Editing Bochum (section)

===Post-war period===
After the war, Bochum was part of [[West Germany]] and the newly established state of North Rhine-Westphalia, consisting of the Rhineland and Westphalia.

In the postwar period, Bochum began developing as a cultural centre of the Ruhr area. In 1965, the [[Ruhr University]] was opened, the first modern [[university]] in the Ruhr area and the first to be founded in Germany since [[World War II]]. Since the seventies, Bochum's industry has moved from heavy industry to the service sector. Between 1960 and 1980, the coal mines all closed. Other industries, such as [[automotive industry|automotive]], compensated for the loss of jobs. The [[Opel Astra]] was assembled at the Opel Bochum [[factory|plant]]; however, by 2009, the factory was in serious financial difficulties<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schwartz|first=Nelson D.|date=2009-05-26|title=Europe Feels the Strain of Protecting Workers and Plants|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/business/global/26eurocar.html|access-date=2023-01-01|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> and in December 2012, Opel announced that it would stop vehicle production at the Bochum plant in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCABRE8B90HA20121210 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150109004400/http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCABRE8B90HA20121210 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 9, 2015 |title=Opel sees no alternative to closing Bochum |date=10 December 2012 | work=Reuters}}</ref>

In the course of a comprehensive community reform in 1975, [[Wattenscheid]], a formerly independent city, was integrated into the city of Bochum. A local referendum against the integration failed. In 2007, the new synagogue of the Jewish community of Bochum, Herne und Hattingen was opened. In 2008, [[Nokia]] closed down its production plant, causing the loss of thousands of jobs, both at the plant and at local suppliers. 20,000 people showed up to protest against the closing.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-02-23|title=Nokia to close Bochum, Germany, plant|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/nokia-to-close-bochum-germany-plant/276336/|access-date=2023-01-01|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>[http://www.hs.fi/english/article/1135233441536 "Anger at Nokia swells in Germany; top politicians join fray over plant closure"] ''Helsingin Sanomat International Edition.'' 21 January 2008. Accessed 1 March 2010</ref> Within months, the Canadian high-tech company, [[Research in Motion]], announced plans to open a research facility, its first outside Canada, adding several hundred jobs.<ref>[http://www.gtai.com/homepage/info-service/press-releases/press-releases-2008/mar-apr-08/rim/?backlink=Back%20to%20Press%20Releases%202008] {{Dead link|date=July 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref><ref name="Forbes">{{Cite web|date=2009-10-18|title=Blackberry maker RIM to set up R&D; site in Bochum, add 300 jobs - report |website=[[Forbes]] |url=http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2008/04/14/afx4884426.html|access-date=2023-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018110524/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2008/04/14/afx4884426.html |archive-date=2009-10-18 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/germany-allemagne/highlights-faits/BlackberryBold9700-Nov09.aspx?lang=en |title=Blackberry Bold 9700 launch |website=Government Affairs Canada |date=17 November 2009 |access-date=1 March 2010 |archive-date=5 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000143/http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/germany-allemagne/highlights-faits/BlackberryBold9700-Nov09.aspx?lang=en |url-status=dead }}</ref>