{increase}} 7
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}|
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 3,114
| 4.0
| {{increase}} 2.0
| 4
| {{increase}} 3
|-
|
| align=left| Voter Initiative NRW (WIN)
| 2,804
| 3.6
| {{increase}} 0.3
| 3
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}|
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 2,671
| 3.5
| {{decrease}} 1.2
| 3
| ±0
|-
|
| align=left| Animal Welfare Here! (Tierschutz hier!)
| 1,735
| 2.2
| New
| 2
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}|
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]] (PARTEI)
| 1,527
| 2.0
| New
| 2
| New
|-
|
| align=left| Alternative, Independent, Progressive Gelsenkirchen (AUF)
| 943
| 1.2
| {{decrease}} 0.2
| 1
| ±0
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey|
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}|
| align=left| Independents
| 30
| 0.0
| –
| 0
| –
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 77,239
! 98.5
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 1,143
! 1.5
!
!
!
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 78,382
! 100.0
!
! 88
! {{increase}} 25
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 188,716
! 41.5
! {{decrease}} 1.6
!
!
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://www.wahlergebnisse.nrw/kommunalwahlen/2020/aktuell/a513000kw2000.shtml State Returning Officer]
|}

==Culture==
{{Expand section|date=September 2016}}
[[File:MiR außen ganz.jpg|thumb|Musiktheater im Revier]]
* [[Musiktheater im Revier]]
* [[Hans-Sachs-Haus]]
* {{ill|Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen|de}}
* Architecture ([[Brick Expressionism]]), heritage listings
* [[ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen]]/Ruhr-Zoo
* [[Industrial Heritage Trail]] (''Route der Industriekultur'') – Gelsenkirchen
* [[Nordsternpark]]
* [[Ruhr.2010]] – [[European Capital of Culture]]
* [[Rock Hard Festival]]
* Filming of ''[[The Miracle of Father Malachia]]''

==Sport==
[[File:080110 schalke arena germany.JPG|thumb|[[Arena AufSchalke]], the stadium of 2. Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04]]
Gelsenkirchen is home of the football club [[FC Schalke 04]], currently in the [[2. Bundesliga]], the second tier of German football. The club has won 7 Bundesliga titles. Schalke's home ground is [[Arena AufSchalke]]. It was one of 12 German cities to host matches during the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], hosting matches between [[Poland national football team|Poland]] and [[Ecuador national football team|Ecuador]], [[Argentina national football team|Argentina]] and [[Serbia national football team|Serbia and Montenegro]], [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] and [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]], and [[United States men's national soccer team|USA]] and [[Czech Republic national football team|Czech Republic]]. It is also host to four matches during [[UEFA Euro 2024|the 2024 European Championships]].

German football players [[İlkay Gündoğan]], [[Mesut Özil]], [[Olaf Thon]] and [[Manuel Neuer]] were born in Gelsenkirchen. German football manager [[Michael Skibbe]] and Turkish footballer [[Hamit Altıntop|Hamit Altintop]] were also born here. 

Since 1912, Gelsenkirchen owns the [[harness racing]] track [[Trabrennbahn Gelsenkirchen]] (also referred as GelsenTrabPark).

== Notable people ==
{{Further|:de:Liste von Persönlichkeiten der Stadt Gelsenkirchen|l1=List of personalities from Gelsenkirchen (in German)}}
* [[Alfons Goldschmidt]] (1879–1940), journalist, economist, university lecturer
* [[Claire Waldoff]] (1884–1957), [[kabarett]] singer in Berlin
* [[Wilhelm Zaisser]] (1893–1958), communist politician, first [[Stasi|Minister for State Security]] of [[East Germany]]
* [[Hans Krahe]] (1898–1965), [[philologist]], linguist
* [[Anton Stankowski]] (1906–1998), graphic designer, photographer, painter
* [[Werner Mölders]] (1913–1941), officer of the Luftwaffe
* [[Klaus Wolfgang Niemöller]] (1929-2024), musicologist
* [[Harald zur Hausen]] (1936-2023), virologist, Nobel laureate (2008), 1983–2003 chief scientific officer of [[German Cancer Research Center]] in Heidelberg
* [[Heinrich Breloer]] (born 1942), film director
* [[Gerd Faltings]] (born 1954), mathematician, Fields medalist (1986)
* [[Susanne Neumann]] (1959–2019), author, activist
* [[Tom Angelripper]] (born 1963), singer and bassist of the thrash metal band Sodom
* [[Oliver Mark]] (born 1963), photographer
* [[Gregor Hagedorn]] (born 1965), botanist
* [[Sebastian Lang-Lessing]] (born 1966), orchestra and opera conductor
* [[Anne Schwanewilms]] (born 1967), [[opera]] [[soprano]]
* [[Katrin Becker]] (born 1967), theoretical physicist
* [[Kai Twilfer]] (born 1976), author and businessman
* [[Terry Reintke]] (born 1987), politician and [[Member of the European Parliament]] (MEP) for the [[The Greens–European Free Alliance|Greens-EFA]] group

