Knowledge – Change – Solidarity: This is what Bochum stands for.
Knowledge is the key in transforming a once coal- and steel-driven industry into an information- and science-driven society. Knowledge is visible everywhere: from schools and kindergarten through the nine universities which cater to roughly 60,000 students in Bochum, to knowledge-based industries based here. Knowledge encourages new work opportunities and provides the foundation for many jobs in Bochum.
Change means seizing the chance. Change is our way of life; it is turning obstacles into opportunities. Bochum changed into an industrialized city at the beginning of the coal era. It changed again when we introduced new, modern working sectors to our citizens. And the city itself is constantly changing: new parks, a new city centre and a ‘House of Knowledge’ right in the heart of the city are just a few examples. We welcome change and we are not afraid to encourage it.
Solidarity is the foundation Bochum is built on. Solidarity was the key to Bochum’s growth. Solidarity was the glue keeping workers from all over Germany and from different parts of the world together in the industrial era, working side by side. And solidarity is what helps us complete the transition to knowledge society. With solidarity, we are home to and keep integrating people from more than 170 nations. Solidarity means caring for the homeless.
Solidarity is an attitude towards life in Bochum.
Bochum is a good place to live, work and grow up in. Because we have good educational institutions. Because we have good work opportunities. And not least of all because we have great cultural offers: excellent live music from classic to rock and pop, festivals like Bochum Total, Zeltfestival and the Musiksommer, the long-standing musical Starlight Express, numerous museums and exhibitions as well as an excellent planetarium, outstanding theatres, and a great orchestra. Bochum is also a very green city. Visitors and citizens can go canoeing on the Ruhr, take advantage of one of the many cycle trails or go for walks in one of the multiple parks as well as around Lake Kemnade. And fans of nightlife can lose themselves in the countless pubs of Bochum’s very own Bermuda triangle.
