Duisburg: Germany

Duisburg: Germany
Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independant metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf. The harbour of Duisburg is the largest inland port in Europe. There is a university in the city which merged with the University of Essen in 2003.
Today’s city is, as is the case with all big cities in Germany, a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and cities. At the beginning of the 20th century the city surpassed the 100,000 limit. Today it is the 12th city in Germany with currently 506,496 residents (as of 31 December 2003). The city is renowned for its steel industry. There is still one coal mine in operation, but Duisburg has never been a coal mining location to the same extent as the other places in the Ruhr Area. All existant blast furnaces in the Ruhr Area are now located in Duisburg. 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all crude steel in Germany are produced here (status 2000).
Culture
Duisburg locates a comprehensive range of cultural facilities and events. A highlight is the annual “Duisburger Akzente� [2], a festival focussing on modern social, political and cultural topics.
Thanks to its history as a harbor city and a trade and industrial center Duisburg offers a variety of architectural places of interest. The spectrum goes from old churches like the “St. Johann Baptist� in Duisburg-Hamborn which was built in 900 to modern age buildings like Micro-Electronic-Centrum in Duisburg-Neudorf build in 1995.
Another subject of interest is the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord [3] an abandoned industrial complex opened to the public.
The city center locates the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum [4], the municipal theatre [5] and the shopping street known as “fountain mile�
Sports Life
Duisburg is home to MSV Duisburg soccer team. The team currently plays in the 2nd Bundesliga. The MSV was one of the constitutional members of the Bundesliga in 1963/64. One of the best known players to have played for the club is Helmut Rahn.
Duisburg is also known for its rowing- and canoeing regattas and the world championships are run here regularly.
Duisburg will be host of the 2005 World Games [6].