Germany’s Ruhr Region Turns from Coal to European Capital of Culture

ESSEN (AP).- The Emscher river in western Germany’s The Ruhr region was one of the country’s most polluted for decades, so bad that parents spooked children with warnings they could die if they fell into the poisonous stew of sewage and chemical waste. Today, a much-cleaner Emscher is the backdrop to more than 20 new art installations — the latest European effort to transform blighted industrial areas into cultural destinations for tourists and to breathe new life into the region. [...]