Bochum

city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Bochum (/ˈbxʊm/ BOHKH-uum, also US: /-əm/ -⁠əm,[2][3][4][5] German: [ˈboːxʊm] (audio speaker iconlisten); Westphalian: Baukem, Low Franconian: Boochem, Old Saxon: Bochem) is a city in the Ruhr area of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is part of the Arnsberg Government Region. Bochum is situated between the cities of Essen, Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, and Hattingen.

Bochum
Baukem
Boochem
Bochem
Bochum Skyline, German Mining Museum, Zeiss Planetarium Bochum, Schauspielhaus Bochum, Bochum Kammerspiele
Flag of Bochum
Coat of arms of Bochum
Location of Bochum
Map
Bochum is located in Germany
Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Bochum
Bochum
Coordinates: 51°28′55″N 07°12′57″E / 51.48194°N 7.21583°E / 51.48194; 7.21583
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionArnsberg
DistrictUrban district
Government
 • MayorThomas Eiskirch (SPD)
Area
 • Total145.4 km2 (56.1 sq mi)
Population
 (2022-12-31)[1]
 • Total365,742
 • Density2,500/km2 (6,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
44701-44894
Dialling codes0234, 02327
Vehicle registrationBO, WAT
Websitewww.bochum.de

Bochum has about 380,000 inhabitants. The city is formed by the traditional industry of coal mining in the Ruhr area, but today there is no mining in Bochum anymore.

Education

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Today the most important institution in Bochum is the Ruhr-University Bochum, one of the biggest German universities. It has an extremely wide spectrum of subjects, beginning with mathematics and science, social sciences, economy, engineering, laws, philosophy, historical subjects, theology, medicine, and languages even including Chinese and Polish.

Culture

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Bochum has a rich cultural life and its theatre is one of the most prominent in Germany. The Folkwang University of Art has its well known theatre centre in the Ehrenfeld neighbourhood of Bochum, educating a quite small group of students in the theatrical arts.[6]

The Bermuda3eck (Bermuda Triangle) is a well known area for night life in central Bochum such as bars, nightclubs, and Hookah parlours. It has over 60 bars and restaurants, serving many kinds of food and drinks from both Germany and abroad.[7] Since 1986, the Bochum Total music festival has taken place in the Bermuda3eck, with many live music performances. Bochum Total usually takes place for four days around the start of July, and is one of the largest free music festivals in Europe. [8]

The German Mining Museum is also in Bochum, and has a number of permanent and temporary exhibits which cover the history of coal's uses and how it is mined. The Zeiss Planetarium nearby has a number of shows featuring animations and recordings of space, along with music such as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.[9]

References

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  1. "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2022 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  2. "Bochum". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  3. "Bochum". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  4. "Bochum" Archived 2019-04-18 at the Wayback Machine (US) and "Bochum". Oxford Dictionaries UK Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  5. "Bochum". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  6. "Folkwang Theaterzentrum". www.folkwang-uni.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  7. "Bermuda3Eck Bochum: Party, Gastronomie & Kultur". Bermuda3Eck Bochum (in German). Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  8. "Bochum Total". bochumtotal.de. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  9. "AstronomieShows". planetarium-bochum.de (in German). Retrieved 2024-02-14.