ELBERFELD, a former German industrial city, in the Prussian Rhine province, straddling the deep valley of the Wup per; pop. (1925) 167,025. Since its union with Barmen (q.v.). the city is named Wuppertal, pop. (1933) 408,404. Local transpor tation is provided by an electric tramway line and a hanging rail way—on the Langen mono-rail system—over the bed of the river. In the centre are a number of irregular and narrow streets, but many insanitary dwellings have been replaced by fine blocks. The schools include the Gymnasium (founded in 1592 by the Protes tant community as a Latin school), an industrial drawing school and a commercial school. There are also a theatre, an institute of music, a museum, a zoological garden. The majority of the inhabi tants are Protestant, with a strong tendency towards Pietism ; but the Roman Catholics form about one-fourth of the total popula tion. Elberfeld is the chief centre in Germany of textile manufac tures and haberdashery of all descriptions, of dyes, and of fine chemicals. Leather and rubber goods, machinery, wall-paper, and stained glass are also among its staple products. On the south side of the valley is the main line from Aix-la-Chapelle, Cologne and Dusseldorf to central Germany and Berlin, on the north are many railway connections with the Ruhr Valley.
The 12th century castle of the lords of Elberfeld, feudatories of the archbishops of Cologne, passed later to the counts of Berg. A colony of bleachers, attracted by the clear waters of the Wupper, were granted in 1532 the exclusive privilege of bleaching yarn. It was not, however, until 161 o that Elberfeld was raised to the status of a town, and in 164o was surrounded with walls. In 176o the manufacture of silk was introduced, and dyeing with Turkey red in 178o; but it was not till the end of the century that its industries developed into importance under the influence of Napoleon's continental system, which barred out British compe tition. In 1815 Elberfeld was assigned by the congress of Vienna, with the grand duchy of Berg, to Prussia, and its prosperity rapidly developed under the Prussian Zollverein.