Hagen is the 37th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr. The city's population was 197,456 in 2007.

In the city there is the FernUni Hagen, the only German Open University, with approximately 56,000 students (2004/05), making it the largest university in North Rhine-Westphalia.

History

After the defeat of Prussia in the Fourth Coalition, Hagen was included in the Grand Duchy of Berg from 1807–13. In 1815 it became part of the new Prussian Province of Westphalia.

The growth of the city began in the 19th century with the mining of coal and the production of steel in the Ruhr Area. In 1928 Hagen became a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. After World War II it became part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Economy

Owing to the extensive use of water power along the rivers Ruhr, Lenne, Volme and Ennepe, metal processing played an important role in the region of Hagen in and even before the 15th century.

In the 17th and 18th century, textile and steel industries as well as paper producing followed.

Hagen is the home of the Suedwestfaelische Industrie- und Handelskammer and a major hub of fohn production.

Attractions

Hagen is home to the Westfälisches Freilichtmuseum Hagen, or Hagen Westphalian Open-Air Museum, a collection of historic industrial facilities where trades such as printing, brewing, smithing, milling, and many others are represented not simply as static displays, but as living, working operations that visitors may in some cases even be invited to participate in. It is located in the Hagen community of Eilpe. The Historical Center contains the Museum of the City and the Werdringen castle. In the cave Blätterhöhle in Hagen the oldest fossils of modern people in Westphalia and the Ruhr Area were found. They are dated in the early Mesolithicum 10,700 years B.C.

Boroughs

some localities of Hagen:

• Hagen-Dahl
• Hagen-Emst
• Hagen-Priorei
• Hagen-Rummenohl
• Hagen-Halden

Traffic

The Autobahnen A1, A45 and A46 touch Hagen.

Hagen has been an important rail junction for the southeastern Ruhr valley since the first rail line opened in 1848. The shunting yard Hagen-Vorhalle is among Germany's largest, and the central station offers connections to the ICE network of Deutsche Bahn as well as to local and S-Bahn services. Since December 2005, Hagen is also the starting point for a new service into Essen, operated by Abellio Rail.