Duisburg () is a city in the

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...

metropolitan area of the western German

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...

. Lying on the confluence of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

and the

rivers in the center of the

Rhine-Ruhr The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region (german: Metropolregion Rhein-Ruhr) is the largest metropolitan region in Germany, with over ten million inhabitants. A polycentric conurbation with several major urban concentrations, the region covers ...

Region, Duisburg is the 5th largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 15th-largest city in Germany. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, it was a

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

and a member of the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...

, and later became a major centre of iron, steel, and chemicals industries. For this reason, it was heavily bombed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Today it boasts the world's largest

inland port An inland port is a port on an inland waterway, such as a river, lake, or canal, which may or may not be connected to the sea. The term "inland port" is also used to refer to a dry port. Examples The United States Army Corps of Engineers publ ...

, with 21 docks and 40 kilometres of wharf.

Status

Duisburg is a city in Germany's

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

, the fifth-largest (after

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

, Düsseldorf,

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

and

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

) of the nation's most populous federal state of

. Its 500,000 inhabitants make it Germany's 15th-largest city. Located at the confluence of the

river and its

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

the

Ruhr river __NOTOC__ The Ruhr is a river in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), a right tributary (east-side) of the Rhine. Description and history The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an ...

, it lies in the west of the

urban area, Germany's largest, of which it is the third-largest city after Dortmund and Essen. The Ruhr itself lies within the larger

Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region (german: Metropolregion Rhein-Ruhr) is the largest metropolitan region in Germany, with over ten million inhabitants. A polycentric conurbation with several major urban concentrations, the region covers ...

, one of Europe's largest conurbations. The city lies on both sides of the Rhine, with the city centre and most boroughs on the river's right bank, and is the only city of the Rhine-Ruhr region lying on both the Rhine and Ruhr rivers. Duisburg is one of the largest cities in the

Meuse-Rhenish Meuse-Rhenish (German: ''Rheinmaasländisch'', Dutch: ''Maas-Rijnlands'', and French: ''francique rhéno-mosan'') is the modern term for literature written in the Middle Ages in the greater Meuse-Rhine area, in a literary language that is eff ...

(closely related to

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

) dialect area and the largest in the South Guelderish area (north of the Uerdingen Isogloss). Duisburg has the world's largest

, "Duisburg-Ruhrorter Häfen", in Duisburg-

Ruhrort Ruhrort () is a district in the borough of within the German city of Duisburg situated north of the confluence of the Ruhr and the Rhine, in the western part of the Ruhr area. Ruhrort has the largest river harbour in the World, with quays extendin ...

. Germany's third-largest and the Rhine-Ruhr region's main airport,

Düsseldorf Airport Düsseldorf Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Düsseldorf, ; until March 2013 ''Düsseldorf International Airport''; ) is the international airport of Düsseldorf, the capital of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is about north ...

, lies near the city, in

Düsseldorf-Lohausen Lohausen is an urban quarter in the north of Düsseldorf, bordering on Stockum, Kaiserswerth, Unterrath, Wittlaer, the river Rhine and Ratingen Ratingen ( li, Rotinge) is a town in the district of Mettmann in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. I ...

. With 42,747 students, the

University of Duisburg-Essen The University of Duisburg-Essen (german: link=no, Universität Duisburg-Essen) is a public research university in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In the 2019 ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'', the university was awarded ...

is Germany's ninth-largest university. It has campuses in Essen and Duisburg, and a

university hospital A university hospital is an institution which combines the services of a hospital with the education of medical students and with medical research. These hospitals are typically affiliated with a medical school or university. The following is a l ...

in Essen. Duisburg is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. The city is renowned for its

steel industry Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

. All

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric ...

s in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg. In 2000, 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all

pig iron Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry in the production of steel which is obtained by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with silic ...

in Germany were produced here. It also has a large brewery,

König König (; ) is the German word for "king". In German and other languages applying the umlaut, the transliterations ''Koenig'' and ''Kœnig'', when referring to a surname, also occur. As a surname in English, the use of ''Koenig'' is usual, and som ...

. In the early Middle Ages, it was a royal court of the Franks, first mentioned in writing in 883.

Geography

Duisburg is in the Lowland Rhine area at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr and near the outskirts of the

Bergisches Land The Bergisches Land (, ''Berg Country'') is a low mountain range region within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over ...

. The city spreads along both sides of these rivers.

Adjacent cities

The following cities border Duisburg (clockwise starting from the north-east):

Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...

Mülheim an der Ruhr Mülheim, officially Mülheim an der Ruhr () and also described as ''"City on the River"'', is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Area between Duisburg, Essen, Oberhausen and Ratingen. It is home to many compan ...

Ratingen Ratingen ( li, Rotinge) is a town in the district of Mettmann in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies in the northwestern part of Berg about 12 km northeast of Düsseldorf. Administration With a communal reform of 1975 the independent mu ...

