Düsseldorf is the capital city of

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

, the most populous

state of Germany The Federal Republic of Germany is a federation and consists of sixteen partly sovereign ''states''. Of the sixteen states, thirteen are so-called area-states ('Flächenländer'); in these, below the level of the state government, there is a ...

. It is the second-largest city in the state after

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

and the seventh-largest city in Germany, with a 2022 population of 629,047. The Düssel, from which the city and the borough of Düsseltal take their name, divides into four separate branches within the city, each with its own mouth into the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

(

Lower Rhine Lower Rhine (, ; kilometres 660 to 1,033 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between Bonn in Germany and the North Sea at Hook of Holland in the Netherlands, including the '' Nederrijn'' () within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta; alternat ...

). Most of Düsseldorf lies on the right bank of the Rhine, and the city has grown together with

Neuss Neuss (; written ''Neuß'' until 1968; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district. It is primarily known for its ...

Ratingen Ratingen (; ) 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 municipalit ...

, Meerbusch, Erkrath and

Monheim am Rhein Monheim am Rhein (, ; ) is a town on the right (eastern) bank of the river Rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Monheim belongs to the district of Mettmann – with the southern suburbs of Düsseldorf to the north, and the Bergisches Land to ...

. Düsseldorf is the central city of the metropolitan region

Rhine-Ruhr The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region () is the Metropolitan regions in Germany, largest metropolitan region in Germany, with over ten million inhabitants. A wikt:polycentric, polycentric conurbation with several major urban concentrations, the reg ...

, the second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union, that stretches from

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

via

and Düsseldorf to the

Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; , 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 1,160/km2 and a populati ...

(from

Duisburg Duisburg (; , ) is a city in the Ruhr metropolitan area of the western States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Lying on the confluence of the Rhine (Lower Rhine) and the Ruhr (river), Ruhr rivers in the center of the Rhine-Ruh ...

via

Essen Essen () 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 Dortmund, as well as ...

Dortmund Dortmund (; ; ) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the List of cities in Germany by population, ninth-largest city in Germany. With a population of 614,495 inhabitants, it is the largest city ...

). The ''-dorf'' suffix means "village" in German (English

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

: '' thorp''); its use is unusual for a settlement as large as Düsseldorf. Linguistically, Düsseldorf is the largest city in the German part of the

Low Franconian In historical linguistics, historical and comparative linguistics, Low Franconian is a linguistic category used to classify a number of historical and contemporary West Germanic languages, West Germanic Variety (linguistics), varieties closely r ...

area, dialects that are closely related to Dutch. Düsseldorf is an international business and financial centre, renowned for its fashion and trade fairs, and is headquarters to one

Fortune Global 500 The ''Fortune'' Global 500, also known as Global 500, is an annual ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by '' Fortune'' magazine. Methodology Until 1989, it listed o ...

and two DAX companies. Messe Düsseldorf organises nearly one fifth of premier trade shows. Düsseldorf Airport is Germany's fourth-busiest airport, serving as the most important international airport for the population of the densely populated

, Germany's largest urban area. As second largest city of the

Rhineland The Rhineland ( ; ; ; ) is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly Middle Rhine, its middle section. It is the main industrial heartland of Germany because of its many factories, and it has historic ties to the Holy ...

, Düsseldorf holds Rhenish Carnival celebrations every year in February/March, the Düsseldorf carnival celebrations being the third most popular in Germany after those held in

and

Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...

. There are 22 institutions of higher education in the city including the Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, the university of applied sciences (

Hochschule Düsseldorf ' (, plural: ') is the generic term in German for institutions of higher education, corresponding to ''universities'' and ''colleges'' in English. The term ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') is reserved for institutions with the right t ...

), the academy of arts ( Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, whose members include

Joseph Beuys Joseph Heinrich Beuys ( ; ; 12 May 1921 – 23 January 1986) was a German artist, teacher, performance artist, and Aesthetics, art theorist whose work reflected concepts of humanism and sociology. With Heinrich Böll, , Caroline Tisdall, Rober ...

Emanuel Leutze Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (May 24, 1816July 18, 1868) was a German-born American history painter, best known for his 1851 painting '' Washington Crossing the Delaware''. He is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting. Biography Leutze w ...

, August Macke,

Gerhard Richter Gerhard Richter (; born 9 February 1932) is a German visual artist. Richter has produced Abstract art, abstract as well as photorealistic paintings, photographs and Glass art, glass pieces. He is widely regarded as one of the most important con ...

, Sigmar Polke, and

Andreas Gursky Andreas Gursky (born 15 January 1955) is a German photographer and professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany. He is known for his Large format (photography), large format architecture and Landscape photography, landscape colour photog ...

), and the university of music ( Robert-Schumann-Musikhochschule Düsseldorf). The city is also known for its influence on electronic/experimental music (

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful a ...

) and its Japanese community. Düsseldorf is classified as a

GaWC The Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) is a British think tank that studies the relationships between world cities in the context of globalization. It is based in the geography department of Loughborough University in Leice ...

Beta+

world city A global city (also known as a power city, world city, alpha city, or world center) is a city that serves as a primary node in the global economic network. The concept originates from geography and urban studies, based on the thesis that glo ...

. Mercer's 2023 Quality of Living survey ranked Düsseldorf the tenth most livable city in the world.

History

Early development

When the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

was strengthening its position throughout Europe, a few

Germanic tribes The Germanic peoples were tribal groups who lived in Northern Europe in Classical antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. In modern scholarship, they typically include not only the Roman-era ''Germani'' who lived in both ''Germania'' and parts ...

clung on in

marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...

y territory off the eastern banks of the

. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the odd

farming Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

settlement could be found at the point where the small river Düssel flows into the Rhine. It was from such settlements that the city of Düsseldorf grew. Duesseldorf-Kupferstich-Merian

The first written mention of Düsseldorf (then called ''Dusseldorp'' in the local Low Rhenish dialect) dates back to 1135. Under Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa the small town of Kaiserswerth to the north of Düsseldorf became a well-fortified outpost, where soldiers kept a watchful eye on every movement on the Rhine. Kaiserswerth eventually became a suburb of Düsseldorf in 1929. In 1186, Düsseldorf came under the rule of the Counts of

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * General Berg (disambiguation) * Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer, born 1963), Ninimbergue dos Santos Guerra, Brazilian footba ...

. 14 August 1288 is one of the most important dates in the history of Düsseldorf, the day the sovereign Count

Adolf VIII of Berg Adolf VIII of Berg (also referred to as Adolf V) (c. 1240 – 28 September 1296) was the eldest son of Count Adolf VII of Berg and Margaret of Hochstaden.Walther Möller, ''Stammtafeln westdeutscher Adelsgeschlechter im Mittelalter'' (Darmstadt, 1 ...

granted

town privileges Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

to the village on the banks of the Düssel. Before this, a bloody struggle for power had taken place between the

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne governs the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne in western North Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, the archbishop was ''ex officio'' one of the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire and ruled the Electorate of Cologne ...

and his allies arrayed against the count of

and other local powers, culminating in the

Battle of Worringen The Battle of Worringen was fought on 5 June 1288 near the town of Worringen (also spelled Woeringen), which is now part of Chorweiler, the northernmost borough (Stadtbezirk) of Cologne. It was the decisive battle of the War of the Limburg Succe ...

