Editing Essen (section)

=== Zollverein Industrial Complex ===
The [[Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex]] is the city's most famous landmark. For decades, the coal mine (current form mainly from 1932, closed in 1986) and the coking plant (closed in 1993) ranked among the largest of their kinds in Europe. Shaft XII, built in [[Bauhaus]] style, with its characteristic winding tower, which over the years has become a symbol for the whole [[Ruhr]] area, is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the "most beautiful coal mine in the world".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.erih.net/index.php?anchor=66&pageId=40 |title=European Route of Industrial Heritage |publisher=En.erih.net |access-date=6 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205211954/http://en.erih.net/index.php?anchor=66&pageId=40 |archive-date=5 February 2012 }}</ref> After [[UNESCO]] had declared it a [[World Heritage Site]] in 2001, the complex, which had lain idle for a long time and was even threatened to be demolished, began to see a period of redevelopment. Under the direction of an agency borne by the land of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]] and the city itself, several arts and design institutions settled mainly on the grounds of the former coal mine; a redevelopment plan for the coking plant is to be realised.

On the grounds of the coal mine and the coking plant, which are both accessible free of charge while paid guided tours (some with former {{lang|de|[[miner|Kumpels]]}}) are available, several tourist attractions can be found, most importantly the ''Design Zentrum NRW''/[[Red Dot|Red Dot Design Museum]]. The ''Ruhrmuseum'', a museum dedicated to the history of the Ruhr area, which had been existing since 1904, opened its gates as one of the anchor attractions in the former coal-washing facility in 2010.
<gallery widths="180">
File:Zeche Zollverein Essen Okt10 011.jpg|Coal mine Zollverein
File:Zeche Zollverein abends.jpg|Shaft XII of Zollverein
File:Essen - Zeche-Zollverein - Eingangstor - 2013.jpg|Zollverein entrance
File:Rolltreppe Ruhrmuseum.jpg|Ruhrmuseum
File:Ruhrmuseum Staircase.jpg|Ruhrmuseum staircase
</gallery>