, Düsseldorf,

Meerbusch Meerbusch () is a town in Rhein-Kreis Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has been an incorporated town since 1970. Meerbusch is the municipality with the most income millionaires in North Rhine-Westphalia. Geography Meerbusch is a town in ...

Krefeld Krefeld ( , ; li, Krieëvel ), also spelled Crefeld until 1925 (though the spelling was still being used in British papers throughout the Second World War), is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, i ...

Moers Moers (; older form: ''Mörs''; archaic Dutch language, Dutch: ''Murse'', ''Murs'' or ''Meurs'') is a German List of cities and towns in Germany, city on the western bank of the Rhine, close to Duisburg. Moers belongs to the district of Wesel (d ...

Rheinberg Rheinberg () is a town in the Wesel (district), district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. north of Moers and south of Wesel. It comprises the municipal districts of Rheinberg, B ...

, and

Dinslaken Dinslaken is a town in the district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is known for its harness racing track, its now closed coal mine in Lohberg and its wealthy neighborhoods ''Hiesfeld'' and ''Eppinghoven''. Geography Dinslaken ...

Districts

Since 1 January 1975, Duisburg has been divided into seven districts or boroughs ('' Stadtbezirke'') from north to south: Duisburger Wappen am Rathaus Duisburg

* Walsum (51,528) *

Hamborn Hamborn is a district of the city of Duisburg, in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). Hamborn has a population of 71,528 an area of 20.84 km2. Since 1 January 1975, has been one of seven districts or boroughs (Stadtbezirk) of Duisburg. History ...

(71,528) *

Meiderich Meiderich is a quarter of the city of Duisburg. It is divided into Unter-, Mittel- and Obermeiderich. Meiderich belongs to the city district Meiderich/Beeck, which started in 1975, during the course of municipal reorganization. On 31 December 2004, ...

/Beeck (73,881) * Homberg/

/Baerl (41,153) * Duisburg-Mitte (center) (105,961) *

Rheinhausen Rheinhausen () is a district of the city of Duisburg in Germany, with a population of 78,203 (December 31, 2020) and an area of 38.68 km². It lies on the left bank of the river Rhine. Rheinhausen consists of the neighbourhoods: Rumeln-Kald ...

(77,933) * Duisburg-Süd (73,321)

Climate

Duisburg has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfb''). On 25 July 2019, Duisburg recorded a temperature of , which is the highest temperature to have ever been record in Germany.

Politics

Mayor

The current Mayor of Duisburg is Sören Link of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(SPD), who was elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2017. The most recent mayoral election was held on 24 September 2017, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Candidate ! Party ! Votes ! % , - , , align=left, Sören Link , align=left,

, 127,793 , 56.7 , - , , align=left, Gerhard Meyer , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 57,815 , 25.7 , - , , align=left, Erkan Kocalar , align=left, The Left , 13,306 , 5.9 , - , , align=left, Thomas Wolters , align=left, Free Democratic Party , 12,776 , 5.7 , - , , align=left, Melanie Händelkes , align=left, National Democratic Party , 7,519 , 3.3 , - , , align=left, Yasar Durmus , align=left,

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, 5,478 , 2.4 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 224,687 ! 98.7 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 3,009 ! 1.3 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 227,696 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 365,646 ! 62.3 , - , colspan=5, Source
City of Duisburg

City council

The Duisburg city council (''Duisburger Stadtrat'') governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , , align=left,

(SPD) , 43,051 , 30.8 , 10.1 , 32 , 3 , - , , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 29,966 , 21.5 , 3.3 , 22 , 1 , - , , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...

(Grüne) , 24,728 , 17.7 , 10.3 , 19 , 13 , - , , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...

(AfD) , 12,968 , 9.3 , 5.7 , 10 , 7 , - , , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 7,714 , 5.5 , 1.0 , 6 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 4,333 , 3.1 , 0.7 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left, Young Duisburg (JUDU) , 4,091 , 2.9 , 0.8 , 3 , 1 , - , , align=left,

Human Environment Animal Protection The Human Environment Animal Protection Party (german: Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz, short form: Animal Protection Party, german: Tierschutzpartei, links=no) is a political party in Germany, founded in 1993. In 2014 one candidate was elected ...

(Tierschutz) , 2,599 , 1.9 , New , 2 , New , - , , align=left, Duisburg Alternative List (DAL) , 1,709 , 1.2 , 0.1 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left,

Die PARTEI (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazi ...

