Podcast Tour: Krupp Empire & Industrial Essen: 8 Stops

Eight stops through steel, paternalism and a city remade from its own ruins

A self-guided podcast tour of Essen follows the Krupp family's influence on the city across eight stops over 7.5 km, told through expert audio commentary and an interactive app guide. The route moves from the modern ThyssenKrupp headquarters built atop the original cast steel factory, through the reconstructed family home, a monument to crucible steel, a reclaimed industrial park, the workers' settlement that embodied corporate control, a former mechanical workshop now a theater, the trade union building, and a historic church that served Krupp workers. Audio is available in English and German. Minimum age is 13.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Krupp heritage and industrial sites

• Visit modern ThyssenKrupp headquarters
• See reconstructed Krupp family seat
• View crucible steel invention monument
• Walk through modern industrial park
• Explore former Krupp workers' settlement
• Visit former Krupp mechanical workshop theater
• See historic trade union building
• Visit historic evangelical church

The experience

The tour opens at the ThyssenKrupp headquarters, built directly on the site of the original cast steel factory: a physical layering that frames the whole story. From there, the route moves through contrasts: the reconstructed family seat of the Krupp dynasty stands against the massive modern building; a monument marks the crucible steel breakthrough that founded the empire; a sprawling park now covers what was once industrial wasteland. The podcast narration, delivered by experts and locals, unpacks how the Krupp family shaped not just Essen's industry but its entire social structure.

The middle stops reveal the machinery of that control. You walk through the former workers' settlement, where the company offered security and housing in exchange for absolute loyalty: the paradox at the heart of the Krupp system. A beautifully preserved mechanical workshop, now transformed into a theater, shows how industrial infrastructure became cultural space. The trade union building stands as a counterpoint, representing the labor movement's resistance to Krupp dominance. A historic evangelical church illuminates how faith and industrial power overlapped in the workers' lives.

Navigation happens through the app, which guides you point-to-point between the eight stations and answers questions about the history and surroundings as you move. The full route covers 7.5 km over roughly three hours, at your own pace. You'll need at least a moderate level of fitness for the walking distance. Public transportation options are available nearby if you want to skip sections or return to the start.

What’s included

• Podcast audio guide in English or German delivered by experts and locals.
• interactive app guide that answers questions about history and surroundings.
• point-to-point navigation between all eight stops.
• verified historical facts woven into the narrative.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Under 13: can't be booked

Audio guideEnglish and German

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Thread

Is this one for you?The English and German audio narration means you follow the story comfortably in whichever language you choose, and the app's interactive guide lets you dig deeper into details that catch your attention without slowing the pace for others in your group.

Top questions

What is the Krupp family's connection to Essen's history?

The Krupp family invented crucible steel, the technological breakthrough that founded their empire, and for over a century shaped Essen's entire economy and social structure through their steel factories and paternalistic control of workers' lives.

How does the tour explain Essen's transformation from an industrial city?

The route includes a sprawling modern park built on former industrial wasteland and shows how the city has shifted from a polluted forge to a green metropolis, with former factory spaces repurposed as cultural venues like the theater in the old mechanical workshop.

Can I take this tour if I don't speak German?

Yes. The podcast audio guide is available in English and German, so you can choose the language that suits you before you start.

What happens at each of the eight stops?

You visit the ThyssenKrupp headquarters, the reconstructed Krupp family home, a crucible steel monument, an industrial park, the former workers' settlement, a mechanical workshop turned theater, the trade union building, and a historic evangelical church: each one revealing a different layer of the Krupp story and Essen's industrial past.

Do I need to book in advance or can I start the tour anytime?

This is a self-guided tour you navigate through an app, so you can start whenever you choose and move at your own pace across the 7.5 km route.