Slaves to Coke A Photographic Journey into Germany's Steel Past

Steel is in Germany's blood. With the Continent looking to Essen this year, as the Capital of European Culture 2010, the city is looking back on its industrial past. Photos taken by photographer Karlheinz Jardner in 1983 of what was then Europe's largest coking plant provide a unique look at an industry that has since largely vanished from the banks of the Ruhr River.

Marita Pfeiffer und Solveig Grothe Von