(PARTEI) , 1,596 , 1.1 , New , 1 , New , - , , align=left, We Shape Duisbug (WGD) , 1,471 , 1.1 , New , 1 , New , - , , align=left, Socially Just Independent (SGU) , 1,384 , 1.0 , 0.1 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Solidarity for Duisburg (SfD) , 958 , 0.7 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , , align=left, BIG-Dergah , 890 , 0.6 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Civic Liberals (BL) , 608 , 0.4 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, National Democratic Party (NPD) , 550 , 0.4 , 1.3 , 0 , 1 , - , , align=left, Alliance Duisburg (Allianz) , 377 , 0.3 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Alliance for Duisburg (BfD) , 290 , 0.2 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Independent Gisela Schiffers , 141 , 0.1 , New , 0 , New , - , - , , align=left, Digital Ecological Social (DOS) , 83 , 0.1 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Independent Marliese Lenz , 57 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Awakening Duisburg (Aufbruch Du) , 41 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 139,605 ! 98.9 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 1,618 ! 1.1 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 141,223 ! 100.0 ! ! 102 ! 18 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 360,750 ! 39.1 ! 1.4 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer

State Landtag

In the

Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia The Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia is the state parliament (''Landtag'') of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which convenes in the state capital of Düsseldorf, in the eastern part of the district of Hafen. The parliament ...

, Duisburg is divided between three constituencies: 61 Duisburg I (containing Süd district and most of Mitte), 62 Duisburg II (Walsum, Rheinhausen, and most of Homberg/Ruhrort/Baerl), and 63 Duisburg III (Hamborn, Meiderich/Beeck, and parts of Mitte and Homberg/Ruhrort/Baerl). After the

2022 North Rhine-Westphalia state election The 2022 North Rhine-Westphalia state election was held on 15 May 2022 to elect the 18th Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) led by M ...

, all three constituencies were held by the SPD. Duisburg I was represented by Sarah Philipp, Duisburg II by Rainer Bischoff, and Duisburg III by Frank Börner.

Federal parliament

In the

Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet") is the German federal parliament. It is the only federal representative body that is directly elected by the German people. It is comparable to the United States House of Representatives or the House of Commons ...

, Duisburg is divided between two constituencies: 115 Duisburg I (Rheinhausen, Süd, and Mitte) and 116 Duisburg II (Walsum, Hamborn, Meidereich/Beeck, Homberg/Ruhrort/Baerl). In the 20th Bundestag, both are held by the SPD. Duisburg I is represented by

President of the Bundestag The president of the Bundestag (german: Präsident des Deutschen Bundestages or ) presides over the sessions of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany, with functions similar to that of a speaker in other countries. In the German order ...

Bärbel Bas Bärbel Bas (; born 3 May 1968) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who has served as the President of the Bundestag since 2021. She has been a member of the German Bundestag since the federal election in 2009. She served ...

, and Duisburg II by

Mahmut Özdemir Mahmut Özdemir (born 23 June 1987 in Duisburg, Germany) is a German politician for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who has been a member of the Bundestag since 2013, representing the Duisburg II district. In addition to his parli ...

History

The first syllable of the name of the city could go back to the

Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo-E ...

root ''*dʰeus-'', meaning something like "wet area" or "flood plain". Duisburg therefore could mean "fortified place in the floodplain". Another interpretation assumes that the name is derived from the Old German "duis" which means "hill". Duisburg could mean something like "castle on the hill". Thus, a place on a hill overlooking the Rhine, that could refer to the area of the present Town Hall. Duisburggau (Diuspurgau) was also the name of the medieval

Gau (country subdivision) ''Gau'' (German , nl, gouw , fy, gea or ''goa'' ) is a Germanic term for a region within a country, often a former or current province. It was used in the Middle Ages, when it can be seen as roughly corresponding to an English shire. The adm ...

on the Lower Rhine. A legend recorded by

Johannes Aventinus Johann Georg Turmair (or Thurmayr) (4 July 1477 – 9 January 1534), known by the pen name Johannes Aventinus (Latin for "John of Abensberg") or Aventin, was a Bavarian Renaissance humanist historian and philologist. He authored the 152 ...

(fl. 1525) holds that Duisburg (along with

Deutz, Cologne The Cologne borough of Deutz (german: Köln-Deutz ; ), is a part of central Cologne, Germany, and was once an independent town. History Deutz was established under Roman Emperor Constantine I in 310 AD, when he established ''Castrum Divitia'', ...

, Duisdorf in

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...

, and

Doesburg Doesburg () is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Gelderland. Doesburg received city rights in 1237 and had a population of in . The city is situated on the right bank of river IJssel, at the confluence of ...

in the Netherlands, all on the Rhine's right bank) was built by the namesake

Tuisto According to Tacitus's ''Germania'' (AD 98), Tuisto (or Tuisco) is the legendary divine ancestor of the Germanic peoples. The figure remains the subject of some scholarly discussion, largely focused upon etymological connections and comparisons t ...

, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC. There is nothing to establish any historical basis for such an early founding of Duisburg, which would have made it among the earliest cities in Europe.

Roman period

Latest archaeological studies show that the present-day market-place was already in use in the first century. It has been the major central trading place of the city since the 5th century. The city itself was located at the "

Hellweg In the Middle Ages, Hellweg was the official and common name given to main travelling routes in Germany. Their breadth was decreed as an unimpeded passageway a lance's width, about three metres, which the landholders through which the Hellweg pas ...

", an important medieval

trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...