. The Archbishop of Cologne's forces were wiped out by the forces of the count of

, who were supported by citizens and farmers of Cologne and Düsseldorf, paving the way for Düsseldorf's elevation to city status, which is commemorated today by a monument on the Burgplatz. After this battle the relationship between Cologne and Düsseldorf deteriorated, because they were commercial rivals; it is often said that there is a kind of hostility between the citizens of Cologne and Düsseldorf. Today, it finds its expression mainly in a humorous form (especially during the Rhineland '' Karneval'') and in sports. The custom of turning cartwheels is credited to the children of Düsseldorf. There are variations of the origin of the cartwheeling children. Today the symbol (Der Radschläger) represents the story and every year the Düsseldorfers celebrate by having a cartwheeling contest. A

market square A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...

sprang up on the banks of the Rhine and the square was protected by

city walls 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 such as curtain walls with to ...

on all four sides. In 1380, the dukes of

moved their seat to the town and Düsseldorf was made regional capital of the Duchy of Berg. During the following centuries several famous landmarks were built, including the . In 1609, the ducal line of the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg died out, and after a violent struggle over succession, Jülich and Berg fell to the

Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...

Counts of

Palatinate-Neuburg Palatinate-Neuburg () was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire, founded in 1505 by a branch of the House of Wittelsbach. Its capital was Neuburg an der Donau. Its area was about 2,750 km2, with a population of some 100,000. History The Du ...

, who made Düsseldorf their main domicile, even after they inherited the

Electorate of the Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate was a Imperial State, constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire until it was annexed by the Electorate of Baden in 1803. From the end of the 13th century, its ruler was one of the Prince-electors who elected the Holy ...

, in 1685, becoming now

Prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

s as Electors Palatine. Under the art-loving Johann Wilhelm II (r. 1690–1716), a vast

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

, with a huge selection of paintings and sculptures, was housed in the ''Stadtschloss'' (city castle). After his death, the city fell on hard times again, especially after Elector Charles Theodore inherited Bavaria and moved the electoral court to

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

. With him he took the art collection, which became part of what is now the

Alte Pinakothek The Alte Pinakothek (, ''Old Pinakothek'') is an art museum located in the Kunstareal area in Munich, Germany. It is one of the oldest galleries in the world and houses a significant collection of Old Master paintings. The name Alte (Old) Pin ...

in Munich. Destruction and poverty struck Düsseldorf after the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

made Berg a

Grand Duchy A grand duchy is a country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess. Prior to the early 1800s, the only Grand duchy in Europe was located in what is now Italy: Tuscany ( ...

and Düsseldorf its capital. Johann Devaranne, a leader of

Solingen Solingen (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr. After Wuppertal, it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of ...

's resistance to Napoleon's conscription decrees, was executed here in 1813. After Napoleon's defeat, the whole

including Berg was given to the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...

in 1815. The

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

's parliament was established in Düsseldorf. By the mid-19th century, Düsseldorf enjoyed a revival thanks to the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

as the city boasted 100,000 inhabitants by 1882; the figure doubled in 1892.

World War I

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

the

Royal Naval Air Service The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty (United Kingdom), Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British ...

(RNS) undertook the first Entente strategic bombing missions on 22 September 1914, when it bombed the Zeppelin bases in Düsseldorf.

Weimar Republic

In 1920, Düsseldorf became the centre of the

General Strike A general strike is a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coalitions ...

that grew out of the resistance to the Kapp Putsch. On 15 April 1920, 45 delegates of the German Miners Union were murdered by the

Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Düsseldorf was the location of a Nazi prison with several

forced labour Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, or violence, including death or other forms of ...

subcamps, five subcamps of the

Buchenwald concentration camp Buchenwald (; 'beech forest') was a German Nazi concentration camp established on Ettersberg hill near Weimar, Nazi Germany, Germany, in July 1937. It was one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps within the Altreich (pre-1938 ...

for mostly Polish and Soviet prisoners, but also French, Dutch, Belgian, Czech, Italian, Yugoslav, and a camp for

Sinti The Sinti (masc. sing. ''Sinto''; fem. sing. ''Sintetsa, Sinta'') are a subgroup of the Romani people. They are found mostly in Germany, France, Italy and Central Europe, numbering some 200,000 people. They were traditionally Itinerant groups i ...

and Romani people (see ''

Romani Holocaust The Romani Holocaust was the genocide of European Roma and Sinti people during World War II. Beginning in 1933, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted the European Roma, Sinti and other peoples pejoratively labeled 'Gypsy' through forcible ...

''). The Rabbi of the Düsseldorf Jewish Community fled to the Netherlands and died in KZ

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

in 1943. The city was a target of

strategic bombing during World War II World War II (1939–1945) involved sustained strategic bombing of railways, harbours, cities, workers' and civilian housing, and industrial districts in enemy territory. Strategic bombing as a military strategy is distinct both from close ...

, particularly during the RAF bombing campaign in 1943 when over 700 bombers were used in a single night. Raids continued late into the war. As part of the campaign against German oil facilities, the RAF raid of 20–21 February 1945 on the Rhenania Ossag refinery in the Reisholz district of the city halted oil production there. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Düsseldorf in mid-April 1945. The United States 97th Infantry Division easily captured the city on 18 April 1945, after the local German Resistance group launched Aktion Rheinland.

German Federal Republic

In 1946, Düsseldorf was made capital of the new

federal state A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing status of the c ...

. The city's reconstruction proceeded at a frantic pace and the economic transformation guided Düsseldorf's economic growth.

Geography

Physical geography

Düsseldorf lies at the centre of the

basin, where the delta of the Düssel flows into the Rhine. The city lies on the east side of the Rhine, except District 4 ( Oberkassel, Niederkassel,

Heerdt Heerdt is one of the older quarters of the city of Düsseldorf, part of Borough 4 (Düsseldorf), Borough 4. Heerdt and its neighbouring quarters Düsseldorf-Oberkassel, Oberkassel, Düsseldorf-Niederkassel, Niederkassel and Düsseldorf-Lörick, Lö ...

and Lörick). Across the Rhine, the city of

stands on the delta of the Erft. Düsseldorf lies southwest of the

urban area, and in the middle of the

metropolitan region. Düsseldorf is built entirely on

alluvium Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

, mud, sand, clay and occasionally gravel. The highest point in Düsseldorf is the top of Sandberg in the far eastern part of the city ( Hubbelrath borough) at . The lowest point is at the far northern end in Wittlaer borough where the Schwarzbach enters the Rhine, with an average elevation of .

Adjacent cities and districts

The following districts and cities border Düsseldorf (clockwise starting from the north): the City of Duisburg, the District of Mettmann (

Mettmann Mettmann () is a town in the northern part of the Bergisches Land, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the Mettmann (district), district of Mettmann, Germany's most densely populated rural district. The town lies ...

, Erkrath,

Hilden Hilden () is a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is situated in the Mettmann (district), District of Mettmann, west of Solingen and east of Düsseldorf on the right side of the Rhine. It is a middle sized industrial town ...

, Langenfeld, and Monheim), and the District of Neuss ( Dormagen, Neuss, and Meerbusch).

