Bochum is a city of 375 000 people, between the rivers Ruhr and Emscher. The name dates back to the 9th century when Charlemagne set up a royal court at the junction of two important trade routes. It was first mentioned in 1041 as Cofbuckheim in a document of the archbishops of Cologne.
During World War II, Bochum was heavily bombed by Allied airmen. Bochum had many arms factories, coal mines, and steel plants which made it a major target
. Most women and children fled the city, but factory workers and miners were forced to remain in the city. The British occupied the city after the war. They established two camps to house people displaced by the war. Many were former Polish forced labourers. Bochum was 83% destroyed by bombing. Unexploded bombs are still found every so often by construction workers. In 2008, a bomb detonated, injuring 17 people.
After the war, Bochum developed as a cultural centre of the area. Heavy industry began to disappear and the service industry emerged. By 1980 all the coal mines were closed.
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