, and at a

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

across the Rhine. The

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

already guarded the ford. * 420: The

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

usurp the Roman settlement and recolonize the old part of the town. * 883: The

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...

conquer Duisburg and stay for the winter. First historic document mentioning Duisburg.

Middle Ages

Due to the town's favorable geographic position a palatinate was built and the town was soon granted the

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

of a free city. Duisburg became a member of the

. Around 1000 the river Rhine moved westward from the city. This put an end to the city's development as a trading town and it soon grew into a quiet rural city. Duisburg Mercatorbrunnen 1

The productions of cartographer

Gerardus Mercator Gerardus Mercator (; 5 March 1512 – 2 December 1594) was a 16th-century geographer, cosmographer and Cartography, cartographer from the County of Flanders. He is most renowned for creating the Mercator 1569 world map, 1569 world map based on ...

and the foundation of a university in 1655 established the city's renown as "Educated Duisburg" ("Duisburgum Doctum"). * Stadtmauer Duisburg Außenseite 3

1120: construction of the

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

* 1279: "city charter" granted by King

Lothar III Lothair III, sometimes numbered Lothair II and also known as Lothair of Supplinburg (1075 – 4 December 1137), was Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 until his death. He was appointed List of rulers of Saxony, Duke of Saxony in 1106 and elected List o ...

* 1290 Duisburg becomes part of the County (after 1417 Duchy) of

Cleves Kleve (; traditional en, Cleves ; nl, Kleef; french: Clèves; es, Cléveris; la, Clivia; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century ...

* 1445 attack by Archbishop-Elector

Dietrich II von Moers Dietrich () is an ancient German name meaning "Ruler of the People.” Also "keeper of the keys" or a "lockpick" either the tool or the profession. Given name * Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg (c. 1398 – 1440) * Thierry of Alsace (german: Dietric ...

( de) of

was thwarted DuisburgVogelschauplan1566

* 1566

Johannes Corputius Johan van den Corput (also van (den) Kornput, also Cornput or Johannes de Corput, in German literature Johannes Corputius (April 1542 – September 17, 1611) was a Dutch engineer, cartographer and military leader. Corputius was born in ...

completes his

city map A city map is a large-scale thematic map of a city (or part of a city) created to enable the fastest possible orientation in an urban space. The graphic representation of objects on a city map is therefore usually greatly simplified, and reduced ...

of Duisburg. * 1666 Duisburg within the Duchy of Cleves becomes a part of

Brandenburg-Prussia Brandenburg-Prussia (german: Brandenburg-Preußen; ) is the historiographic denomination for the early modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenz ...

Industrial revolution

Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12562, Duisburg, Binnenhafen

The rise of tobacco and textile industries in the 18th century made Duisburg an industrial center. Big industrial companies such as iron and steel producing firms ( Thyssen and

Krupp The Krupp family (see pronunciation), a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, is notable for its production of steel, artillery, ammunition and other armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG (Friedrich Krup ...

) influenced the development of the city within the Prussian

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...

. Large housing areas near production sites were being built as workers and their families moved in. * 1823 a district ("Landkreis") Duisburg is established including the cities of

and

. * 1824 construction of the

sulfuric acid Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid ( Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen, with the molecular formu ...

factory Fr. W. Curtius; beginning of the industry age in Duisburg. * 1828 Franz Haniel builds a dockyard for

steamships A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

* 1846 railway line to Düsseldorf * 1847 railway line via Dortmund to Minden * 1873 Duisburg becomes an

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

borough. * 1904 Birth of the 100,000th resident (Ernst R. Straube) * 1921 French Infantry occupy the city on 8 March to secure

war reparation War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war. History Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history. R ...

payments incurred during World War I. * 1929 The city of Hamborn and Duisburg are joined together. The new city is given the name of Duisburg-Hamborn. * 1935 Duisburg-Hamborn is renamed Duisburg. * 1938 (November) The

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

destroy the city's synagogue.

World War II

A major logistical center in the Ruhr and location of chemical, steel and iron industries, Duisburg was a primary target of

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...

s. As such, it is considered by some historians to be the single most heavily bombed German city by the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

during

, with industrial areas and residential blocks targeted by Allied

incendiary bombs Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...

. On the night of 12–13 June 1941, British bombers dropped a total of 445 tons of bombs in and around Duisburg. As part of the

Battle of the Ruhr The Battle of the Ruhr (5 March – 31 July 1943) was a strategic bombing campaign against the Ruhr Area in Nazi Germany carried out by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. The Ruhr was the main centre of German heavy industry wit ...

, another British raid of 577 bombers destroyed the old city between 12 and 13 May 1943 with 1,599 tons of bombs. During the

bombing raids Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying its morale, its economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations, or both. It is a systematic ...

, 96,000 people were made homeless with countless lives lost. In 1944 the city was again badly damaged as a total of 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped on 22 May. On 14 October, the tonnage was repeated with 2,018 tons when Halifax, Lancaster, and

Mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

bombers appeared over Duisburg as part of

Operation Hurricane Operation Hurricane was the first test of a Nuclear weapons of the United Kingdom, British atomic device. A plutonium Nuclear weapon design#Implosion-type weapon, implosion device was detonated on 3 October 1952 in Main Bay, Trimouille Island ...

