BARMEN, a former German city in the Prussian Rhine province. Pop. (1816) 19,030; (1925) 187,239. It has now been joined with Elberfeld to form the new city of Wuppertal, pop. 408,404. The city stretches 4 m. along the narrow valley of the Wupper. High wooded hills surround it. It is divided into three main districts, Upper, Middle and Lower Barmen. Public buildings include the Ruhmeshalle which contains the town library, a picture-gallery, an ethnographical museum, and an exchange. There are several high-grade schools. Barmen is one of the most important manufacturing centres of Germany. The de velopment of its commercial activity dates from the beginning of the 19th century. Ribbon-weaving is the chief industry; cotton and cloth goods, lace, braids, steel wares, chemicals and buttons are also made. The print-fields and dyeworks were long famous (since 1784) for their Turkey-red, but it has been superseded by the chemical alizarin dye since 1870. Its export trade, particu larly to the United States, is considerable. The hills lying south of the town are laid out in public grounds. Barmen, although mentioned in chronicles in the 1 1 th century, did not attain civic rights until 1808, when it was formed into a municipality by the grand duke of Berg.