Climate

The city has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb'', mild in relation to

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

). Like the rest of the lower

, Düsseldorf experiences moderate winters with little snowfall and mild to warm summers. The average annual temperature is with an average yearly precipitation of . The dominant wind direction is from the west with velocities in the range of 3 to 4 m/s (7–9 mph), with gusts of 3.5 −4.8 m/s (8–10.7 mph). The wind is calm (defined as being under 2 m/s or 4.5 mph) about 35% of the time, more frequently at night and in the winter.

Demographics

With a population of 653,253 within the city boundaries (31 December 2022), Düsseldorf is Germany's sixth largest city. Its population surpassed the threshold of 100,000 inhabitants during the height of industrialisation in 1882, and peaked at just over 705,000 in 1962. The city then began to lose residents, with many moving into neighbouring municipalities. However, since the late 1990s, the city's population has been slowly rising again. A total of 109,883 (18%) of Düsseldorf's population are foreigners (as of 31 December 2008), the majority of whom come from within

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

(81,742). The largest national minorities are Turks,

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

, and

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

. Düsseldorf and its surroundings have the third-largest Japanese community in Europe and the largest in Germany (about 11,000 people). By 2019, the foreign population of Düsseldorf would grow to 152,255, or 23.6% of the population. As of 2019, 272,982 people, or 42.6% of residents had a migration background. Düsseldorf has the third-largest Jewish community in Germany, with about 7,000 members.

Government

Boroughs

Since 1975, Düsseldorf is divided into ten administrative boroughs. Each borough ('' Stadtbezirk'') has its own elected borough council (Bezirksvertretung) and its own borough mayor (Bezirksvorsteher). The borough councils are advisory only. Each borough is further subdivided into quarters (''

Stadtteil A quarter is a part of an urban area, urban settlement. A quarter can be administratively defined and its borders officially designated, and it may have its own administrative structure (subordinate to that of the city, town or other urban area ...

e''). There are 50 quarters in Düsseldorf.

Mayor

The current mayor of Düsseldorf is Stephan Keller of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who was elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Stephan Keller , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 83,425 , 34.1 , 118,308 , 56.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thomas Geisel , align=left,

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 Form ...

, 64,203 , 26.3 , 92,999 , 44.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Stefan Engstfeld , align=left,

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (, ), often simply referred to as Greens (, ), is a Green (politics), green political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of the Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (formed in East Ger ...

, 42,463 , 17.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann , align=left, Free Democratic Party , 30,584 , 12.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Florian Josef Hoffmann , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (, AfD, ) is a Far-right politics in Germany (1945–present), far-right,Far-right: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative p ...

, 6,564 , 2.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Udo Adam Bonn , align=left, The Left , 5,257 , 2.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Dominique Mirus , 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 magazine ...

, 3,039 , 1.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Mark Schenk , align=left, Volt Germany , 2,255 , 0.9 , - , , align=left, Claudia Krüger , align=left, Animal Welfare Here! , 1,939 , 0.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Hans-Joachim Grumbach , align=left,

Free Voters Free Voters (, FW) is a political party in Germany. It originates as an umbrella organisation of several Free Voters Associations (), associations of people which participate in an election without having the status of a registered party. These a ...

, 1,192 , 0.5 , - , , align=left, Celine Coldewe , align=left, Climate List Düsseldorf , 954 , 0.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Michael Baumeister , 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 Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

, 947 , 0.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Marc Olejak , align=left, Pirate Party Germany , 792 , 0.3 , - , , align=left, Markus Brakonier , align=left, German Sport Party , 383 , 0.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Andre Maniera , align=left, The Republicans , 325 , 0.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 244,322 ! 98.8 ! 211,307 ! 99.3 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 3,008 ! 1.2 ! 1,571 ! 0.7 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 247,330 ! 100.0 ! 212,878 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 470,511 ! 52.6 ! 470,312 ! 45.3 , - , colspan=7, Source: State Returning Officer

City council

The Düsseldorf city council (''Düsseldorfer 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 ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 81,833 , 33.4 , 3.3 , 30 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(Grüne) , 58,881 , 24.0 , 10.3 , 22 , 11 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(SPD) , 43,949 , 17.9 , 11.4 , 16 , 8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 22,453 , 9.2 , 2.2 , 8 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 9,951 , 4.1 , 1.1 , 4 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(AfD) , 8,776 , 3.6 , 0.6 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 4,512 , 1.8 , New , 2 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(PARTEI) , 4,371 , 1.8 , New , 2 , New , - , , align=left, Animal Welfare Here! (Tierschutz hier!) , 3,437 , 1.4 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(FW) , 2,212 , 0.9 , 0.3 , 1 , ±0 , - , , align=left, Climate List Düsseldorf (Klimaliste) , 2,124 , 0.9 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey, , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party Germany (Piraten) , 1,464 , 0.6 , 1.1 , 0 , 1 , - , , align=left, German Sport Party (DSP) , 642 , 0.3 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Republicans (REP) , 586 , 0.2 , 0.4 , 0 , 1 , - , , align=left, RESISTANCE 2020 We for Düsseldorf , 76 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 245,271 ! 99.2 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 2,085 ! 0.8 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 247,356 ! 100.0 ! ! 90 ! 8 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 470,511 ! 52.6 ! 3.4 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source: State Returning Officer

Economy

Düsseldorf has become one of the top

telecommunications Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...

centres in Germany. With two of the four big German providers of mobile frequencies, D2 Vodafone and

E-Plus E-Plus was a mobile telecommunications operator in Germany. With more than 25 million subscribers, E-Plus was the third largest mobile operator in Germany, until the takeover from Telefónica Germany in October, 2014. Ownership E-Plus was o ...

, Düsseldorf leads the German

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

market. There are many foreign information and communication technology companies in Düsseldorf such as

Huawei Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Huawei" sometimes stylized as "HUAWEI"; ; zh, c=华为, p= ) is a Chinese multinational corporationtechnology company in Longgang, Shenzhen, Longgang, Shenzhen, Guangdong. Its main product lines include teleco ...

, NTT,

Ericsson (), commonly known as Ericsson (), is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Ericsson has been a major contributor to the development of the telecommunications industry and is one ...

Oppo Oppo (sometimes stylized as OPPO) is a private company, private China, Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Founded in 2004, its major product lines include Oppo phones, smartphones, Smart device, sm ...

, Vivo and

Xiaomi Xiaomi (; ) is a Chinese multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Beijing, China. It is best known for consumer electronics software electric vehicles. It is the second-largest manufacturer of smartphones in the worl ...

. There are 18

internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, no ...

s located in the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia. There are two airlines with headquarters in the city:

Eurowings Eurowings GmbH is a Germany, German low-cost carrier headquartered in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. Founded in 1996, it serves a network of domestic and European destinations and main ...

and formerly independent LTU International. Many of the internet companies in Düsseldorf have their roots in the world of advertising: there are 400

advertising agencies An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generall ...

in Düsseldorf, among them four of the largest in Germany: BBDO Worldwide, Havas Worldwide, Grey Global Group and

Publicis Publicis Groupe S.A. is a French multinational advertising and public relations company. As of 2024, the company is the largest advertising company in the world by revenue. Based in Paris, it is one of the 'Big Four' advertising commpanies, al ...

. A number of affiliates of foreign agencies deserve mention as well, such as

Ogilvy & Mather Ogilvy is a New York City-based British advertising, marketing, and public relations agency. It was founded in 1850 by Edmund Mather as a London-based agency. In 1964, the firm became known as Ogilvy & Mather after merging with a New York City a ...

