BARMEN. A city in the Province of Rhenish Prussia, on the Wupper, about 25 miles northeast of Cologne (Map: Prussia, B 3). It is divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower Bar men, and includes several small villages, now uni ted into one district. Its western boundary ad joins the city of Elberfeld. The city has clean and well-kept streets, the principal avenue being the Alleestrasse. The river, which flows through the length of the city, is crossed by about 20 bridges. Among the noteworthy buildings are the old and the new Rathaus and the Alunieipal Theatre. Barmen has only one park, which is, however, well wooded, having been made up of a number of woodlands purchased by the city. The city owns its water-works, its gas works, and electric-light plants, all of which net large profits to the city, helping to keep down taxes, while furnishing the people high-grade service at reasonable rates. Barmen has numer ous benevolent and charitable institutions, in cluding a municipal hospital. Its educational institutions consist of a gymnasium, several high schools, an industrial school, a natural-history museum, a library, and a picture gallery. The
district adjoining the city is one of the most populous and prosperous in Germany. Barmen is the principal seat of the ribbon manufacture on the Continent. Its fabrics go to all parts of the world. It produces linen, woolen, cotton, silk and half-silk ribbons, cloth of various kinds, stay-laces, thread, etc. It has also considerable manufactures of soap, candles, metal-ware, but tons, machinery, organs, and pianofortes. There are, besides, in the valley, numerous bleachfields and Turkey-red dye-works. Barmen has six rail way stations, and is in railway communication with all the principal German cities. For local traffic Barmen has several electric railways, in cluding a novel electric swinging railway built over and following the bed of the \Vupper be tween Barmen and Sonnborn. Lower Barmen has a mineral spring and a bathing establish ment. in 1890, 116,000; in 1900, 142.000. Barmen is first heard of in the Eleventh Century. In the Fifteenth Century the bleaching industry was highly developed there. Its modern prosperity dates from its annexation to Prussia in 1815.