Discover Düsseldorf: The History of the City - From a Village to a Metropolis

Monument to the
charter of the town
 

about 1600
 
 

Schlossturm
(castle tower)
 

Town Hall
 
 

Academy of the
Fine Arts
 

Heinrich Heine
 
 

Königsallee
 
 

Hofgarten
 
 

Benrath Palace
 
 

Wilhelm Marx House
 
 

K21 museum of modern art

Where it all began - The village on the Düssel

Before the town was granted its town charter in the year 1288, there was just a small village around the church of St. Lambert. The monument to the charter of the town (see picture on the left) at Burgplatz illustrates what preceded the nomination of the town by Graf von Berg: the Battle of Worringen, in which the Düsseldorfers threw in their lot on the side of the Graf. For anyone looking for more information, the City Archive has compiled a history of the city (German pages), you can also look up an English City Chronicle.

Now a landmark - The Schlossturm (castle tower)

In 1380, the Grafen (Earls) von Berg were granted dukedom and made Düsseldorf their city of residence. At the location of today's Burgplatz, a befitting palace was built, and in the 15th century, it was expanded into a massive castle. A fire in 1872 destroyed the building almost completely - only the old flank tower remained. This symbol of the city today adorns countless postcards.

Town hall and Jan Wellem monument

The oldest part of the town hall is from the year 1570-73. Elector Johann Wilhelm (1658 1716), also called Jan Wellem stands in front of the scene as a knight. The city of Düsseldorf owes its first heyday to this art parton: with the construction of the opera and art gallery, he established its reputation as a city of art. In 1711, the court sculptor Gabriel Grupello created this monument to the Elector.

Academy of the fine arts

The art academy was constructed in 1875 1879 in the style of the Italian Renaissance, but its origins can be traced back to the year 1773. Elector Karl Theodor founded the drawing school which later became the Royal Academy of Art of the Prussian Rhine Provinces. Since the 19th century, the high school has enjoyed a reputation far beyond the borders of the city.

Glockenspiel and Heinrich Heine

In the Schneider Wibbel Gasse in the Old Town, there is a glockenspiel that is a reminder of the comical novel character Schneider Wibbel created by the local poet Hans Müller Schlösser in 1913. Quite close by, in Bolkerstraße, is the Heine House where Heinrich Heine was born, and which today houses a literature centre. The poet left his mark (German pages) on Düsseldorf.

The Königsallee - Imperial project

An outsider was responsible for the magnificent boulevard: In 1811, Napoleon commissioned the architect Adolph von Vagedes to build today's Königsallee. The former Kastanienallee was named Königsallee only later, to get into the good books of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV. In the year of the revolution in 1848, he was received by the citizens of Düsseldorf with protests and horse droppings.

Public park and physical exercise

The Hofgarten was the first public park in Germany and was created at the end of the 17th century by Nicolas de Pigage, who also built the Benrath Palace. He was commissioned to do so by Elector Carl Theodor (1724 1799).
Nor far from the Hofgarten is the Ehrenhof which was built in the years 1925 26. The reason for its construction by architect Wilhelm Kreis was the exhibition for Health Care, Social Security and Physical Exercise, abbreviated to Gesolei in German. Today, the Ehrenhof is a cultural centre with museums, a event venue and the Tonhalle.

The city continues to grow

When Düsseldorf grew into a major city at the start of the 19th century, the quarter housing banks and shops was established near Königsallee. Most visitors notice the Wilhelm Marx House which dates back to the year 1924. The building is one of the oldest office blocks in Germany.
Since 1946, Düsseldorf is the State capital of North Rhine-Westphalia. Before the state parliament moved next to the Rheinturm, it met in the Ständehaus. The building was built in 1880 as a venue for the different classes in the Prussian-Rhenish province to meet. Today, the Ständehaus houses the K21, a museum of modern art.

Discover Düsseldorf - All the destinations at a glance

Old Town | Architecture | Customs | Shopping | Free admission | Eating & drinking | Family recreation | History | Churches | Culture | Art | Media Harbour | Fashion | Museums | Night-life & concerts | Places & squares | Parks & gardens | Palaces & castles | Gays & Lesbians | Sights | Souvenirs | Sports | Theatre & Opera | Local trips | Zoos & animals