Zollverein

Essen, DE
CC BY-SA 2.0 Michael Doring
Once a coal-mine, now a thriving business, cultural and social hub.

Summary

The Zollverein industrial complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. Located in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, it consists of the complete infrastructure of a historical coal-mining site and coking plant, now acting as a site where heritage and creative industries meet. It hosts a university department, a museum, visitor and exhibition facilities, stage performances, international festivals and events, a business park with incubation facilities for the design and creative industries, as well as sporting and recreational facilities for visitors. [1]

General

Country
Germany
City
Essen
Inhabitants
583.109
Scale
Neighbourhood
Situated
Outside city centre
Status
Ongoing

About

The site was first utilized to mine coal in 1847. Zeche Zollverein was once the largest coal mine in the world and its buildings, designed in 1932, are deemed to be a masterpiece of industrial architecture, influenced by the Bauhaus school. The site, including former mining shafts and the coking plant, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and today it is a symbol of the area’s transformation from a coal mining complex to a cultural hub. [3]

At Zollverein, an industrial heritage site is turned into a cultural centre that supports creative businesses and attracts international visitors. [1] The industrial landscape, which covers approximately 100-hectares, has become a mix of art installations, museums, dance, music and theatre, blurring the lines between heritage and cultural innovation. Zollverein also hosts a university department, visitor and exhibition facilities, international festivals and a business park with incubation facilities focused on design and creative industries. In addition, it also offers facilities for leisure activities, such as a swimming pool, ice-skating rink, industrial nature, restaurants and cafes. [2] Zollverein attracts around 1.5 million visitors per year [1].

Factsheet

Heritage utilized
Buildings and/or monumental structures; Landscape/natural resources
Cluster
Creative and cultural resources; Resilient and Human Connected Places
Themes
Creative industries; Entertainment; Public space; Tourism

Governance

The majority of buildings are owned, managed and developed by The Zollverein Foundation. This non-profit foundation is established and financed by the city of Essen, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland Regional Council. The foundation is responsible for the preservation of the buildings for future use and the promotion of cultural activities. It acts in cooperation with the regional and local historic monument conservation authorities to ensure sustainable development of the site. Some parts of the site are owned by both public and private bodies, including for example NRW.URBAN Service GmbH (publicly owned urban development agency), RAG AG (coal mining corporation) and Regionalverband Ruhr RVR (regional development association). [1;2;4]

Factsheet

Governance arrangement
Hybrid governance
Organisational form
Non-Profit Entity
Stakeholders involved in implementation
Local government; private sector businesses; public institutions

Business Model

The preparation of the site, as well as the maintenance and conversion of buildings, has been financed by the state and federal governments, as well as grants from the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR) and other funding bodies. Between 1990 and 2014, a total of approximately €316.000.000 has been spent.

The site is now partly self-financed by the income generated by activities that take place on-site. In 2014, the main revenue streams came from rentals, management fees and tourism-related activities. Together with its partners, the Zollverein Foundation is looking for new projects and investors for the future in order to sustainably support the preservation of the World Heritage Site Zollverein. [1]

Factsheet

Initial investment
€316.000.000 between 1990 and 2014
Type of financial resources utilized
Direct funding or subsidies; Earmarked public budget; Revenue generated through orgninisational activities
Source of financial resources
Public national budget; Public regional budget; Funds provided by non-governmental organization; EU funds; Public local authority's budget; Organisational activities
Non-financial contributions
Provision of goods; Provision of knowledge; Provision of (access to) building

References

  1. Culture for Cities and Regions, Successful investments in culture in European Cities and Regions: A Catalogue of Case Studies, nws.eurocities.eu/MediaShell/media/Catalogue_09112016-2.pdf, accessed on 08/10/21

  2. Zollverein – organisational website, www.zollverein.de, accessed on 08/10/21

  3. PUBLIC SPACE, Zollverein Park (2019), available at www.publicspace.org/works/-/project/k127-zollverein-park, accessed on 08/10/21

  4. UNESCO Nomination File, Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen (2001), available at: whc.unesco.org/en/list/975/documents/, accessed on 13/12/2021