Bochum

The focus of the collection is Middle-European and Eastern-European Avant-Garde, German Expressionism, Surrealism, Informal and Cobra.

Modern art meets classic art. The focus of the collection is the portrait-ensemble of Greek and Roman emperors and the collection of antique Greek vases from the 9th to 4th century BC.

In the former apartment and studio of the painter Hans-Jürgen Schlieker parts of his lifework are presented in form of changing exhibitions. Schlieker (1924-2004) is among the few important German informal painters.

Buildings in the park of "Haus Weitmar" in Bochum feature a permanent exhibition of Gianni Colombo, Dan Flavin, Gotthard Graupner, Norbert Kricke, Lee Ufan, François Morellet, Maria Nordman, David Rabinowitch, Arnulf Rainer, Dirk Reinartz, Ad Reinhardt, Robert Ryman, Richard Serra, Jan J. Schoonhoven and additionally the Africa- and Asia room.

Considerable collection of music instruments and the collection of clarinets of Johan van Kalker.

Beautiful Japanese belt-buckles and items from the collections of the seven Japanese fortune-lords are among the many objects shown here.

Opened in 1931. Planned by architect Prof. Karl Roth. The layout is strictly symmetrical, the façade is plain. The hall divides the atrium in two parts, where fountains made of travertine and bronze are situated: on the left hand the fountain of beauty, on the right hand the fountain of happiness. The fountains were designed by Professor Vogel from Berlin.

Built in honour of Otto von Bismarck (who was an honorary citizen of Bochum) and opened on 16 October 1910. From the top you have an excellent view downtown.

The ruins of a 16th-century manor house are preserved in a glass cube. There are also the ruins of an 11th-century chapel.

Moated castle on the banks of the Ruhr. Today's building was established in Renaissance style in the 17th century on the walls of a former medieval castle. Haus Kemnade is a popular destination. It houses the collection Grumbt (a collection of musical instruments), the Ostasiatika collection and the "Treasure Room Kemnade", a collection around money arranged by Sparkasse Bochum. Within the castle there is a restaurant.

Situated on municipal area of Hattingen, but owned by Bochum. Here in 1324 Earl Engelbert II granted town privileges to Bochum. Only the main tower iand some walls are left. Within the walls there is a pub. From top of the tower you have an excellent view onto the Ruhr valley and onto the historic chapel of Stiepel.

Inside Westpark. Built in 1902 for the tradefair in Düsseldorf and later used as a machinery hall of the steel plant Bochumer Verein. Notable is the filigree construction of the bearing. The hall was renovated to serve as an albeit unusual event location for theater and show events. There are guided tours through the building, make an appointment with the marketing office (refer links).

Built in the beginning of the 20th century for the workers of the Hannover mine. It was reconstructed and the outfit brought to today's standard. A walk there is recommended. Between 1850 and 1900 the population of Bochum increased from about 4500 to 100,000. In order to avoid slums, companies began to erect settlements, supermarkets and hospitals for their employees near their factory grounds. The living conditions in these settlements was above the standard of the time. Often built in the style of a garden city, they are sought after quarters today. Within Bochum, the best known settlement is "Dahlhauser Heide".

The oldest church in Bochum. Its root is a wooden chapel probably donated by Charlemagne. In the eleventh century, the chapel was replaced by a stone church. It burned down during the big fire in the city in 1517, and was rebuilt as a hall church in a late Gothic style, except the Romanic chancel, which had resisted the fire. The arch was implemented in 1536, the steeple was finished after 1547. The Romanic chancel was replaced by a chancel in neo-Gothic stype between 1872 and 1874. Today, the church houses some artworks like the Romanic font, the neo-Gothic graved altar, the "Bladenhorst crux" in the high altar, the Ittenbach-Madonna, the feretory of St. Perpetua and Felicitas and, last not least, the oak crying group dated from 1420.

The oldest Protestant church in Bochum. After the Reformation, Protestants and Catholics used the same church, but not always in harmony. Therefore the Protestant community built in 1655 a separate house of worship, a Renaissance hall church with wooden roof. During the following centuries several refurbishments were executed: in 1902/1903 the church got neo-Gothic windows. After an air raid in 1943 the church burned down to ground. In 1949/1950 it was rebuilt in style of a medieval village church. Beside the church stands the “Mourning Mother”, a memorial by sculptor Gerhard Marcks to the victims of war. She is waiting for someone, obviously in vain.

