Gelsenkirchen, the poorest city in Germany, grapples with severe economic challenges as evidenced by its high unemployment rate exceeding 14% and an average annual income below €18,000. Karin Welge, the city's mayor, highlights the rapid historical decline post-economic prosperity in the mid-20th century due to structural changes and the eventual demise of its coal industry. Current state restrictions limit the city’s public spending and investment, stifling opportunities for recovery and development. The emphasis is now shifting towards service industries and education as potential future pathways, yet funding remains severely constrained.
"Gelsenkirchen has a history unlike any other German city. This city became rich and prosperous incredibly fast. And then came the extremely brutal structural collapse."
"Before 1960, we had almost 400,000 people living here. During the structural changes, this number went down massively to 258,000 at the time of the financial crisis."
"You are not allowed to employ more people in the administration, and you are not allowed to invest more. That is although investment is most needed in places where things are fragile."
"Coal belongs to history; service industries and education are the future."
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