Dentsu , simply known as , stylized as dentsu, is a Japanese international advertising and public relations joint stock company headquartered in Tokyo. Dentsu is the largest advertising agency in Japan and the fifth largest advertising agency network in ...

Hakuhodo is a Japanese advertising and public relations company owned by Hakuhodo DY Holdings. It is headquartered at Akasaka Biz Tower in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. History Hakuhodo is one of the oldest advertising agencies in Japan and was founded ...

TBWA TBWA Worldwide is an international advertising agency whose main headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. Since 1993, the agency has been a unit of Omnicom Group, the world's second largest advertising agency holding ...

, and DDB. There are also about 200 publishing houses in Düsseldorf. Businesses operating in Düsseldorf include Peek & Cloppenburg (fashion);

Uniper Uniper SE is a German multinational energy company based in Düsseldorf, Germany, which has been a state-owned enterprise since late 2022. It is one of the biggest energy companies by revenue in Europe. The name of the company is a portmanteau o ...

(electricity generation);

L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French multinational personal care corporation registered in Paris

Germany (Cosmetics and Beauty); Net mobile AG (business-to-business service provider in mobile telecommunications);

Henkel Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. Founded in 1876, the DAX company is organized into two globally operating business units (Cons ...

AG & Co. KGaA (Branded Consumer Goods and Industrial technologies); Teekanne GmbH & Co. KG (

tea bag A tea bag (or teabag) is a small, porous, sealed bag or Packet (container), packet typically containing tea leaves (''Camellia sinensis'') or the leaves of other herbs, which is immersed in water to steeping, steep and make an infusion. Origina ...

s and iced teas products); Metro (wholesale, retail); Ceconomy (retail); Esprit Holdings (fashion, headquarters in Ratingen near Düsseldorf);

BASF BASF SE (), an initialism of its original name , is a European Multinational corporation, multinational company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters are located in Ludwigshafen, Ge ...

Personal Care & Nutrition (formerly

Cognis Cognis was a worldwide supplier of specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients, headquartered in Monheim am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The company employs about 5,600 people and operates production or service centers in almost 3 ...

– chemicals, headquarters in Monheim near Düsseldorf, but production mainly in Düsseldorf).

Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-B ...

builds the

Mercedes-Benz Sprinter The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light commercial vehicle (van) built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a large van, chassis cab, minibus, and pickup truck. In the past, the Sprinter had been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, ...

light commercial vehicles in Düsseldorf. Since the 1960s, there has been a strong relationship between the city and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Many Japanese banks and corporations have their European headquarters in Düsseldorf – so many that Düsseldorf has the third largest Japanese community in Europe, after

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The "Kö", which stands for Königsallee ("King's Avenue"), is a shopping destination. Many jewellery shops, designer labels, and galleries have store locations here. The Kö has among the highest rents for retail and office space in Germany.

Financial center

The city is an important

financial center A financial centre (financial center in American English) or financial hub is a location with a significant concentration of commerce in financial services. The commercial activity that takes place in a financial centre may include banking, ...

. More than 30,000 people work for the financial and insurance sector in Düsseldorf. There are around 170 national and

international financial institutions An international financial institution (IFI) is a financial institution that has been established (or chartered) by more than one country, and hence is subject to international law. Its owners or shareholders are generally national governments, alt ...

, and about 130 insurance agencies, and one of Germany's eight

stock exchange A stock exchange, securities exchange, or bourse is an exchange where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock, bonds and other financial instruments. Stock exchanges may also provide facilities for ...

HSBC HSBC Holdings plc ( zh, t_hk=滙豐; initialism from its founding member The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation) is a British universal bank and financial services group headquartered in London, England, with historical and business li ...

has its German headquarters in Düsseldorf and employs 3,000 people. NRW.BANK is a development bank of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the largest state development bank in Germany. NRW.BANK was spun off from WestLB in 2002. Today

Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (, ) is a Germany, German multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. ...

and

Commerzbank The Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft (shortly known as Commerzbank AG or Commerzbank ) is a European Financial institution, banking institution headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany. It offers services to private and entrepreneurial c ...

have major branches in Düsseldorf with about 2,000 employees. Düsseldorf is also the most important German financial center for Japanese credit institutions.

MUFG Bank is a Japanese bank and the core banking subsidiary of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG). It was established on January 1, 2006 through the merger of the and , two major banking groups that themselves were the product of recent banking ...

, SMBC and Mizuho have offices in Düsseldorf. Also the German retail banking division of Santander (known as Santander Consumer Bank) has its headquarters in the Düsseldorf region. Some major insurance companies such as

ERGO Ergo may refer to: * A Latin word meaning "therefore" as in Cogito ergo sum *'' Ergo (journal)'', an academic journal * A Greek word έργο meaning "work", used as a prefix ergo-, for example, in ergonomics. * Ergometer (rowing), an indoor row ...

, a subsidiary of

Munich Re Munich Re Group or Munich Reinsurance Company () is a German Multinational corporation, multinational insurance company based in Munich, Germany. It is the world's largest reinsurance, reinsurer. ERGO Insurance Group, ERGO, a subsidiary of Munich ...

, and ARAG are located in the city. Several other major financial service companies have their headquarters in the city.

Media

Important newspapers and journals such as ''

Handelsblatt The ''Handelsblatt'' (literally "commerce paper" in English) is a German-language business newspaper published in Düsseldorf by Handelsblatt Media Group, formerly known as Verlagsgruppe Handelsblatt. History and profile ''Handelsblatt'' was es ...

'', ''Rheinische Post'', ''Wirtschaftswoche'', ''Deutsches Wirtschaftsblatt'' and ''VDI-Nachrichten'' are published in Düsseldorf. Almost all of these papers are available online. Renowned filmmaking companies, such as Germany's biggest cinema enterprise, the Riech Group, and TV channels such as Westdeutscher Rundfunk, WDR and QVC are located in Düsseldorf. The ''Film- und Medienstiftung NRW'' foundation supports the production of film and new media. With regard to movies and movie theatres in Düsseldorf, moviegoers are able to view movies in a range of different languages. Many mainstream movies are shown in English, Spanish, French, and German.

Transport

Düsseldorf Airport

Düsseldorf Airport, also referred to as Rhein-Ruhr Airport, is located north of the city centre and can easily be reached by train or the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn, S-Bahn urban railway. There is a Düsseldorf Airport station, long-distance train station served by regional and national services, which is linked to the airport by the Düsseldorf SkyTrain, SkyTrain, an automatic people mover. Another station situated under the terminal building carries the S-Bahn line (S11 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn), S11) to Düsseldorf Central Station, and to

as well as a few selected night services. After those of Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin, Düsseldorf Airport is Germany's fourth largest airport, commercial airport, with 25.5 million passengers annually (2019). The airport offers 180 destinations on four continents, and is served by 70 airlines. The airport buildings were partly destroyed by a devastating fire caused by welding works in 1996, killing 17 people. Following this event, it was completely rebuilt and the Skytrain was installed.