. This daylight raid was followed by a night attack; over 24 hours about 9,000 tons of HE and incendiaries had been dropped on Duisburg. Numerous similar attacks followed until the end of 1944. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Duisburg in April 1945. The US 17th Airborne Division, acting as regular infantry and not in a parachute role, met only scattered resistance in the vicinity and captured the city on 12 April 1945. On 8 May 1945 the

ADSEC ADSEC was the Advance Section of the Communications Zone (COMZ), European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA), and was formally activated at Bristol, England in February 1944. It is commonly referred to as simply "ADSEC". Upon it ...

Engineer Group A, led by Col.

Helmer Swenholt Helmer Swenholt (28 June 1886 – 8 May 1952) was born in Wittenberg, Shawano County, Wisconsin (near Shawano, Wisconsin). Having pursued a degree in engineering, he put his education to work in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was an officer and Ve ...

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the

332nd Engineer General Service Regiment 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment or 332nd Engineer Regiment was activated as a Special Service Regiment in May 1942, as a unit in the United States Army. Later this unit was redesignated a General Service Regiment. The unit was formed f ...

, constructed a railway bridge between Duisburg and Rheinhausen across the Rhine. It was 860 meters long, and constructed in six days, fifteen hours and twenty minutes, a record time. It was named the "Victory Bridge".

Post-World War II period

A total of 299 bombing raids had almost completely destroyed the historic cityscape. 80% of all residential buildings had been destroyed or partly damaged. Almost the whole of the city had to be rebuilt, and most historic landmarks had been lost. Beginning in the mid-1960s, the decline of Duisburg's steel and mining industry caused a significant loss of residents. While in 1975 approximately 590,000 people were living in Duisburg, the number had shrunk to 518,000 in 1985. Duisburg celebrated its 1100th anniversary in 1983. The city's population recovered a little in the following years, up to 537,000 in 1992. It declined to 488,000 in 2011. On 19 July 2004, it was hit by a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

. The municipal theater and parts of the city center were damaged. The city hosted the 7th

World Games The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. They are usually held every four years, one year after a Summer Olympic Games, over the course of 11 d ...

in 2005. In 2010, 21 people died because of a mass panic at the

Love Parade The Love Parade (german: Loveparade) was a popular electronic dance music festival and technoparade that originated in 1989 in West Berlin, Germany. It was held annually in Berlin from 1989 to 2003 and in 2006, then from 2007 to 2010 in the Ru ...

; over 500 people were injured.

Demographics

In 2010, Duisburg had a population of 489,600, a slight decrease since 2006. Population structure of non-German residents:

Turkish community

Duisburg is home to 85,000 people of Turkish origin. Other estimates suggest that the Turkish population is as large as 100,000. The new Merkez Mosque, one of the largest Muslim

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

in Western Europe, was built with help by the way of contribution of 3.2 million euro from the EU and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Asiye Nur Fettahoğlu, a Turkish-German actress, was born in Duisburg on 12 November 1980.

Transport

Duisburg Port

Duisburg-Ruhrorter Häfen is the largest inland port in the world. It is officially regarded as a "seaport" because seagoing river vessels go to ports in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Numerous docks are mostly located at the mouth of the Ruhr where it joins the Rhine. Each year more than 40 million tonnes of various goods are handled with more than 20,000 ships calling at the port. The public harbor facilities stretch across an area of . There are 21 docks covering an area of and of wharf. The area of the Logport Logistic Center Duisburg stretches across an area of . With 2.5 million TEU it is also the largest inland container port, based on 2011 figures. A number of companies run their own private docks and 114 million tonnes of goods yearly (2010) are handled in Duisburg in total.

Roads

Duisburg is served by several

autobahn The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. ...

s, with 3 east–west routes and 2 north–south routes. A3 forms a bypass east of the city and mostly serves through traffic. A59 runs parallel to A3 and serves the city from north to south with 14 interchanges, much more than most other cities in the Ruhr area. The A40 and A42 are two east–west routes that serve central and northern Duisburg. Autobahn A40 also serves major through traffic from the Netherlands to Berlin and points east. A short spur, A524 serves southern Duisburg. Most Autobahns have six lanes or are upgraded to six lanes (A59). Apart from the autobahns, no

Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' ...

n serve the city directly. B8 runs through the city, but uses A59's alignment. B288 runs in the extreme south of the city, and serves traffic to and from

. Several bridges span the Rhine, most prominently the A40 and A42 bridges, but also the L287

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...

and the L237

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

, a three-lane bridge with 2 lanes per peak direction with dynamic lane usage.

