Das Ruhrgebiet

The Ruhr area does (not) exist!

Know thyself! What would it mean for today's Ruhr area to follow this imperative? First, the realization that it does (not) really exist. It is not officially registered anywhere, its borders are not defined. It is a myth and yet a home. Wolfram Eilenberger, one of the country's best philosophers, seeks to explore this paradox. As the core region of Europe, the Ruhr area ultimately serves as a model for all of us.

For a year, philosopher Wolfram Eilenberger has been on-site in Mülheim an der Ruhr. His mission there: to understand the Ruhr area, even to learn to love it. But how can one love a region that often misunderstands itself? Not marked on any map, not recorded in any registry, not immortalized in any artwork, the Ruhr area is still searching for its identity. Somewhere between miners and coal, stadiums and heaps, wastelands and laughter, he seeks to uncover the treasure of a region that aspires to be more than just a nostalgic reflection.