Sheffield

Sheffield, Bochum's first twin town, is the fourth largest city in England with a population of c. 530,000. Bochum and Sheffield have been twinned since 1950, and Donetsk too is closely linked with Sheffield, making for a three-way partnership. The industrial city of Sheffield is surrounded by some stunningly beautiful countryside. Romantic valleys and hills with innumerable viewpoints, old castles and richly furnished stately homes, picturesque waterfalls and steep crags, ancient forests and artistically landscaped parks and gardens give the city and the surrounding area a quite unique character. The city, which is divided into six districts, covers a total area of 368 square kilometres. Founded in the year 829, Sheffield was granted civic rights in 1297.

Because a large part of the population is of foreign origin, very many different religions and religious communities have grown up in the city. Apart from Anglican, Roman Catholic and various Protestant churches, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Moslems and Sikhs have their houses of prayer and worship in Sheffield.

Despite rationalisation and major structural crises in the steel industry, resulting in heavy job losses, the steel sector is still the city's largest employer. Knives and blades for every purpose, fine cutlery and silverware continue to be made.

"Bassetts" is a household name the world over as maker of sweets and confectionery. But manufacturing no longer plays the leading role here. The North of England, which in the past depended largely on coal and steel, has undergone a process of structural change – rather like the Ruhr Valley – to emerge as a service provider and centre of trade. This is reflected in the study courses offered by Sheffield's University: it offers more than 70 courses in its 9 faculties and enjoys an increasingly fine reputation in the country. The same is true of Sheffield City Polytechnic which trains both full-time and part-time students.

The Crucible theatre and numerous smaller theatres provide a varied programme of dramatic productions. The centre of Sheffield's lively music scene is the Civic Hall. A growing number of galleries and workshops provide artists of all schools with somewhere to exhibit their works. And of course, Sheffield has museums: an art museum and two industrial museums. One of the city's famous sons is the indestructible Joe Cocker from the early days of rock and blues.

The city's many sports arenas and parks provide the people of Sheffield and their visitors with virtually every kind of sports facility at affordable prices.

In 1991 the World Student Games or Universiade were held in this sport-loving city. Sheffield is also represented in the top division of English football, and it goes without saying that it regularly produces an excellent cricket team.

Well worth a visit are the city's Victorian-style town hall with its modern annexes, the Mappin Art Gallery which was built in the neo-classical style, and the two Gothic cathedrals: Peter and Paul and the Romanesque Catholic Church of St. Mary's. Extensive shopping precincts and shopping centres in the city's suburbs are major features of the cityscape. On the outskirts of Sheffield are the Peak District National Park and the Rother Valley Country Park, both areas of outstanding beauty.

• Sheffield Homepage
• Town twinning associations
• Other twin towns