The Documentary - Germany's rust belt revival - BBC Sounds

World Service , · 24 Oct 2026 , · 49 mins

In Germany’s Ruhr Valley, once the industrial heartland of the coal and steel industry, a remarkable transition into a modern, hi-tech economy is taking place. Based in Dortmund , the historian and author Katja Hoyer, reports on a city which benefits from a new, green landscape, excellent universities and a growing , youthful population - to say nothing of a world class football team. But for those left out of this brave new world the picture is not so bright. (Photo: The Phoenix Lake, originated and developed in the area of the former steel mill in Dortmund Hoesch-Hoerde. Credit: Klaus Rose/Getty Images)