Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [517]
Through successive driven and obsessive generations, the Krupps amassed a huge private fortune, provided the German weaponry for four major wars and played a significant role in world economics and politics. At the same time, however, they established a relationship between workers and management that’s still the basis for today’s social contract in industrialised Germany.
It all began rather modestly in 1811 when Friedrich Krupp and two partners founded a company to process ‘English cast steel’ but, despite minor successes, he left a company mired in debt upon his death in 1826. Enter his son Alfred, then a tender 14, who would go on to become one of the seminal figures of the industrial age.
It was through the production of the world’s finest steel that the ‘Cannon King’ galvanised a company that – by 1887 – employed more than 20,000 workers. In an unbroken pattern of dazzling innovation, coupled with ruthless business practices, Krupp produced the wheels and rails for America’s railroads and the stainless steel plating on New York’s Chrysler building. Krupp gave the world the first diesel engine and the first steam turbine locomotive. And – ultimately – it produced the fearsome weapons that allowed the Wehrmacht to launch the horror of the Blitzkrieg in WWII.
But in another pioneering move, Krupp also provided womb-to-tomb benefits to its workers at a time when the term ‘social welfare’ had not yet entered the world’s vocabulary. Alfred realised that his company’s progress and profit came at a price largely borne on the backs of his workers. He created a variety of measures, including company health insurance, a pension scheme, subsidised housing estates and company-owned retail shops.
Krupp will forever be associated, however, with the disastrous period in German history when a maniac from Austria nearly brought the world to its knees. Not only did the corporation supply the hardware for the German war machine, but it also provided much of the financial backing that Hitler needed to build up his political power base. Krupp plants were prime targets for Allied bombers. When the dust had settled, about two-thirds of its factories had either been destroyed or damaged. An American military court sentenced Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (Alfred’s great-grandson) to prison, releasing him in 1951. He resumed management of the firm in 1953.
An excellent source for an understanding of what the Krupp family has meant to Germany is William Manchester’s brilliant chronicle The Arms of Krupp (1964).
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Zodiac ( 771 212; Witteringstrasse 41; mains €8-16; dinner Fri-Wed; ) People sharing laughs over dinner are a common sight at this jungly sanctuary where meat is a no-no and organic produce standard. Dishes are inspired by the world’s cuisines and the pizzas are named for the signs of the zodiac. All can be calibrated to vegan needs.
Pfefferkorn ( 236 312; Rathenaustrasse 5; mains €11-19; 11am-10.30pm) If you find yourself in the city centre, this bustling place with nostalgic decor makes for a reliable pit stop. Its speciality is steaks, but there are plenty of fish, salad and chicken dishes if you’re not a scorched-beast lover. Good for groups and families.
raum.eins ( 455 3747; Rüttenscheider Strasse 154; tapas €2.30-6.20, mains €15-25; lunch Mon-Fri & dinner Mon-Sat) The chef puts substance over culinary pyrotechnics at this perennial favourite with an interesting tapas menu for grazers and meaty French-inflected mains for seriously growling tummies. There’s a nice terrace, too.
Casino Zollverein ( 830 240; www.casino-zollverein.de; Gelsenkirchener Strasse 181; mains €18-24; closed Mon) Cast iron, concrete and candlelight characterise this edgy restaurant inside the coal mine’s former turbine house. The menu advertises ‘new world cuisine’, which translates mostly as inspired spins on German faves. If you want to keep it truly local, order the dove-rabbit combo paired with sweet potato and turnip greens.
For the creamiest ice cream in town, stop by Mörchens Eiscafe ( 422 538;