Railway

The city is a major hub in the Deutsche Bahn (DB) railway network. More than 1,000 trains stop in Düsseldorf daily. Düsseldorf Central Station at Konrad-Adenauer-Platz is located in Düsseldorf-Stadtmitte. Several Rhein-Ruhr S-Bahn lines connect Düsseldorf to other cities of

. Local Trams in Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Straßenbahn and light rail Düsseldorf Stadtbahn traffic, as well as local bus traffic, is carried out by the city-owned Rheinbahn which operates within the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, VRR public transport system. The light rail system also serves neighbouring cities and is partially operated underground. The Central Station and the Airport Station (Flughafen-Bahnhof) are connected to the national and High-speed rail in Europe, European high-speed systems (Intercity/Eurocity, IC/EC and InterCityExpress).

Taxi

In Düsseldorf there are 1320 officially licensed taxis. According to the regulations, the cars are always ivory coloured. On the back window you always find a black number on a yellow patch. Credit card payment has to be accepted at the taxi stands at Düsseldorf Airport. The supply of taxis in Düsseldorf is above the German average. Two taxi organisations cover the market. The larger organisation, "Taxi-Düsseldorf", offers more than 1180 cabs in different sizes. The smaller one is "Rhein-Taxi" with more than 120 cabs. It is obligatory to carry out any journeys to destinations within the city and directly neighbouring cities.

Carsharing

In addition to stationary car sharing, where vehicles must be returned to their original location after use, one-way carsharing vehicles have also been available for hire since 2012. These vehicles, which can be parked anywhere where parking is normally allowed within Düsseldorf, can be rented from Car2go, Greenwheels, Stadtmobil and DriveNow.

Highway

has the densest network of Highway, highways in Germany and Düsseldorf is directly accessible via the Bundesautobahn 3, A3, Bundesautobahn 44, A44, Bundesautobahn 46, A46, Bundesautobahn 52, A52, Bundesautobahn 57, A57, Bundesautobahn 59, A59 and Bundesautobahn 524, A524.

Cycling

Düsseldorf is connected to some national and international cycling paths, including EV15 The Rhine Cycle Route. The city of Düsseldorf is a member of the German North Rhine-Westphalia District, Municipality and City Friends of Pedestrians and Cyclists Working Group, who bestowed upon Düsseldorf the title of "Friend of Cyclists City" in 2007, although the city still has a few gaps in the network of cycle paths in the eyes of many of its citizens.

Culture and recreation

Elector Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, Jan Wellem and his wife Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici of Tuscany, were patrons of Düsseldorf's first significant cultural activities in the 17th and 18th centuries. Heinrich Heine, whose 200th birthday was celebrated in 1997 and who originally had a proposed Heinrich Heine Memorial, memorial in the city dedicated to him; Clara and Robert Schumann; and Felix Mendelssohn, are the most prominent artists related to the city, which is home to a distinguished Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts, Academy of Fine Arts. The Düsseldorf cultural scene comprises traditional and avant-garde, classical and popular. The world-famous state art collection of North Rhine-Westphalia, the highly acclaimed Deutsche Oper am Rhein (opera), and the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (theatre), artistic home of Gustaf Gründgens, are major elements of Düsseldorf's reputation as a centre of the fine arts.

Beer

Düsseldorf is well known for its Altbier, a hoppy beer which translates as ''old [style] beer'', a reference to the pre-lager brewing method of using a warm top-fermenting yeast like British pale ales. Over time the Alt yeast adjusted to lower temperatures, and the Alt brewers would store or lager the beer after fermentation, leading to a cleaner, crisper beer. The name "altbier" first appeared in the 19th century to differentiate the beers of Düsseldorf from the new pale lager that was gaining a hold on Germany. Brewers in Düsseldorf used the pale malts that were used for the modern pale lagers, but retained the old ("alt") method of using warm fermenting yeasts. The first brewery to use the name Alt was Schumacher, which opened in 1838. The founder, Mathias Schumacher, allowed the beer to mature in cool conditions in wooden casks for longer than normal, and laid the foundation for the modern alt – amber coloured and lagered. The result is a pale beer that has some of the lean dryness of a lager but with fruity notes as well. There are five pub-breweries in Düsseldorf which brew Altbier on the premises: Füchschen, Schumacher, Schlüssel, Uerige and Brauerei Kürzer. Four of the five are in the historic centre of Düsseldorf (Altstadt); the other (Schumacher), between the Altstadt and Düsseldorf Central railway station (Hauptbahnhof), also maintains an establishment in the Altstadt, Im Goldenen Kessel, across the street from Schlüssel. Each (except Brauerei Kürzer) produces a special, secret, seasonal "Sticke" version in small quantities, though the names vary: Schlüssel spells it "Stike", without the "c", while Schumacher calls its special beer "Latzenbier", meaning "slat beer", possibly because the kegs from which it was poured had been stored on raised shelves.Horst Dornbusch, ''Altbier'', Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications. Füchschen's seasonal is its Weihnachtsbier (Christmas beer), available in bottles starting mid-November, and served in the brewpub on Christmas Eve.

Music and nightlife

Düsseldorf has been home to a number of influential music artists and bands, particularly in the Electronic music, electronic and krautrock genres, with

being the most prominent example. As one source describes, "This is the place where Neu! conceived the motorik beat, Harmonia (band), Harmonia dreamed up ambient, Die Krupps expanded the idea of industrial, and where those brilliant mensch-maschines Kraftwerk, declared: 'We are the robots'." Since the 1950s the "Kom(m)ödchen" has been one of the most prominent political cabarets of Germany. The city's best-known contribution to the culture of modern popular music is the influential avant-garde electronic music, electronic band

. Formed by two Düsseldorf-born musicians,

is internationally known as the most significant band in the history of post-war Music of Germany, German music and as pioneers in electronic music.Desperately seeking Kraftwerk
; "Kraftwerk [was] so far ahead of [its] time that the rest of the world...spent 25 years inventing new musical genres in an attempt to catch up. Another famous Synth-pop band to come from the city was Propaganda (band), Propaganda. House, techno, hip-hop, trip-hop, synth-pop, trance, electroclash: Kraftwerk's influence looms over all of them. It's difficult to imagine what rock and pop music would sound like today if Kraftwerk had never existed", ''The Guardian'', 24 July 2003; accessed 8 December 2014. Other influential musical groups originating from Düsseldorf include Neu!, formed in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother, after their split from Kraftwerk, and La Düsseldorf, also formed by Dinger in 1976 shortly after Neu! disbanded. Both groups had a significant influence on a variety of subsequent rock music, rock, post-punk, and electronic music artists. Internationally known power metal band Warlock (band), Warlock was formed in Düsseldorf in 1982. Its frontwoman, Doro (musician), Doro Pesch, has had a successful solo career in Europe and Asia since Warlock (band), Warlock ended. The punk rock, punk band Die Toten Hosen, the electronic act Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, D.A.F., as well as the electronic/industrial pioneers Die Krupps, all originated in Düsseldorf. Düsseldorf appears in several songs, including ''Düsseldorf'' by the British indie band Teleman and ''Wärst du doch in Düsseldorf geblieben'' by Danish singer Dorthe Kollo.

Fashion

Düsseldorf has been the fashion capital of Germany History of Germany (1945–1990), for decades; it is also a major cultural center for the art scene. Berlin, Germany's 'fashion capital' until 1945, lost its position because of its History of Berlin, special location within the Soviet occupation zone. After the monetary reform of 20 June 1948, fashionable clothes trends gained importance. Igedo organised fashion shows staged in Düsseldorf starting in March 1949. There are a number of schools dedicated to fashion design in Düsseldorf, among them ''Akademie Mode & Design'' (:de:AMD Akademie Mode & Design, de), ''Design Department'', and ''Mode Design College''.

