DUSSELDORF. dus'scl-dOrf. The capital of the District of Dusseldorf, in Rhenish Prussia, situated in the centre of a fertile district, on the right bank of the. Rhine, at the confluence of the Diissel with that river, in latitude 51' 13' N., longitude 6° 46' E. (Map: Prussia, 11 3). Diisseldorf is divided into the Altstadt, on the right bank of the Diissel; the Karlstadt, founded in 1786 by the Elector Karl Theodor, on the left hank; the Neustadt, on the Rhine; and the Fl ied riehst a d t , to the south. it also takes in the suburbs of Cnterbilk, Oberbilk. Flingers, and Derendorf. The town is well built and abounds in broad, well-shaded avenues and fine squares. A colossal equestrian statue of the hector Johann Wilhelm. who founded a famous picture gallery here in 1710—the greater part of which, however, was removed to Munieh in 1805— stands in the Altmarkt.
Among the principal buildings of Dtisseldorl are the town hall, dating front 1567, with a new wing added in I585; the Academy of Art: the Kunsthalle with a municipal gallery of modern Diisseldorf artists; the handsome new theatre: the Provincial Stiindehaus (House of the 111Ion ish Estates), in the Italian Renaissance style: the palace of justice; the IZeidisbank; and the palatial new post-ollice. tif the ecclesiastical edifices. the most noteworthy are the Church of Saint Lambert, a Gothic edifice of the fourteenth century, and the Church of Saint Andrew. The llofgarten is one of the finest public gardens in Germany; in it is situated the War Memorial, erected in 189:2 to commemorate the campaigns of 1S61. 1866, and 1870 71. owns and operates a gas plant, its water-works, street railways. and. since 1891. an electric plant. The educational institutions include a number of gymnasia and realschnlen, a teachers' seminary, and an industrial art school. The town has been for two centuries an art centre. and is the
Monte of the fatuous Diisseldorf School of Imint ers. The historic _Academy of Art was founded in 1767. Among its 140 pictures there are only a few now of especial interest—an Assumption by Rubens, a 'Madonna by BeMid, and the re markable fresco series by Janssen. The histori cal museum has a valuable collection of docu ments. There arc also an industrial museum and a library with 50.000 volumes. Diisseldorf is one of the chief centres of the iron industry in Germany. It has besides a number of textile mills, breweries, distilleries, etc. The commerce is extensive. Diisseldorf is the seat of ninny eonsnls, including one from the United States. Like most German cities, Diisseldorf has in creased its population remarkably during the past two decades, owing to the annexation of suburbs. In ISSO it eontained a population of 95.190; in 1590, 144,642; in 1900, 213,767.
Diisseldorf was known as early as the twelfth century. it received municipal rights from Count Adolf of Bergin 1258, and subsequently became the residence of the Counts of Berg. In 1609 it came into the possession of the Counts Palatine of Nenhurg„ and subsequently became part of the Electoral Palatinate, which in 1779 was united with Bavaria. Tt prospered greatly under the Counts and Electors Palatine. some of the chief buildings and institutions of the city dating from that period. From 1795 to ISO] Dtissel dorf was held by the French; in 1806 it became the capital of the Grand Duehy of Berg, and was annexed together with the Grand Duchy to Prussia in 1814. Consult: Ferber, llistorisehe durch die alto Stadt fliis.scldorf fthisseldorf, 1890 : Die der Rbeinproriwz. vol. iii.. part i.. Stadt and Kreis Dusseldorf (ib., 1S94).