Germany's Ruhr Coal Industry Restructuring Research (1958-1975),

Ruhr coal industry had played a pivotal role in the process of modernization in Germany. However, after1950s, due to self-structural reasons as well as by the impact from oil and coal imports, the Ruhr coal sales had fallen drastically in1958, and the entire industry slipped into a severe recession. The Ruhr coal industry,which had been debated and researched about a decade then with the adoption of the Coal Industry Adjustment Act and the establishment of the Ruhrkohle AG(Ruhr Coal Corporation), had well expectations of assured marketing prospects in the future, but also created a favorable conditions for the field’s industrial restructuring. In addition to the introduction, my thesis is divided into five parts:The first chapter describes the geographical characteristics of the Ruhr area, the overview of the early development of the local coal industry,and its two characteristics at the era of large-scale industrial production, which include the concentration and government intervention in the coal industry. We can understanding of the coal crisis in1958better through clarify the context of the Ruhr coal industry development.The second chapter discusses the West Germany coal crsis in1958and analyzes its reasons,then describes the direct support measures adopted by the Government. Due to the impact of oil and imported coal, together with the reasons on its own structure,\a huge crisis had come. At the beginning of the crisis, the Government adopted protected supports by changing the coal policy priorities and objectives and taking restrictive measures on the coal industry, but that does not change the grim situation of the Ruhr coal industry.The third chapter describes the proposals and programs about the reorganization of Ruhr coal industry which made by individuals and the Government,and the debates among them.As the crisis continued,the Ruhr coal industry representatives had put forward their own proposals.Given this situation,the Economy Minister Schiller proclaimed "Three-phase Plan" and other programs as a response. After these arguments,a blueprint of reorganization of Ruhr coal industry was gradually drawn,and eventually to the establishment of RAG later.The fourth chapter described the introduction of the Coal Industry Adjustment Act and the establishment of the RAG. Coal Industry Adjustment Act provides a legal basis for the establishment of the RAG, RAG become a private coal group which strongly supported by the Government.The fifth chapter analyzes the performence of the RAG in the early days of its establishment. Due to the yoke of past burden,this company can’t turn profitability quickly. With the outbreak of the1973oil crisis, RAG status improved and laid the foundation for its diversified development in future. Finally,I summed up the successful experience of reorganization of the Ruhr coal industry,these reorganization offers some lessens for economic transformation in China’s Shanxi Province.