Gelsenkirchen was first documented in 1150, but it remained a tiny village until the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution led to the growth of the entire area. In 1840, when the mining of coal began, 6,000 inhabitants lived in Gelsenkirchen; in 1900 the population had increased to 138,000. Actually in the early 20th century it was the most important coal mining town in Europe. And even if three quarters of the city was destroyed during the bombings of WWII, some buildings reminding of its peak survived until today, how is the one shown in the image, with a neoclassical facade.
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