=== Sport ===
* [[Ernst Kuzorra]] (1905–1990), footballer and manager, 12 caps and 7 goals for [[Germany national football team|Germany]], 6x German Champion, 450 Appearances and 419 Goals for [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke]], part of their 'Team of the Century'
* [[Fritz Szepan]] (1907–1974), footballer with 34 caps and 8 goals for [[Germany national football team|Germany]], 6x German Champion, 434 Appearances and 309 Goals for [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke]], part of their 'Team of the Century'
* [[Norbert Nigbur]] (born 1948), footballer with 6 caps for [[West Germany national football team|West Germany]], [[1974 World Cup]] winner, 440 appearances for [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke]], part of their 'Team of the Century'
* [[Michael Skibbe]] (born 1965), former football player and current coach
* [[Olaf Thon]] (born 1966), footballer and manager, 52 caps for [[Germany national football team|Germany]], [[1990 World Cup]] winner, 3x [[Bundesliga]] Winner, 383 appearances for [[FC Schalke 04|Schalke]], part of their 'Team of the Century'
* [[Hamit Altıntop]] (born 1982), footballer with 82 caps and 7 goals for [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]], league winner in [[Bundesliga|Germany]], [[La Liga|Spain]] and [[Süper Lig|Turkey]]
* [[Manuel Neuer]] (born 1986), footballer with 117 caps for [[Germany national football team|Germany]], [[2014 World Cup]] winner, 11x [[Bundesliga]] Winner, 2x [[UEFA Champions League|Champions League]] Winner and 5x [[IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper|World's Best Goalkeeper]]
* [[Mesut Özil]] (born 1988), footballer with 92 caps and 23 goals for [[Germany national football team|Germany]], [[2014 World Cup]] winner and [[La Liga]] winner
* [[İlkay Gündoğan]] (born 1990), footballer with 66 caps and 17 goals for [[Germany national football team|Germany]], league winner in [[Bundesliga|Germany]] and [[Premier League|England]]

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
Gelsenkirchen is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte Gelsenkirchens|url=https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/de/stadtprofil/stadtfakten/partnerstaedte/index.aspx|website=gelsenkirchen.de|publisher=Gelsenkirchen|language=de|access-date=2019-11-26}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
*[[Zenica]], Bosnia and Herzegovina (1969)
*[[Shakhty]], Russia (1989)
*[[Olsztyn]], Poland (1992)
*[[Cottbus]], Germany (1995)
*[[Büyükçekmece]], Turkey (2004)
*[[Newcastle upon Tyne]], United Kingdom (1948)

{{div col end}}

== See also ==

* [[Horst Castle]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Gelsenkirchen}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Gelsenkirchen}}
*{{official|https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/de/default.aspx}} (in German), ([https://web.archive.org/web/20060112033320/http://www.gelsenkirchen.de/English/tourism/Portrait_of_the_city/ 2006 archive], in English)
*[http://www.gelsenzentrum.de/ Gelsenzentrum – Documentation center of urban and contemporary history of Gelsenkirchen]
*[http://www.musiktheater-im-revier.de/ Musiktheater im Revier]
*[https://www.mapquest.com/de/nordrhein-westfalen/gelsenkirchen-282262020 Gelsenkirchen], [[MapQuest]] (interactive)

{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Germany districts north rhine-westphalia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gelsenkirchen| ]]
[[Category:Oil campaign of World War II]]
[[Category:Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Urban districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Germany]]
[[Category:Münster (region)]]