page_title: History of the Ruhr
section_title: First half of the 19th century – Industrial Revolution
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Ruhr / First half of the 19th century – Industrial Revolution
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Der Malakow-Turm der Zeche Julius-Phillipp in Bochum
context_page_description: The actual boundaries of the Ruhr vary slightly depending on the source, but a good working definition is to define the Lippe and Ruhr as its northern and southern boundaries respectively, the Rhine as its western boundary, and the town of Hamm as the eastern limit.
  In the Middle Ages, local power was vested primarily in the counts of Berg, Mark and Cleves. The left bank of the Rhine was held by the Archbishop of Cologne. The Hellweg was an important trade route crossing the region from Duisburg to Dortmund and beyond as far as the rivers Weser and Elbe. The most important towns of the region were concentrated along the Hellweg.
  As a result of the Congress of Vienna the entire area came under the control of Prussia. This event was almost concomitant with developments which would eventually make the region one of the most important industrial areas in the world.
  In 1946 the state of North Rhine-Westphalia came into being, centred on the Ruhr. Nowadays, its hitherto important coal and steel industries have drastically declined and the region is in a state of re-adjustment.
context_section_description: The Industrial Revolution advances in the Ruhr. At the start of the 19th century, the steam engine is used there for the first time, and Napoleonic measures abolish feudal influences. When the entire area comes under Prussian hegemony in 1815, further advances are made in transportation and encouragement of industry. By the 1830s, the important deep-lying coking-coal seams of the Emscher Basin are reached for the first time, railways make their appearance and in 1849 smelting iron ore with coke is successfully carried out for the first time in the Ruhr.
  1801 – The annexation of the left bank of the Rhine by the French was recognized in the  Peace of Lunèville on  9 February 1801.
  1801 – The first (but still imported) steam engine used in the Ruhr mines was employed in removing water in the Vollmond Mine in Werne (in present-day Bochum). The technician responsible, Franz Dinnendahl, founded a factory in Essen a few years afterwards and manufactured steam engines designed by himself.
  1802 – In August, Prussian troops occupy the former religious territories of Essen und Werden. As part of a secret agreement made with the French, they are intended as compensation for  territories lost by Prussia on the left bank of the Rhine.
  1803 – Reichsdeputationshauptschluss, as a result of  secularisation the religious territories of Reichsabtei Werden and Stift Essen are dissolved. These territories are transferred eventually to  Prussia. Duke Louis-Engelbert of Arenberg receives, as compensation for his left-bank principality, the Vest Recklinghausen and other areas.
  1806–1813 –  The Napoleonic Grand Duchy of Berg  is in existence from October 1806 until 18 November 1813. Its departements include the  Ruhr département, whose prefecture was based in Dortmund, and the Rhine département with prefecture in Düsseldorf. Freiherr Gisbert of Romberg zu Brünninghausen was appointed as  prefect of the Ruhr département. The first ruler of Berg is Joachim Murat, Napoleon's brother-in-law. The French abolished tolls on the River Ruhr, just as they had previously abolished tolls on the Rhine (on the Rhine tolls extracted at Cologne had previously been a severe barrier to river traffic).
  1808 – Napoleon issued a decree from Madrid on 12 December that  abolished serfdom and bound labor etc.
  1808 – Krupp sells its interest in the Gute Hoffnung Smeltery to a syndicate composed of Gottlob Jacoby, Heinrich Huyssen and the brothers Franz and Gerhard Haniel, who unite a couple of other iron works into the company
  1809 – Napoleon introduced freedom to engage in a trade. The guilds were dissolved.
  1809, 1811 Feudalism of the peasants was lifted by imperial decrees on 11 January 1809 and 13 September 1811.
  1811 – In Essen  Friedrich Krupp founds a Gussstahl foundry (but soon closes the business).
  1811 – In Mülheim Johann Dinnendahl founds a factory to manufacture steam engines, the beginnings of the later Frederick William Smeltery.
  1815 – Vienna Congress at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Prussia regains its possessions in Westphalia and on the Rhine, to which are added the former Duchy of Berg and the territories of the former  Reichsstadt (imperial city) and Grafschaft Dortmund. As a result, all territories on the Ruhr, Emscher and lower Rhine are united under one regime. The area to the East belongs to the  Prussian   Province of Westphalia and  that to the West to its  Rheinprovinz.
  1816 – The Year Without a Summer (on 25 June there was even a fall of snow) brings hunger.
  1816 – The Bochum Mining College is founded. Leading personnel for the mines are trained there.
  1816 – Henry Frederick Karl vom Stein settles in the Schloss Cappenberg in Selm. From 1826 on, he is the president of the first three Westphalian Provinziallandtag assemblies (provincial parliaments).
  1818 – On 18 October, the university in Duisburg was shut down by an order of cabinet by Frederick William III. In the same year,  Bonn University is re-founded. Large parts of Duisburg University Library as well as the University Sceptre are transferred to Bonn.
  1819 – Friedrich Harkort founds 
caption: At the end of the 19th century, Malakoff towers were built over the shafts of the deep mines. This picture shows the tower of the  Julius-Philipp mine in Bochum South.
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