Living & Working in Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach’s got what it takes: with a population of over 270,000, Mönchengladbach is the largest city between the Rhine and Maas rivers. For many, it is much more than just a city – it is where they belong. Some have always lived here, while others have only recently made Mönchengladbach their home. And it is the people with their lively spirit and their deep-rooted community life who make the city what it is.
You can’t go wrong with Mönchengladbach: so much is within easy reach – the Ruhr region, the metropolitan areas of Düsseldorf and Cologne, Aachen and the neighbouring Benelux countries. The location creates quality of life – in the heart of the Lower Rhine, an ancient natural and cultural landscape. The “green city” has gardens and parks, grand houses and moated castles, as well as countryside with its own unique charm.
Urban flair coupled with rural charm. Everyone can feel at home in the “green city”, no matter whether you prefer a buzzing city centre or would rather savour some peace and quiet; short distances and a first-class infrastructure are just two of Mönchengladbach’s special strengths, enabling people to enjoy living in the best of both worlds – the urban life and the rural feel.
The shopping malls and arcades are an open invitation for a leisurely stroll and a spot of window shopping. From specialist shops to exclusive boutiques, hypermarkets and DIY stores – there are plenty of pleasant ways to spend money in Mönchengladbach. One particular highlight is the Minto shopping mall which was voted Germany’s most beautiful shopping centre.
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to leisure activities in Mönchengladbach, too. Are you interested in art and culture, relaxation and wellness, culinary delights, or entertainment for young and old? You are sure to find just what you are looking for, either to share with others or enjoy on your own. And then there are all the clubs for sports such as hockey, golf, tennis and many more, as well as the iconic football community that takes the modern business location to the next level as a mecca for football fans.
The complete culture program
Mönchengladbach vies with the best for culture and entertainment! Exhibitions, performances, events spanning music and the visual arts to drama, cabaret and fringe theatre, such as “Ensemblia”, the country’s oldest multi-media festival, the “Sommermusik” festival of open-air concerts, and exciting projects from the young creative scene.
World famous artists such as Sting, Shakira or Brian Adams perform in the HockeyPark. Famous classical musicians and the stars of the stage set the tone in Kaiser-Friedrich-Halle or at Schloss Rheydt. The theatre alliance with Krefeld spanning more than 50 years puts on brilliant performances.
One architectural highlight is the Abteiberg Museum: a world-famous architect (Hans Hollein) and outstanding collections of international art make a big impression. The historical setting of the Renaissance Schloss Rheydt or Schloss Wickrath, a Baroque gem and an important centre for horse breeding, makes them a unique attraction. The oldest architectural monument, the abbey founded over 1,000 years ago, testifies to Mönchengladbach’s long history. The city has an openhearted culture and fosters good neighbourly relations in its German-Dutch cultural exchange.
Education in Mönchengladbach
The city is one of Europe’s major study centres for the next generation of textile engineers. Mönchengladbach has always been a hallmark of the textile and clothing industry, the Textile Academy is one of Europe’s foremost. The textile industry in North Rhine-Westphalia is breaking new ground with a vocational training and professional development program that is unique. All specialisms have been brought together at a single location in the new 9,000 m² Textile Academy. Vocational trainees and students have easy access to extensive knowledge, which also encourages interdisciplinary exchange. One particular highlight of the building is the textile façade – unique, innovative and high-performance (see picture below).
Education is an important location factor – for families – for companies – in the search for tomorrow’s best minds. The Hochschule Niederrhein, a university of applied sciences, has some 15,000 students. The degree programme covers subjects ranging from chemistry, design, business administration and economics, electrical engineering and computer science to mechanical engineering and social sciences.
Education starts at an early age, and Mönchengladbach has an extensive network of schools and childcare facilities, an adult education centre as well as institutions such as the MGconnect Stiftung (a foundation) to support young people transitioning from school to their professional career or vocational training.
Mönchengladbach – in the 19th century, the city acquired a reputation as the “Manchester of the Rhine” and a stronghold of the textile and clothing industry. Well-known high-quality clothing and fabric manufacturers such as Esprit und van Laack still have a presence in Mönchengladbach.
