Essen is a city in the central part of the Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the River Ruhr, its population of approximately 579,000 makes it the 9th-largest city in Germany. For the year 2010, Essen was the European Capital of Culture on behalf of the whole Ruhr area. Until the 1970s, Essen had been one of Germany's most important coal and steel centres. Historically linked to the centuries-old Krupp family iron works, the city has since developed a strong tertiary sector of the economy, so it is sometimes called "desk of the Ruhr area" . Essen is home to 13 of the... 100 largest German corporations and seat to several of the region's authorities. In 1958, the city was chosen to serve as the seat to a Roman Catholic diocese . In early 2003, the universities of Essen and the nearby city of Duisburg were merged into the University of Duisburg-Essen with campuses in both cities and a university hospital in Essen.
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| Country: | Germany |
| Population: | 574,635 |
| Area: | 81.2 sq. mi. |
| Also known as: | Essen, Germany |