Pebbles on the Beach of the “Great Transformation”: Lesser Memories of Coal in the Ruhr Metropolis

Six decades ago, Germany’s Ruhr region began its slow transition out of coalmining and the coal-powered iron and steel industry. Over the last twenty years a blue economy has developed in their stead pivoting on the lead market ‘resource efficiency’, while the Ruhr Metropolis has gained recognition for the rehabilitation of its heavily polluted environment. This managed transition has seen the rise of eco-industries – sustainable energy production, research and development in universities, environmental technology companies, industrial heritage and nature tourism, as well as consumptive industries seen as eco-adjacent, foremost sports, leisure, arts and culture. These are central to an overarching strategy for the establishment of a sustainable, climate-resilient and future-proof Ruhr region and a globally significant investment site in the heart of Europe.