Carnival

One of the biggest cultural events in Düsseldorf is the ''Carnival, Karneval'' (also referred to as the "fifth season") which starts every year on 11 November at 11:11 a.m., and reaches its climax on ''Rosenmontag'' (Rose Monday), featuring a huge parade through the streets of Düsseldorf. ''Karneval'' ends on ''Aschermittwoch'' (Ash Wednesday).

Düsseldorf's cartwheeler

The ''Düsseldorfer Radschläger'' (''boy who does Cartwheel (gymnastics), cartwheels'') is said to be the city's oldest tradition. The symbol of the cartwheeler can be found on souvenirs and various things in Düsseldorf have cartwheelers to thank for their names.

Legends of its origin and history

The tradition cannot be linked to one specific historical event. Instead, there are several stories surrounding the beginnings of the Düsseldorf cartwheelers. Probably the most well known version is the

. In the battle of 1288, Adolf VIII of Berg, Count Adolf devastatingly defeated the Archbishop of

. As a consequence of this victory, Düsseldorf obtained

. Inhabitants, especially children, ran joyfully on the streets and performed Cartwheel (gymnastics), cartwheels. Another story talks about a wedding procession during which one of the wheels of the wedding carriage broke. In order to fend off the threat of bad luck, a boy supposedly jumped up to the carriage, took hold of the wheel and thus became a living part of the wheel. Whether the story is about the marriage of Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, Jan Wellem and Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici or the wedding of Margravine Jakobea of Baden and John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, Johann Wilhelm is debatable. Another story gives an account of the wedding between Margrave Jacobe von Baden and Johann Wilhelm in 1585. According to legend, she felt miserable about her marriage, but the cartwheelers who displayed their skills next to her carriage were able to make her smile. Numerous travelers were attracted to the city by great exhibitions – the forerunner of today's fairs – between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. During this time the children who did cartwheels found out that it was a profitable source of income. The bourgeoisie accepted this in good humour as a symbolic act of local patriotism. In the beginning the lads shouted ''"för eene Penning schlage ich das Rad"'' (a cartwheel for a penny). The Jan Wellem monument returned to Düsseldorf at the end of the Second World War. The procession was accompanied by torches, fanfares and cartwheeling boys.

=Cartwheelers in the cityscape

= Cartwheelers can be found at several fountains within the city and near many small landmarks. The most famous is Cartwheeler's Fountain in ''Burgplatz'' (:de:Burgplatz (Düsseldorf), de) with an inscription of a quote by Hans Müller-Schlösser: "''Radschläger wolle mer blieve, wie jeck et de Minschen och drieve''" (We will always remain cartwheelers, however crazy it drives people.) The fountain was designed by Alfred Zschorsch in 1954 and donated by ''Heimatverein Düsseldorfer Jonges'', which is a club devoted to the maintenance of local and regional traditions. There are other cartwheelers that decorate storm drains and the door knocker on the Church of Lambertus, designed by Friedrich Becker. He created the cartwheeler in front of the Schadow Arcades. The tradition has been kept alive by the ''Alde Düsseldorfer Bürgergesellschaft von 1920 e. V.'', a society founded in 1920, which organized the first cartwheeler competition on 17 October 1937. This event has been held annually since 1971 in cooperation with the ''Stadtsparkasse'' (a local bank). Formerly held in the ''Königsallee'', it has taken place since 2006 on the ''Rheinwerft'', near the old part of town. This is a fixed date in the city's calendar of events. About 500 boys regularly participate in the event and girls have also taken part since 1971. In an art project ''Radschläger-Kunst'' (Cartwheeler Art) launched in 2001, over 100 cartwheeler sculptures were designed by various artists. The door knocker on the Church of Lambertus served as a model for the sculptures that are high, wide and deep. They were positioned around the city centre. Some of the sculptures have been auctioned off to companies and private owners.

Christmas market

Every Christmas, the city of Düsseldorf uses the city centre to host one of the largest Christmas gatherings in Germany. The Christmas festival occurs every year from 17 November until 23 December. This Christmas festival is responsible for a large portion of tourism every year as many people from nearby areas come to the city to drink mulled wine and hot chocolate and watch craftsmen Glassblowing, blow glass and create art. The event takes place among many small wooden buildings all clustered in the middle of the city for all the citizens to enjoy. The event, to many visitors, has an old European feel, but is very lively.

Cuisine

Traditional meals in the region are Rheinischer Sauerbraten (a beef roast and sometimes horse marinated for a few days in vinegar and spices served with gravy and raisins) and Himmel und erde, Heaven and Earth (Himmel und Äd; black pudding with stewed apples mixed with mashed potatoes). In winter the people like to eat Muscheln Rheinischer Art (Rhenish-style mussels) as well as Reibekuchen which is a fried potato pancake served with apple sauce. Düsseldorf is known for its strong Dijon mustard, Dijon-like Mustard (condiment), mustard served in a traditional pot called "Mostertpöttche", which was immortalised in a still life by Vincent van Gogh in 1884. Therefore, also among the local dishes is the Düsseldorfer Senfrostbraten, including medium rare steaks roasted with Düsseldorf mustard and onion crust. Sides may include roast potatoes and a small salad in a restaurant, making this local dish a menu staple where upscale cuisine is served. Düsseldorf's Old Town has over 250 pubs and bars, often serving Altbier in a 0.25-liter glass. Düsseldorf Altbier is top-fermented beer of spicy aroma. The Rhine Metropolis is one of the most diverse areas in terms of culinary diversity. Düsseldorf, with the third largest Japanese community in Europe, not only provides a wide range of cuisine but also has a solid foundation of authentic Asian food in the city. Düsseldorf's exceptional cuisine has been recognized by the worldwide leading travel guide Lonely Planet. Along with a broad range of diverse cultural cuisine, Düsseldorf is also home to various Michelin starred restaurants that are world renowned. Local specialties include: Halve Hahn – this dish is made from a half a double rye roll, which is another of the specialties of Düsseldorf, buttered, with a thick slice of aged Gouda cheese, onions, mustard, ground paprika and sour pickles. Himmel un Aad – a dish of mashed potatoes and apples along with slices of blutwurst. Caramelized onions are usually served with this meal. Reibekuchen is another famous dish from Düsseldorf; this dish is usually drizzled with Rübensyrup (beet syrup) and is served on pumpernickel slices along with applesauce.

Literature

The ''Förderpreis für Literatur der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf'' is a German Literary award donated by the City of Düsseldorf in Northrhine-Westphalia. The Prize for Literature in support of the City of Düsseldorf is awarded since 1972 by the Council of the City due to the decisions of the courts. The ''Förderpreis für Literatur der Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf'' is given once a year to artists and groups, especially to the areas of poetry, writing, review and translation.

Rivalry with Cologne

Düsseldorf and

have had a "fierce regional rivalry". The rivalry includes Carnival in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, carnival parades, Association football, football, ice hockey and beer. People in Cologne prefer Kölsch (beer), Kölsch while people in Düsseldorf prefer Altbier. Some Waiters and patrons will "scorn" and make a "mockery" of people who order Alt beer in Cologne and Kölsch in Düsseldorf. The rivalry has been described as a "love-hate relationship".

