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The cultural center Flora - theater, music concerts, literary evenings...
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Not beautiful, but full of life
To be honest, the former coal-mining city in the Ruhr area is not really a beauty. But its people are fiercely loyal to their hometown. Unlike the neighboring cities of Essen and Bochum, Gelsenkirchen is not made of a contiguous municipal territory; instead, many small villages have grown together, which has led to a strong attachment to the part of town, one comes from. The Emscher river and the nearby Rhein-Herne-canal separate the northern districts Horst, Erle and Buer from the southern parts, one of which is the city center. Somebody who has spent his whole live in Buer, however, does not have “to go to town”, if he wants to go shopping or go out. All the former villages still have their original centers with churches and cafés, shopping miles and pubs. You will find pubs in Gelsenkirchen everywhere, as well as the famous “Büdchen” - small kiosks, typical of the Ruhr area, that sell newspapers, sandwiches, candy and tobacco, and that are meanwhile enjoying increasing popularity in other German cities as well.
Harsh but warm-hearted
At the bus station of Buer people are getting on the bus No. 396, that is scheduled to leave within the next two minutes. The bus is packed, and a child is standing right behind the driver. All of a sudden the driver turns toward the child, snapping:” So, what d’ ya want? Gonna get some ice-cream, or what? You been complaining forever”. The child jumps out of the bus and returns a little later, smiling happily, with some Popsicle in his hands. This is typical of Gelsenkirchen. What to strangers seems harshness, is very often just the opposite, the unfriendly tone concealing willingness to help and friendliness. Gelsenkircheners are down-to-earth people, used to a simple and direct speech.
Telling it like it is
The dialect of the Ruhr area is genuine working-class slang. The language of the coal fields contributed to the creation of some words that have met with acceptance all over Germany, such as “Kohle” (coal) for “money”. Many Yiddish and Polish expressions thus found their way into the German language, such as “Kabache“ for “house” or “Maloche“ for “work”. The Polish influences are reflected in last names such as “Przykowski”, “Czibuslski” and “Schindowski”. The last one is the family name of the present director of the Gelsenkirchen ballet company.
Cultural life in the Ruhr area: from opera to horse-racing
The Music Theater of the Ruhr Area (Musiktheater im Revier) is home to the Gelsenkirchen ballet company, which has gained international fame under its maître de ballet, Bernd Schindowski. In the Grand House, operas, operettas, concerts and guest performances are staged. The Musiktheater im Revier, built in 1954, was the first building, which reflected the architectural style of the modern age after the end of the Nazi era and World War II. The cubic construction at the beginning of the pedestrian precinct holds a giant glass lobby on the first floor. Visitors are treated to a stunning view of the center of the city by night. French avant-garde artist Yves Klein designed the murals, massive frescoes in his trademark brilliant ultramarine blue.
Locations
The 1980s and 1990s saw several new venues for cultural events come up. For example, the „Kaue“, a former coal mine building in the Schalke district. At the “Kaue” you will find theater and cabaret as well as lots of music, everything from Jazz to House. Whereas the building of the former Central Bank of the Land now houses the „Flora“, with its almost 2200 sq. ft offering plenty of space for events such as theater, live music, lectures, readings and exhibitions. Or the „Kanalbühne“, that was built on the occasion of the National Gardening Show in 1997. The open-air stage, that is located immediately at the Rhein-Herne canal, is covered by an enormous tent and mainly used for rock and pop concerts.
Gambling in Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is also the right place for gambling. If you like to bet on horses or dogs, this is your city. For, Gelsenkirchen has two race courses, one for trotting races in Feldmark and the other for gallop races in Horst. And if horse betting is not your kind of thing, just try greyhound races.
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Youssef Souissi from Marocco feels that he is accepted in Gelsenkirchen:
'There are a lot of foreigners here in Gelsenkirchen; it is very multicultural.' (German)
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