A Tale of Three Cities: Electrification and the Structure of Choice in the Ruhr,1886-1900

Abstract

Technological systems often take on characteristics of their social and political contexts. This was particularly clear during the 1890s, when alternating-current and direct-current systems offered different advantages. In the late nineteenth century, the two cities of Dortmund and Essen were expansive, and introduced electric light and power systems using alternating current to promote that tendency. Bochum was more locally oriented, and chose a more efficient and secure direct-current system to serve a narrowly circumscribed area. In each case, élites and officials deployed technological systems that promoted the continued development of the social and political structures within which they lived.