With its well-preserved machinery, some of which dates from as early as 1855/56, Zeche Carl – a former colliery in Altenessen – is an outstanding monument to past industry. It has served as a sociocultural centre for over 30 years and is thus one of the oldest of its kind in the country, acting as a venue for rock concerts, comedy, art exhibitions, theme parties, courses and workshops, readings and children’s flea markets.

On the same site is the Maschinenhaus, the former pit-head engine house, today a "production site for the arts". For decades already, this small but select ensemble with its rough-and-ready charm has conveyed, in a minimal space, the slogan that was selected for the City of Culture in 2010: change through culture, culture through change.