Theatres

* Apollo (varieté, circus; shows do not require knowledge of German language) * Capitol Theater (Düsseldorf), Capitol (musicals) * Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Opera; Ballet) * Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus; the theatre started with theatrical performances in 1585 * Düsseldorfer Marionetten-Theater * Merkur Spiel-Arena (Venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011) * Forum Freies Theater, FFT – Forum Freies Theater (intimate theatre) * Junges Theater in der Altstadt * Klangraum (20th-century classical music) * Kom(m)ödchen (Political cabaret) * Komödie Düsseldorf * Palais Wittgenstein * Puppentheater an der Helmholtzstraße (puppetry) * Robert-Schumann-Saal * Savoy-Theater * Seniorentheater in der Altstadt * Tanzhaus NRW (theatre for dance) * Tonhalle Düsseldorf (concert hall for classical music, jazz, pop, cabaret) * Theater an der Kö * Theater an der Luegallee * Theateratelier Takelgarn * Theater Flin * Theater Glorreich

Museums, arts and history institutes, and other attractions

* Akademie-Galerie (exhibition space of the Art Academy Düsseldorf) * Andreaskirche * Aquazoo-Löbbecke-Museum (aquarium and zoological museum) * TvTower * BRAUSE – Vereinsheim des Metzgerei Schnitzel Kunstvereins e.V. * Film museum * Filmstiftung NRW (NRW Film Foundation) * Forum NRW * Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Goethe-Museum * Heinrich-Heine-Institut * Heinrich Heine Birth-house * :de:Hetjens Museum, Hetjens Museum (German museum of ceramics) * Imai – inter media art institute * Institut Français Düsseldorf * Institut für Kunstdokumentation und Szenografie (Institute for Art Documentation and Scenography) * Julia Stoschek, Julia Stoschek Collection (video art) * KAI 10, Raum für Kunst * Kulturbahnhof Eller * Kunstarchiv Kaiserswerth (works of Bernd and Hilla Becher/Kahmen Collection) * Kunst im Tunnel (KIT) * Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (Art Collection Northrhine-Westphalia) – K20 (Grabbeplatz) and K21 (Ständehaus) * Kunsthalle Düsseldorf * Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen (Society for the Promotion of the Fine Arts) * Museum Kunstpalast * Mahn- und Gedenkstätte für die Opfer des Nationalsozialmus (Memorial museum for victims of Nazism, Nationalsocialism) * Onomato * Polish Institute, Polnisches Institut Düsseldorf * Puppentheater an der Helmholtzstraße * Rathaus * Reinraum e.V. – Verein zur Förderung von Kunst und Kultur * (Rhine Tower; highest building and landmark of Düsseldorf) * * Schiffahrt Museum * Schloss Jägerhof * Schlossturm * Schloss und Park Benrath (palace and park of Benrath) * Stadtbibliothek * Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf, Stadtmuseum (City history museum) * Statue of Jan Wellem * Theatermuseum, Düsseldorf * Triton Museum * Volkshochschule * Zakk – cultural centre with concerts, readings, debates and party Koenigsallee 2019 -WPWP

Parks and gardens

* Botanischer Garten Düsseldorf, a modern botanical garden * Hofgarten * The Nordpark, with the Aquazoo * The Südfriedhof (The South Cemetery)
Volksgarten adjacent to Südpark

Sports and live events

Düsseldorf's main Association football, football team Fortuna Düsseldorf won the 1933 German championship, the German Cup in 1979 and 1980, and were finalists in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1979. They currently play in the 2. Bundesliga, after being relegated from the Bundesliga in 2020. They play their matches in the Merkur Spiel-Arena (formerly known as the "ESPIRIT Arena" from 2009-2018 and as the "LTU Arena" before 2009), a multi-functional stadium with a capacity of 54,500 people. Düsseldorf was one of nine host cities for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, and is one of ten venues staging the UEFA Euro 2024, 2024 UEFA European Championship. The Rochusclub Düsseldorf has hosted the tennis World Team Cup from 1978 until 2012. Düsseldorf also hosted the List of Tour de France Grands Départs, Grand Départ for the 2017 Tour de France, Tour de France in July 2017. Other sports in Düsseldorf are ice hockey (the Düsseldorfer EG which play in the PSD Bank Dome) and American football. The Düsseldorf Panther are one of the most successful teams in Germany with six German Bowl titles and the Eurobowl victory in 1995. In addition the Junior Team are the most successful youth department in Germany with fifteen German Junior Bowl, Junior Bowl victories. Rhein Fire (NFL Europe), Rhine Fire Düsseldorf were an established team of the NFL Europa, NFL Europe and won the World Bowl two times in 1998 and 2000. Düsseldorf has a successful rugby union team (Düsseldorf Dragons), who as of 2017/18 play in the western division of the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German rugby. Table tennis is also played (Borussia Düsseldorf – the most successful team in Germany with Timo Boll), as are team handball, handball (HSG Düsseldorf), basketball (Düsseldorf Giants), baseball (Düsseldorf Senators) and dance, dancing (Rot-Weiß Düsseldorf). Düsseldorf also has a Cricket team, the Düsseldorf Blackcaps, who play in the regional NRW league. The city hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

Education

University of Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf is located in the southern part of the city. It has about 30,000 students and a wide range of subjects in natural sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, philosophy, social sciences, arts, languages, medicine, pharmacy, economy and the law. Other academic institutions include: * the Clara Schumann Musikschule (music school) * the Robert Schumann Hochschule * the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (Academy of Fine art, Fine Arts) which is famous for high-profile artists like Joseph Beuys, Paul Klee, Nam June Paik, Gerhard Richter, the Bechers, and Andreas Gursky * the

(University of Applied science, Applied Sciences) * the AMD Academy of Fashion and Design * the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH, Max Planck Institute for Iron Research * the Goethe-Institut, Goethe Institute * Verwaltungs- und Wirtschafts-Akademie Düsseldorf * WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management (Düsseldorf Campus) International primary and secondary schools: * International School of Düsseldorf * Lycée français de Düsseldorf, Lycée français international Simone Veil * Japanische Internationale Schule in Düsseldorf

Notable buildings

* (TV tower), the city's main landmark (1982: , since 2004: ), the lights of which comprise the world's largest digital clock * The Frank Gehry designed ''Neuer Zollhof'' in the Düsseldorf media harbour * The Colorium, an 18-storey tower designed by Alsop and Partners, also in the Düsseldorf media harbour * The Schloss Benrath, Benrather Schloss (Benrath palace) * The Grupello-Haus, probably designed by the Italian architect in 1706 for Duke Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, Johann Wilhelm * The Wilhelm Marx House of 1922/24: at twelve storeys high, it was Germany's first Skyscraper, high-rise building. * The Stahlhof of 1906, the administrative centre of Germany's steel economy until 1945 * The Stummhaus of 1925, another early German high-rise building * Düsseldorf-Gerresheim, Gerresheim Basilica * * Hotel Römischer Kaiser, built in 1903–04 * DRV Tower, tower constructed in 1978 * GAP 15, an building constructed in 2005 near Königsallee * ARAG-Tower; at in height, it is Düsseldorf's highest office, office building; designed by Sir Norman Foster. * Eight bridges span the Rhine at Düsseldorf; they, too, are city landmarks. * Eastern pylon of Reisholz Rhine Powerline Crossing, an electricity pylon under whose legs runs a rail * Johanneskirche, Düsseldorf

