A Tale of Coal Mines and Smart Factories - “Strukturwandel” in the Ruhr Area When the last coal mine closed on Dec 21st 2018 it was considered the end of an era. Since the beginning of the steel and coal industry’s decline in the 1950s, the so-called “Strukturwandel” (roughly “change of structures”) changed politics, industries and people’s life in the area. In a seminar led by Dr. Gernot Mühge by Helex Institut, our visitors from the Academy of Urban Planning & Design Beijing, learned everything about the industrial history of the Ruhr Area. Which challenges is a city like Bochum facing? [...]