GELSENKIRCHEN

city, North Rhine-Westphalia Land (state), western Germany, just north of Essen. It was a village of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants in 1850, but the opening of its first coal mine (1853) and its favourable position on the Rhine-Herne Canal stimulated Gelsenkirchen's rapid development as a Ruhr inland port and industrial centre. It was chartered in 1875 and absorbed the neighbouring towns of Buer and Horst in 1928. Buer, north of the Emscher River, which bisects the city, is surrounded by a 1,000-acre (400-hectare) greenbelt. The moated castles of Schloss Berge, Schloss Horst (restored Baroque), and Haus Lttinghof survived the heavy bombings, which caused widespread destruction, during World War II. Located in one of the largest coal-mining and coking areas of Germany, Gelsenkirchen is dominated by heavy industry, producing iron, steel, chemicals, glass, and clothing. Pop. (1989 est.) 287,255.