The reduced conference rate is only available for students and doctoral candidates. Please send a copy of your study ID Card (or comparable certification) and a valid photo after registration to gceg2018(at)welcome-gmbh.de.

The excursion focuses on the economic history of the Wupper valley, which was a pioneer of early industrialisation in the first half of the 19th century, well ahead of the Ruhr. We will visit the city of Wuppertal as well as the formerly independent urban areas of Elberfeld and Barmen and the nearby city of Remscheid. The lead industrial sector in the Wupper valley was the textile industry, based on locally grown flax and later on imported cotton. Textile manufacturing also inspired the development of several other industries, among them the chemicals industry and machine building. In the nearby small valleys, proto-industrial iron-processing was the historical starting point for the development of industrial iron and steel processing (tools and blade making, machine building). This environment fostered an innovative invention: the seamless rolled steel tube which was developed by the Mannesmann brothers. The excursion includes a trip on the unique overhead railway of Wuppertal and a visit to the Museum of Early Industrialisation (located in Wuppertal-Barmen on the site where Friedrich Engels was born). In Remscheid, we will be accompanied by Professor H. Wessel, an economic historian, who was the head of the Mannesmann archives for many years.

Duisburg can serve as an example of regional change in a formerly ‘old’ industrialised area, initiated in particular by the International Building Exhibition in the 1990s which supported social, cultural, and ecological change in the Ruhr area beyond economic growth strategies. Now,  these projects have been completed and offer valuable insights into the opportunies and limits of regional change towards sustainable development.
This excursion presents two sustainable regional change projects. The trip will visit the Waterfront Redevelopment in the former inner port, with a museum of modern art in revitalised architecture, the ‘Küppersmühle’, and the Landscape Park Duisburg North. A highlight is ‘Blast Furnace 5’ which offers a great view over the Ruhr.
We will use public transport for this excursion, offering a ‘behind-the-scenes’ view of city tourism. The excursion includes walks at the destinations (about 2-3 hours, with breaks). Participants should wear suitable clothing and please note that refreshments are not included.
A research assistant will pick you up at 9 a.m. at Cologne central station (directly in front of the main entrance) and take you to Duisburg, where your tour guide, Professor M. Fuchs, will pick you up.