Essen

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City in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 29 km/18 mi northeast of Düsseldorf; population (2003 est) 588,800. It is the administrative centre of the Ruhr region, situated between the rivers Emscher and Ruhr. Industries include metalworking, glass-making, chemicals, telecommunications, brewing, and electronics. Its 9th–14th-century cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Germany. Half of the city's buildings were destroyed during World War II.

Essen grew up around a Benedictine convent (founded in the mid-9th century) along the Hellweg, the ancient trade route running from Cologne to Leipzig. It was a small imperial state ruled by the abbess of the convent until 1802, when it passed to Prussia. In the 19th century it boomed as a result of coalmining and iron and steel smelting. The armaments empire of the Krupp family also provided an impetus for growth until World War II. Coal mining, once the city's principal industry, ended in 1986. The city is now a trading and research centre; it has a university (founded 1972) and several research institutions.

Modelled on the French tricolour, the vertical stripes represent liberty and revolution. The almost square proportions of the flag are unusual. Effective date: 23 January 1831. >>