Discover the new labyrinth in the Göhren spa park!

Discover the new labyrinth in the Göhren spa park!

Gelsenkirchen presents itself as a lively city with a rich cultural and leisure offering. With its well-maintained parks, a zoo and a musical theater, the city attracts not only locals but also visitors. Although the city has experienced many challenges, including decreased purchasing power and increased unemployment, it has also experienced positive changes, such as improving air quality and greening dumps. These developments are particularly exciting in a city that consists of many districts such as Schalke, Buer and Horst.

At the heart of the community are local initiatives such as the Schalke Round Table, which has formed a network of citizens, churches, clubs and kindergartens since 2001. Under the direction of Silke Ossowski, everything revolves around networking existing activities in the district. With project groups such as “Schalker Traces”, which focus on the city and football history, and “Green & Transport”, which focus on sustainability, the commitment to a livable neighborhood is demonstrated. The group regularly organizes events such as the Schalke Christmas tree and a summer games festival, which strengthens the neighborhood and promotes a sense of community is provided by the city of Gelsenkirchen represents.

Citizen reporter with passion

A particularly impressive example of civic engagement in Gelsenkirchen is Elke Spitaler. The 66-year-old, who has spent her entire life in the city, works voluntarily with elementary school students as a learning supporter in retirement and wrote as a citizen reporter for the local compass. Her first article was about Usedom and the imperial baths, but her interest lies in more than just writing. Today, she uses photography to document historic city centers and old buildings, in contrast to the past, when she primarily focused on people. She enjoys discovering new holiday destinations with her husband, with a particular fondness for the North Sea reports the Revierstadt.

In Gelsenkirchen, the committed citizen has also actively experienced the changes in recent years. “I have always had a good knack for rediscovering regional places,” says Spitaler. Her hobbies, which range from walks in the forest to socializing with friends, invite her to share the city and its surroundings with others. The continuous improvement of the quality of life in the city certainly contributes to the fact that it will continue to be seen as a place that has the potential to be attractive for residents and visitors as the local compass reports.

The establishment of advisory centers and projects is a further step towards strengthening social cohesion in Gelsenkirchen. These networks make the city more lively and not only provide a home for its citizens, but also for new ideas and projects. All of these activities show that something is happening in Gelsenkirchen - on many levels!