Public transport

Duisburg Hauptbahnhof Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is a railway station in the city of Duisburg in western Germany. It is situated at the meeting point of many important national and international railway lines in the Northwestern Ruhr valley. Lines The station is situat ...

is served by the

InterCityExpress The Intercity Express (commonly known as ICE ()) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany. It also serves some destinations in Austria, Denmark (ceased in 2017 but planned to resume in 2022), France, Belgium, Switzerla ...

and

InterCity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

long-distance network of the

Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...

, in addition line of the

S-Bahn The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban- suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble co ...

line connects Duisburg with other cities of the

area. The

Duisburg Stadtbahn The Duisburg Stadtbahn is a light rail (german: Stadtbahn) network forming part of the larger Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn system. It is the centrepiece of the public transport system in Duisburg, a city in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, ...

, the Duisburg tramway network, and a bus system, all operated by the Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft, provide local services. Stadtbahn line U79, the so-called "D-Bahn" ("D-Line"), connects to the neighbouring city of

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

and is operated jointly with the

Rheinbahn Rheinbahn is a public transport operator operating in Düsseldorf, Meerbusch and Kreis Mettmann. Its network consists of the Düsseldorf Stadtbahn, a network of 11 Stadtbahn (light rail) lines which are integrated in the Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn netw ...

of Düsseldorf. All S-Bahn, Stadtbahn, and bus lines operate under the umbrella of the

Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (), abbreviated VRR, is a public transport association (Verkehrsverbund) in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It covers most of the Ruhr area, as well as neighbouring parts of the Lower Rhine region, includ ...

Media

There are several newspapers reporting on local events and politics, including the '' Westdeutsche Allgemeine'' (WAZ), the ''Neue Ruhr Zeitung'' (NRZ) and the ''

Rheinische Post ''Rheinische Post'' is a major German regional daily newspaper published since 1946 by the ''Rheinische Post Verlagsgesellschaft GmbH'' company, and headquartered in Düsseldorf. The Post is especially dominant in the western part of North Rhine- ...

'' (RP). The local

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

"Radio Duisburg" was the first local radio broadcaster in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It started broadcasting in 1990. There is a local television station ("STUDIO 47"), which was the first local station to broadcast in

. It started broadcasting in 2006. In its Duisburg studios the WDR produces a local programme for the city of Duisburg and the

Lower Rhine The Lower Rhine (german: Niederrhein; kilometres 660 to 1,033 of the river Rhine) flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hook of Holland, Netherlands (including the Nederrijn or "Nether Rhine" within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta); al ...

region north of Düsseldorf. WDR is part of the German television and radio network ARD.

Culture

Duisburg hosts a comprehensive range of cultural facilities and events. A highlight is the annual "Duisburger Akzente", a festival focusing on modern social, political and cultural topics. Besides

Duisburg is a residence of the

Deutsche Oper am Rhein The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its Music Director since 2009. The resident orchestra, th ...

, one of the major

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

s in Germany. The

Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra The Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Duisburger Philharmoniker) is a German orchestra based in Duisburg. The orchestra was founded in 1877. Conductors include: * Walter Josephson (1899 to 1920) * Paul Scheinpflug (1920 to 1928) * Eug ...

is one of Germany's orchestras with an international reputation. Due to its history as a harbor city and a trade and industrial center, Duisburg offers a variety of architectural places of interest, such as the

German Inland Waterways Museum The German Inland Waterways Museum (Museum der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt) is located in Ruhrort, Duisburg at the nucleus of Duisburg-Ruhrorter ports which today make up the largest European inland harbour complex. The museum was founded in 1 ...

. Buildings vary from old churches such as "St Johann Baptist" in Duisburg-Hamborn, which was built in 900, to

modern age The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also called modern history or modern times) is the period of history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended approximately 1500 AD). This terminology is a historical periodization that is applie ...

buildings such as Micro-Electronic-Centrum in Duisburg-Neudorf, built in 1995. Another subject of interest is the

Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord Landschaftspark is a public park located in Duisburg- Meiderich, Germany. It was designed in 1991 by Latz + Partner (Peter Latz), with the intention that it work to heal and understand the industrial past, rather than trying to reject it. The pa ...

an abandoned industrial complex open to the public and an Anchor Point of ERIH, The

European Route of Industrial Heritage The European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a tourist route of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. This is a tourism industry information initiative to present a network of industrial heritage sites across Europe. The a ...

. The city center contains the

Wilhelm Lehmbruck Wilhelm Lehmbruck (4 January 188125 March 1919) was a German sculptor. Biography Born in Meiderich (part of Duisburg from 1905), he was the fourth of eight children born to the miner Wilhelm Lehmbruck and his wife Margaretha. He was able to stu ...

Museum, the municipal theatre and the shopping street known as "fountain mile". The city also contains two

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

s, the

Botanischer Garten Duisburg-Hamborn The Botanischer Garten Duisburg-Hamborn, also known as the Botanischer Garten Duisburg or the Botanischer Garten Hamborn, is a municipal botanical garden and aquarium located at Fürst-Pückler-Straße 18, Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germ ...

and the

Botanischer Garten Kaiserberg The Botanischer Garten Kaiserberg (2 hectares) is a botanical garden located at Schweizer Straße 24, Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The garden was established in 1890 and primarily cultivates native plants, but also includes exotic flo ...

