Bochum is a city in the centre of the Rhine-Ruhr-Area (North-Rhine Westphalia) in western Germany. 
It has about 380.000 inhabitants and is the sixth biggest city in the region.
Even though Bochum was first officially mentioned in documents of the eleventh century,
it became more important during the industrialisation.
Coal mining and steel industry shaped the city just as the region. Next year, the city of Bochum will be -
as a city of the Metropolitan Ruhr Area - European Cutural Capital 2010.

To get more information about the city and the region: 

• Official Homepage of the city of Bochum

• Bochum Tourist Information

• Official Homepage of the Cultural Capital 2010

• The Metropolitan Ruhr Area

• Article about Bochum (Wikipedia)