Just some info about Düsseldorf.
travelDüsseldorf is one of Germany’s principal cities, and is the capital of the Land
(region) of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is on the east bank of the Rhine, 20 miles
north of Köln (Cologne), 339 miles west of Berlin, and 165 miles east of the Dutch coast.
It is close to other major cities in the Ruhr such as Essen and Dortmund.As a major regional centre it has a wide variety
of businesses and industries. Historically it was a steel city; now, important businesses also include telecommunications,
media, fashion, advertising and trade fairs. The headquarters of the German trade union movement is in Düsseldorf.
There are about 5000 foreign businesses operating in Düsseldorf, of which 350 are from Britain.
Düsseldorf came into existence in about 900, as a fishing village where the Düssel stream ran into the Rhein.
In 1288 it gained its first charter. It became the residence of princely families during the 16th century,
and this continued until it was conquered by Napoleon in 1806. After his fall, the Rhineland became part of
the Kingdom of Prussia.
In the middle of the 19th century, the railway came to Düsseldorf and gave it far better communications links,
and industrial concerns such as Mannesmann and Thyssen were established in the city, leading to rapid growth.
By the early 20th century Düsseldorf was called the “Desk of the Ruhr” because it had the headquarters of many
steel companies. It suffered great destruction during the Second World War. In 1946 it was designated the capital of
the new Land of North Rhine-Westphalia. Industrial growth continued until the 1960’s, since when service industries
have replaced manufacturing.The metropolis on the Rhine is not only because of its exceptional economic strength,
but also in the fields of arts, culture and modern architecture of international importance.Düsseldorf has its own airport and a large permanent trade fair.
The Altstadt (old city) contains so many bars that it claims to be the longest bar in the world.
The Königsallee (or “Kö”) is a famous shopping street, noted particularly for high fashion.
The University in Düsseldorf is named after the poet Heinrich Heine, who was born in the city.
Another famous resident was the composer Robert Schumann.
(Note: The correct German spelling is “Düsseldorf” with the umlaut on the “u”, and “Duesseldorf” is an alternative.
In English, the umlaut is often omitted, giving “Dusseldorf”.)
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