Today, the city boasts a balanced mix of industries. Alongside the textile and fashion industry, the manufacturing sector also enjoys an outstanding international reputation. What’s more, Mönchengladbach has made a name for itself as a logistics and e-commerce location thanks to the good links to the international transport network. Logistics companies have their headquarters in Regiopark located in the south of the city; this site, along with a plot in the neighbouring Rheindahlen commercial zone, has developed into an e-commerce hotspot. Here, Amazon has built a 120,000 m2 state-of-the-art logistics centre. The city’s own airport strengthens aviation-related business.
One particular area of focus is the creative, IT and digital economy, because what qualitative economic growth needs most of all is innovation. Digitalization paves the way for new processes, products and strategies. Here, business development aims to provide companies with support and to locate start-ups and innovative firms in Mönchengladbach.
Active structural change
In the future, the right framework conditions will continue to be crucial, especially for innovative thinkers and doers, as well as the coordinated collaboration of urban and private actors. As part of the Rheinisches Revier, Mönchengladbach is now actively shaping structural change. The groundwork is being laid: a knowledge campus as a nucleus for new and interdisciplinary developments, a new degree program at Hochschule Niederrhein focusing on the current topics of cybersecurity, cybercrime, and digital transformation, an airport serving as an innovation and research hub, spaces for an active startup scene, a forward-thinking textile factory aiming to revolutionize production sustainably, and the consistent expansion of digital infrastructure. These are just a few examples among many that demonstrate Mönchengladbach’s investment in pioneering developments, building knowledge and spaces to actively shape its future.
Well-connected
Conditions for companies in Germany’s largest city west of the Rhine are very favourable: a wide range of mixed-use, commercial and industrial developments with flexible plots that can be tailored to individual requirements. At the same time, the location – between the Ruhr region and Rhine axis on one side and the Benelux countries on the other – makes it easy to distribute goods throughout Germany and Europe.
Transport links are excellent, too: four autobahn, two main railway stations, a general aviation airport and the nearby Düsseldorf and Cologne airports are the city’s door to the world. Key inland ports (Duisburg, Krefeld, Venlo and Neuss) and seaports (Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam) are within easy reach.
Details and the latest information on Mönchengladbach as a business location are available from the homepage of business city’s development company WFMG at www.wfmg.de/en.
Mönchengladbach has a history of world-class football: in the 1970s (almost) no other football team could match the “Foals”. Not just in Germany, but in the international game, too: five times German champion, three times DFB-Pokal cup winner, two times UEFA Cup winner. The eyes of the world were on Mönchengladbach. The good old days seem to be over (for the time being), but the legend lives on and the fans stay with the club through thick and thin! Borussia might cause some a few sleepless nights, but the club is a survivor – above all in the hearts of the people from “Gladbach”. For better or worse.
Borussia – more than football
The stage is already set for the next victories: the new stadium in Nordpark with a capacity of 54,000 built under the aegis of EWMG was opened in 2004/2005. And now, supporters can celebrate after a thrilling match in Borussia’s new 15,000 m2 four-star hotel right next to the stadium. It is the ideal venue for football fans and other visitors to the stadium. There is space for 131 rooms and six suites as well as a wide range of catering options and attractive fitness and conference facilities. The seven-storey building also houses the football club’s offices, a museum and a fan shop.
Hockey capital
Another sport also has a tradition in Mönchengladbach: field hockey. The HockeyPark in Nordpark is pretty impressive – and the ideal venue for players and 9,000 fans. The HockeyPark celebrated its first highlight not long after opening when it hosted the 2006 Men’s Hockey World Cup. Once again, the eyes of the world were on Mönchengladbach, as Germany lifted the trophy: we are the “world hockey capital”. The German Hockey Federation moved its headquarters to Mönchengladbach in the same year. That was great news – and says it all!
The FIH Pro League came to Mönchengladbach in 2019. EWMG upgraded the stadium ready for the new international league in good time for the umpire to blow the whistle to start the matches played by the German men’s and women’s hockey teams. The League is part of the qualification route to the next Olympic Games and the World Championships. Starting in 2019, Pro League hockey matches will be played in Mönchengladbach on a regular basis.
Many are unaware that Mönchengladbach is also up there with the best in artistic cycling. RV Adler 1901 Mönchengladbach-Neuwerk holds more than 100 German and 5 European titles, and ranks as one of the most successful indoor cycling clubs.
Incidentally – the HockeyPark is not only a top venue for top matches, it also hosts all kinds of music events. With pop concerts by Sting, Shakira and Brian Adams, the Hockeypark is in the Champion’s League when it comes to culture, too.
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