Notable places

* Königsallee, shopping street with luxury shops * Schloss Benrath, rococo castle * Altstadt (Düsseldorf), literally "old town", the historic town centre with the town hall ''Altes Rathaus'' from 1573. Nowadays Düsseldorf's entertainment district with hundreds of pubs and restaurants, and proverbially known by Germans as "the longest bar in the world". * Düsseldorf-Hafen; the harbour is a modern build district. * Kaiserswerth, historical district with the ruined castle of Barbarossa Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor * Schloss Heltorf, the biggest palace in Düsseldorf, since 1662 homestead of the noble family ''Grafen von Spee'' * Hofgarten, Düsseldorf, Hofgarten, old city park * Schloss Jägerhof, an old hunting lodge at the Hofgarten, today a Goethe Museum

Twin towns – sister cities

Düsseldorf is Sister city, twinned with: * Reading, Berkshire, Reading, England (1988) * Chemnitz, Germany (1988) * Haifa, Israel (1988) * Warsaw, Poland (1989) * Chongqing, China (2004) * Palermo, Italy (2016) * Chiba Prefecture, Japan (2019) * Chernivtsi, Ukraine (2022) * Moscow, Russia (1992); suspended due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Friendship and cooperation

Düsseldorf also cooperates with: * Toulouse, France (2003) * Tenerife, Spain (2003) * Shenyang, China (2004) * Guangzhou, China (2006) * Montreal, Canada (2015) * Portland, Oregon, United States of America (2024)

Notable people

Born before 1850

* Anne of Cleves (1515–1557), Married to Henry VIII * François-Charles de Velbrück (1719–1784), Prince-Bishop of Liège * Helena Curtens (1722–1738), last victim of the witch trials in the Lower Rhine * Johann Georg Jacobi (1740–1814), writer * Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743–1819), philosopher and writer * Peter von Cornelius (1783–1867), painter * Heinrich Heine (1797–1856), poet and writer * Lorenz Clasen (1812–1899), painter * Wilhelm Camphausen (1818–1885), painter * Louise Strantz (1823–1909), composer and singer * Paul von Hatzfeldt (1831–1901), diplomat * Anton Josef Reiss (1835–1900), sculptor * Eugen Richter (1838–1906), politician and publicist * Arnold Forstmann (1842–1914), landscape painter * Peter Janssen (1844–1908), painter, professor at the Art Academy * Karl Rudolf Sohn (1845–1908), painter * Felix Klein (1849–1925), mathematician

Born 1851–1900

* Georg Wenker (1852–1911), linguist, founder of linguistic atlas of the German Reich (Wenkeratlas) * Karl Janssen (1855–1927), sculptor, professor at the Art Academy * Leopold Graf von Kalckreuth (1855–1928), painter * Maria Countess von Kalckreuth (1857–1897), painter * Bruno Schmitz (1858–1916), architect * Otto Hupp (1859–1949), signature graphic artist, engraver * Albert Herzfeld (1865–1943), painter and author * Agnes Elisabeth Overbeck (1870–1919), composer and pianist * Hanns Heinz Ewers (1871–1943), writer and filmmaker * Wilhelm Levison (1876–1947), historian * Elly Ney (1882–1968), world-famous concert pianist * Willy Reetz (1892–1963), painter, "Düsseldorf School" * Hermann Knüfken (1893–1976), marine soldier, revolutionary, union activist, resistance fighter and secret agent * Ludwig Gehre (1895–1945), officer and resistance fighter * Hans Globke (1898–1973), jurist, National Socialist, from 1949 Assistant Secretary, then Secretary of State in the Federal Chancellery (1953–1963) * Karl von Appen (1900–1981), stage designer

Born after 1900

* Max Lorenz (tenor), Max Lorenz (1901–1975), tenor * Joseph H. Heinen (1903-1981), founder, Heinen's, Heinen's Grocery Stores, Cleveland, Ohio * Toni Ulmen (1906–1976), motorcycle and car race driver * Karl Pschigode (1907–1971), actor and theatre director * Helmut Käutner (1908–1980), film director and actor * Hilarius Gilges (1909–1933), Afro-German actor, victim of Nazism * Ernst Klusen (1909–1988), musicologist * Luise Rainer (1910–2014), actress * Josef Peters (racing driver), Josef Peters (1914–2001), racing driver * Ursula Benser (1915–2001), painter * Fred Beckey (1923–2017), rock climber, mountaineer, author * Jürgen Habermas (born 1929), philosopher and sociologist * Carl-Ludwig Wagner (1930–2012), politician (CDU) * Wim Wenders (born 1945), filmmaker, playwright, author * Carmen Thomas (born 1946), journalist, radio and television presenter, author and lecturer * Marius Müller-Westernhagen (born 1948), actor and musician * Heiner Koch (born 1954), Roman Catholic bishop *

(born 1955), photographer * Bettina Böttinger (born 1956), TV-presenter * Birgitt Bender (born 1956), politician (The Greens), Member of Landtag and Bundestag * Tommi Stumpff (born 1958), musician * Petra Müllejans (born 1959), conductor and violinist * Bettina Hoffmann (musician), Bettina Hoffmann (born 1959), musician and musicologist * Andreas Frege (born 1962), "Campino", singer in the band Die Toten Hosen * René Obermann (born 1963), manager, husband of Maybrit Illner * Jörg Schmadtke (born 1964), football manager * André Olbrich (born 1967), guitarist in the band Blind Guardian * Michael Preetz (born 1967), footballer * Svenja Schulze (born 1968), politician (SPD) * Heike Makatsch (born 1971), actress and singer * Tetsuya Kakihara (born 1982), voice actor and singer * Erika Ikuta (born 1997), Japanese actress, a former member of Nogizaka46

Associated with Düsseldorf

* William Thomas Mulvany (1806–1885 in Düsseldorf), entrepreneur * Robert Schumann (1810–1856), composer, 1850–1854 urban music director in Düsseldorf * Alfred Rethel (1816–1859 in Düsseldorf), history painter * Christian Eduard Boettcher (1818–1889), painter who lived, worked and died in Düsseldorf * Clara Schumann (1819–1896), pianist and composer, wife of Robert Schumann, frequent host of Johannes Brahms in Düsseldorf (1850–1854) *

(1824–1868), painter, Düsseldorf School * Louise Dumont (1862–1932 in Düsseldorf), actress and 1904 founder of the ''Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf'' * Johanna Ey, Johanna "Mother" Ey (1864–1947 in Düsseldorf), gallery owner * Peter Behrens (1868–1940), architect and director of the Düsseldorf Art Academy * Wilhelm Kreis (1873–1955), architect and director of the School of Applied Arts Düsseldorf * Peter Kürten (1883–1931), called "The Vampire of Düsseldorf", committed in Düsseldorf during the period between February and November 1929 series of sexual homicides * Adolf Uzarski (1885–1970 in Düsseldorf), writer, painter and graphic artist * Emil Fahrenkamp (1885–1966), architect and director of Düsseldorf Art Academy 1937–1945 * Betty Knox (1906–1963), dancer with variety act Wilson, Keppel and Betty and war correspondent. She lived in the city during her later years and died there. * Ernest Martin (theatre director and manager), Ernest Martin (born 1932), theatre director, theatre manager and actor in Düsseldorf