From the iron pot to the amusement park
By tapping on the last blast furnace No. 5 ceased production in 1985 at the Thyssen blast furnace in Duisburg Meiderich. At the same time it is the beginning of an incredible story:
Those who today make the path accessible to everyone to climb to 70 m high platform of the blast furnace, is amazed by the result. Through continuous transformation evolved from a derelict industrial area is a unique experience for young and old.
The vision of a new, industrially based natural and cultural landscape was born in 1989.Through civic engagement and the idea of the “International Building Emscherpark” was adopted by the Council of the City of Duisburg, the project “Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord” was adopted.
In the more than 200 hectares in the north of Duisburg was designed by Professor Peter Latz and Partners a landscaped park, which is neither Park nor landscape in the original sense. Who goes on a tour here, comes with familiar concepts already not far; spontaneous vegetation growing next to green and gardens designed to an industrially based soil types, such as old track routes. Nature can be seen in new dimensions.
In the summer of 1994, the Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord was first introduced to the public and made accessible. Even at this official opening of the parks have been counted more than 50,000 visitors. Ten years have passed since then and now over 500,000 people annually visit the park.