, as well as a number of municipal parks. On 24 July 2010, 21 people were killed and hundreds injured in the city during the

Love Parade disaster On 24 July 2010, a crowd disaster at the 2010 Love Parade electronic dance music festival in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, caused the deaths of 21 people from suffocation as attendees sought to escape a ramp leading to the festival ...

. The

was an electronic dance music festival and

technoparade A technoparade (taken from the German word "Technoparade") is a parade of vehicles equipped with strong loudspeakers and amplifiers playing Electronic dance music. It resembles a carnival parade in some respects, but the vehicles (called love ...

. File:Theater Duisburg 2013.jpg,

Theater Duisburg The Theater Duisburg is located in Duisburg, Germany and is one of two opera houses where performances are given by the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. The other is the Opernhaus Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf. The original theatre was built in 1912, destro ...

, venue of the

Duisburg Philharmonic The Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra (in German: Duisburger Philharmoniker) is a German orchestra based in Duisburg. The orchestra was founded in 1877. Conductors include: * Walter Josephson (1899 to 1920) * Paul Scheinpflug (1920 to 1928) * Eug ...

File:Abtei Hamborn3.JPG, St.Johann Baptist Abbey File:Duisburg, Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, Erzbunker -- 2016 -- 1229-35.jpg, Landschaftspark Nord (''"Landscape Park North''"), on a former industrial estate File:Innenhafen Duisburg Blaue Stunde 2014.jpg, Exiting area at the old inner harbor File:Duisburg – Botanischer Garten - panoramio.jpg, Botanical Garden Kaiserberg

Sport

Duisburg is involved in many kinds of sports. Nevertheless, most important for its inhabitants is the local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club

MSV Duisburg Meidericher Spielverein 02 e. V. Duisburg, commonly known as simply MSV Duisburg (), is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed ''Die Zebras'' for their traditional striped jers ...

. Recently, with the new MSV Arena the city received a brand new sports stadium for various kinds of sports such as football and American football. During the summer months of 2005 the

took place in Duisburg. During the

2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...

, Duisburg was the stage for preparation of the Portuguese team and the residence of the Italian

football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...

, who won the cup in the final match against France. Duisburg is also known for its

Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon The Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon is a marathon in Duisburg, which was first held in 1981. It is therefore one of the oldest city marathons in Germany. In addition to the classic 42.195 kilometer race, the current program also incorporates a half marathon ...

, its

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

and

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...

s and the world championships that take place there regularly. Other popular sports are

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

, baseball,

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...

, and

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

Notable people

(1512–1594), Flemish cartographer, inventor of the

Mercator projection The Mercator projection () is a cylindrical map projection presented by Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It became the standard map projection for navigation because it is unique in representing north as up and sou ...

Ludwig Susen Ludwig Susen (3 January 1807 – 24 December 1863) was a German elementary teacher, who worked and lived mainly in Duisburg. Work and legacy Susen worked as elementary teacher in Duisburg following his admittance by the Administrative Dist ...

(1807–1863), elementary teacher *

(1881–1919), sculptor *

August Thyssen August Thyssen (; Eschweiler, 17 May 1842 – Landsberg Castle, Ratingen, near Kettwig, 4 April 1926) was a German industrialist. Career and marriage After he had completed his studies at the RWTH Aachen University, University of Karlsruhe and ...

(1842–1926), industrialist *

Oswald Pohl Oswald Ludwig Pohl (; 30 June 1892 – 7 June 1951) was a German SS functionary during the Nazi era. As the head of the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office and the head administrator of the Nazi concentration camps, he was a key figure in ...

(1892–1951), Nazi SS officer executed for war crimes *

Paul Bäumer :''This article deals with Paul Bäumer the pilot. For the fictional Paul Bäumer, see All Quiet on the Western Front. For the late member of electronic music group Bingo Players, see Bingo Players'' Paul Wilhelm Bäumer (11 May 1896 – 15 July ...

(1896–1927), World War I flying ace *

Ferdinand Simoneit Ferdinand Simoneit (14 June 1925; Duisburg – 3 April 2010; Löffingen) was a German journalist, author, professor and World War II veteran. Life During the German invasion of the Soviet Union he was a '' Panzersoldat'' and seriously wounded on ...

(1925–2010), journalist and author *

Lüder Lüers Kindernothilfe (KNH) is a charity organization and was founded in 1959 by a group of Christians in Duisburg, Germany, in order to help needy children in India. Over time, it has become one of the largest Christian organizations in Europe for ch ...

(1926–2022), German horticultural architect, engaged in founding

Kindernothilfe Kindernothilfe (KNH) is a charity organization and was founded in 1959 by a group of Christians in Duisburg, Germany, in order to help needy children in India. Over time, it has become one of the largest Christian organizations in Europe for ch ...

