Located at the center of the Ruhr, Essen is the energy capital of Germany. While originally founded as an ecclesiastical principality, it would quickly grow in the 19th century into one of the most important industrial hubs in the country through the development of ironworks and steelworks.

The city is vital for the energetic supply of the Reich, possessing one of the largest coal mines in the world, the Zollverein coal-mine complex, and harboring the leading German energy providers. Home of the Krupp industrial conglomerate, economic activities have diversified to include construction, chemical, glassworks, and factories for textiles. Also known for being a metropolis of culture and art, Essen stands as a symbol of the past and the future.