When this Protestent church was completed in 1879, it was considered among the prettiest churches in Europe. In 1931 the entry hall inside the steeple was extended to a cenotaph for those killed in action during World War I. In 1943 the church was demolished by bombs nearly completely: only the steeple survived. After the war they built a new, modern church nave and combined it with the new-Gothic steeple as a memorial. Now in front of the steeple is the "Place of the European Promise". Between 2007 and 2015 stone plaques were installed with the names of citizens willing to give a promise to Europe's future. The plaques are intended to contrast to the cenotaph to the entrance hall, which underlines the hostility towards the former rivals of Germany.

Today's building, a new-Gothic church, was built between 1868 and 1872. During the times of the Carolingian Dynasty (8th-9th century), there was there an armed church, which was followed by several sacral buildings. The baptistry inside the Gertrudis-Churchis dated from times about the year 1000. It is borne by four lions. It is considered to be one of the oldest baptistries in Germany. According to legends, the devil should have taken up a huge rock to throw it against the monastery of Werden, which was a thorn in his flesh since long. On his way he met a monk who traveled from Wattenscheid to this monastery. Thinking quickly, the monk raised his crucifix. The devil threw away the rock and disappeared blaspheming. Ludgerus, the abbott of Werden monastery, was ordered to bring the devil's rock into the monastery and form it into a baptistry, with images and 4 bearing lions. Full of gratitude for the saving of the monastery, he donated the baptistry to the church of Wattenscheid - and there it is still standing inside the Gertrudis-Church.

A first hall-type church is dated to 1008. Between 1130 and 1170 it was replaced by a Romanesque basilica and extended in the 15th century. Worth seeing are the wall paintings inside and the historic graveyard.

The monastery in Bochum-Stiepel was built in 1988 and is under supervision of the Abbott​ of Heiligenkreuz in Austria. An event is the claustal Christmas market where they sell artworks from Senegal.

69 years after the Pogrom Night of 9 November 1938, when nearly all Jewish synagogues were destroyed in Germany, Bochum got a new synagogue. It was realised according to plans of the Cologne architect Peter Schmitz. He offered a clear and plain concept. Schmitz designed an ensemble of three separated structures which are linked together by a common bodyshell.

The only one in southern Chinese style in Germany. Free.

A small zoo inside the municipal park. The aquarium and fossil house are worth seeing. The entrance is at Klinikstr. corner Alexandrinenstr. .

With aviary.

At Querenburger Straße next to the school center. A former quarry which has been extended with paths and information boards. Nicely suitable for a little walk, and if you want with some information about the geological structure of Bochum.

In Witten. It offers many relics from the beginning of the mining period: mouth of galleries, machines, models of old mines.

Recommended sites of the shared industrial heritage in the Ruhr area.

In front of the city hall every third Saturday of the month.

An exhibition of old, steam-powered trams, about every second year on the ground of Mine Hannover in Bochum-Hordel.

Marionette theatre.

Festival with medieval roots on the last weekend of April.

Music festival, one of the largest and most important free music festivals in Germany. It starts every year on the first Thursday after school ends in summer and lasts for four days. From 2027 it'll move to a new location at the Westpark. Concerns about lack of space for growth, traffic, noise and security concerns led to the decision to leave the city centre.

At lake Ümmingen.

The night of industrial heritage at June, refer also section "Culture".

One weekend at September, Raree Show.

In August chefs of Bochum and area conjure up delicacies for a low budget.

A weekend full of music from Classic to Rock at Massenberg Boulevard.

Includes a medieval Christmas market around Pauluskirche, with craftsmen's stalls, and the sound of historical instruments.

Classical theatre in industrial ambiente in and all around Bochum

Renowned German theatre stage, has been part of the careers of many famous German actors.

Varieté theatre.

Prinz-Regent-Straße 50-60

Pestalozzistraße 21

Baaker Mulde 3

Lothringer Straße 36

Hunscheidtstraße 154

Widume Straße 6

While the musical only enjoyed moderate success in its native Anglosphere and it is by far not the best known work by Andrew Lloyd Webber among English-speakers, Germans have somehow taken a liking to it, which is even odder considering that Musical is not generally a well-regarded or popular art form in Germany compared to opera or theater. The Bochum production alone has amassed 16 million admissions during its three decade run. The venue was purpose built in the 1980s for this musical.

Hallenfreibad Hofstede, Stettiner Str. 1-3,

Indoor and outdoor pool (in neighbouring Witten), large sauna area, heated outside pool usable in winter

Large in- and outdoor pools, green spaces

The Ruhrtal-Radweg, a cycle route, leads from the river's source to its mouth into the Rhine at Duisburg. Its total length is 230km.

Emscher Radweg, is a cycle-route beside river Emscher or Rhein-Herne-canal. It leads across a region with a lot of heavy industry, so you pass by factories and harbours, many of them closed down. It makes for a strange but interesting ambiance.