* Dieter Kürten (born 1935), sports journalist *

Daisy Door Daisy Door (born 30 January 1944 in Duisburg, real name Evelyn van Ophuisen) is a German Schlager music singer. Biography As a child, Daisy Door sang on Radio Cologne. Her first recordings were performed with her sister Liane as "Li & Ev (e)"; A ...

(born 1944), Schlager music singer *

Hans-Werner Gessmann Hans-Werner Gessmann (born 24 March 1950, in Duisburg) is a German psychologist, founder of humanistic psychodrama and university teacher in Russia, India and Africa, one of the best known psychotherapists worldwide. Career Gessmann received a ...

(born 1950), psychologist *

Ronny van Dyke Ronny van Dyke (born Jörg T. Hartmann; 1 March 1956 in Duisburg, Germany) is a German singer and songwriter. He gave his first concert in 1973 with psychedelic rock band P.S.I. He focused on composing and wrote hundreds of songs. Together with ...

(born Jörg T. Hartmann in 1956), singer and songwriter *

Frank Peter Zimmermann Frank Peter Zimmermann (born 27 February 1965) is a German violinist. Childhood He was born in Duisburg, West Germany, and started playing the violin when he was five years old, giving his first concert with orchestra at the age of 10. Since he ...

(born 1965), violinist *

Christoph Reuter Christoph Reuter (born 28 November 1968) is a German University professor for systematic musicology at the University of Vienna. life Born in Duisburg, Reuter studied musicology at the University of Cologne, received his doctorate ''summa cum ...

(born 1968), musicologist *

Christian Ehring Christian Ehring (born 18 September 1972 in Duisburg) is a German comedian and author. Life Ehring works as a comedian at German theatres, and has appeared on a variety of television programs broadcast by German outlets. He has written several ...

(born 1972), comedian *

Stefan Gertler Stefan Gertler (born on 05.08.1972 in Duisburg) is a German singer. He first came on RTL Television, RTL TV on the German version of ''Britain's Got Talent'', ''Das Supertalent''. Stefan performed the song ''Home'' by Michael Bublé on 15 Octobe ...

(born 1972), singer *

Ramin Djawadi Ramin Djawadi (, fa, رامین جوادی; born 19 July 1974) is an Iran, Iranian and Germans, German film score, score composer. He is known for his scores for the 2008 Marvel film ''Iron Man (2008 film), Iron Man'' and the HBO series ''Game o ...

(born 1974), German-Iranian composer and music producer *

Nur Fettahoğlu Asiye Nur Fettahoğlu () (born 12 November 1980) is a Turkish-German actress, model, television presenter and fashion designer known for playing numerous characters in several films and television series, including her role as Mahidevran Sultan ...

(born 1980), Turkish-German actress *

André Lotterer André Lotterer (born 19 November 1981) is a German professional racing driver currently racing for Avalanche Andretti Formula E in the FIA Formula E Championship. He is best known for his success in endurance racing with the works Audi team, ...

(born 1981), Belgian-German racing driver *

Lance David Arnold Lance David Arnold (born 8 June 1986 in Duisburg) is a German racing driver. He has competed in such series as the Rolex Sports Car Series and Porsche Supercup, as well as the 2009 24 Hours of Nürburgring. In November 2011, Arnold partnered wit ...

(born 1986), racing driver *

Benjamin Leuchter Benjamin Leuchter (born 22 November 1987) is a German racing driver currently competing in the World Touring Car Cup. Having previously competed in the ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship, German Formula Three Championship and Formula BMW ...

(born 1987), racing driver *

Jacob Goll Jacob Goll (born November 14, 1992) is a German ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with TSV Peißenberg of the German Oberliga. Goll made his Deutsche Eishockey Liga debut playing with EHC München during the 2011–12 DEL season ...

(born 1992), ice hockey player

Twin towns – sister cities

Duisburg is twinned with: *

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

, England, UK (1950) *

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

, France (1964) *

Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...

, China (1982) *

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

, Lithuania (1985) *

Gaziantep Gaziantep (), previously and still informally called Aintab or Antep (), is a major city and capital of the Gaziantep Province, in the westernmost part of Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region and partially in the Mediterranean Region, approximat ...

, Turkey (2005) *

Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia ** Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administra ...

, Russia (2007) *

San Pedro Sula San Pedro Sula () is the capital of Cortés Department, Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Sula Valley, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 671,460 ...

, Honduras (2008) *

Lomé Lomé is the capital and largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437

, Togo (2010) *

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, United States (2011)

References

Bibliography

External links

*
''Gemeindeblatt der Jüdischen Gemeinde Duisburg (1928–1932)''
is a digitized periodical at the

Leo Baeck Institute, New York The Leo Baeck Institute New York (LBI) is a research institute in New York City dedicated to the study of German-Jewish history and culture, founded in 1955. It is one of three independent research centers founded by a group of German-speaking J ...

{{Authority control World War II strategic bombing Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia Populated places on the Rhine Port cities and towns in Germany Members of the Hanseatic League Free imperial cities Districts of the Rhine Province