People from this region are very proud to be from here because das Ruhrgebiet was responsible for Germany's economic successes in the 1950s and 60s. Because of the promise of new jobs, people came to settle in the Ruhr Valley from over 140 countries.
The industry jobs in the Ruhr Valley caused this area to see a large population boom. Today, the Ruhr Valley is part of the most populous state of Germany, called North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia includes four of Germany's top 10 largest cities, with Essen being one of them. The number of jobs, services and opportunities in the Ruhr Valley make this area very popular to live in.
Signs of how the land was used in the past tend to appear in everyday life in the Ruhr Valley. It is common for daily commutes to be disrupted by the discovery of bombs and weapons surrounding roads and train tracks. The leftover mines in the area have also taken a toll on the natural environment. The elevation of the Ruhr Valley is significantly lower than the rest of the country due to the sinking earth caused by mining, which leads to necessary repairs of roads and buildlings that crack or collapse.
When the people in this area realized how their industrial past has affected the environment, they decided that a change needed to be made. Just this past year, the last hard coal mine in Germany, called Prosper-Haniel, closed down for good.
