Leverkusen
Encyclopedia
Leverkusen (ˈleːvɐˌkuːzn̩) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne
and to the North is the state
capital Düsseldorf
.
With about 161,000 inhabitants, Leverkusen is one of the state's smaller cities. The city is known for the pharmaceutical company Bayer
and its associated sports club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Chemical facility: In 1860, Wiesdorf was chosen by the apothecary Carl Leverkus for establishing a dye
factory. The factory was taken over by the Bayer
company in 1891. The company moved its office to Wiesdorf in 1912, turning the town into the centre of German chemical industry
. In World War II
, the Bayer
(Standard Oil
/IG Farben
) plant http://books.google.com/books?id=pqkqpAr6_s4C&pg=PA213 was bombed on August 22, 1943,http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/83/a9019983.shtml and during the Battle of Berlin (air)
on November 19/20 and December 10/11, 1943.
Leverkusen was founded in 1930 by merging Wiesdorf, Schlebusch, Steinbüchel and Rheindorf. In 1975, Opladen (including Lützenkirchen since 1930), Hitdorf and Bergisch Neukirchen joined. The present city is made up of several villages, originally called Wiesdorf, Opladen
, Schlebusch
, Lützenkirchen, Steinbüchel, Rheindorf and Bergisch-Neukirchen.
is the stadium and home of Leverkusen's football team Bayer Leverkusen
. After the extension the stadium now holds place for over 30,210 people.
Bayer Cross Leverkusen: The Bayer Cross Leverkusen
is one of the largest illuminated advertisements in the world. It has a identifying meaning for Leverkusen's population.
Freudenthaler Sensenhammer: the Sensenhammer is a 'living' industrial museum. The permanent exhibition includes manufrature of scythes and drepanium and the use of those tools in farming. The museum itself is the biggest exhibit. The museum is also used in a different way, for example for conzerts or theaters.
with:
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and to the North is the state
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
capital Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
.
With about 161,000 inhabitants, Leverkusen is one of the state's smaller cities. The city is known for the pharmaceutical company Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
and its associated sports club TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
History
Dating to the 12th century as Wiesdorf, the Leverkusen area was rural until the late 19th century.Chemical facility: In 1860, Wiesdorf was chosen by the apothecary Carl Leverkus for establishing a dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
factory. The factory was taken over by the Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
company in 1891. The company moved its office to Wiesdorf in 1912, turning the town into the centre of German chemical industry
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Bayer
Bayer
Bayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
(Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
/IG Farben
IG Farben
I.G. Farbenindustrie AG was a German chemical industry conglomerate. Its name is taken from Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie AG . The company was formed in 1925 from a number of major companies that had been working together closely since World War I...
) plant http://books.google.com/books?id=pqkqpAr6_s4C&pg=PA213 was bombed on August 22, 1943,http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/83/a9019983.shtml and during the Battle of Berlin (air)
Battle of Berlin (air)
The Battle of Berlin was a British bombing campaign on Berlin from November 1943 – March 1944. The campaign was not limited solely to Berlin. Other German cities were attacked to prevent concentration of defences in Berlin, and Bomber Command had other responsibilities and operations to conduct...
on November 19/20 and December 10/11, 1943.
Leverkusen was founded in 1930 by merging Wiesdorf, Schlebusch, Steinbüchel and Rheindorf. In 1975, Opladen (including Lützenkirchen since 1930), Hitdorf and Bergisch Neukirchen joined. The present city is made up of several villages, originally called Wiesdorf, Opladen
Opladen
Opladen, now a suburb of Leverkusen, used to be the capital of the Rhein-Wupper-Kreis up to 1975. Opladen station is located 10 m. N.E. from Cologne on the railway to Wuppertal. Its is also on the Autobahn A3. Pop. 6338, 42,000. It has an Evangelical and several Roman Catholic churches...
, Schlebusch
Schlebusch
Schlebusch is a surname of German origin. It is derived from the German word for a thorn bush. The family name was originally "von Schlebusch" which may indicate a title. . The first recorded name bearer of the surname Schlebusch was, Arnoldus de Rode von Schlebuschrode tracing back to 1174...
, Lützenkirchen, Steinbüchel, Rheindorf and Bergisch-Neukirchen.
Main sights and places of interest
BayArena: The BayArenaBayArena
The BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:...
is the stadium and home of Leverkusen's football team Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
. After the extension the stadium now holds place for over 30,210 people.
Bayer Cross Leverkusen: The Bayer Cross Leverkusen
Bayer Cross Leverkusen
The Bayer Cross in Leverkusen is the largest illuminated advertisement in the world. The advertisement is for Bayer, the multinational pharmaceutical company based in Leverkusen. The advertisement, installed in 1958, shows the emblem of the company Bayer. It hangs on two 118-metre steel towers and...
is one of the largest illuminated advertisements in the world. It has a identifying meaning for Leverkusen's population.
Freudenthaler Sensenhammer: the Sensenhammer is a 'living' industrial museum. The permanent exhibition includes manufrature of scythes and drepanium and the use of those tools in farming. The museum itself is the biggest exhibit. The museum is also used in a different way, for example for conzerts or theaters.
- Schloss MorsbroichMuseum MorsbroichThe Museum Morsbroich, also called Städtisches Museum Schloss Morsbroich, is a German museum of modern art situated in Leverkusen, 20 km north of Cologne.Formerly a Baroque castle, it is now a municipal museum for the exhibition of current art...
- moated castle in the baroqueBaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style, now a museum for contemporary art - Water Tower Leverkusen-BürrigWater Tower Leverkusen-BürrigWater Tower Leverkusen-Bürrig is a 72.45 metre high water tower built in 1978 in Leverkusen-Bürrig. It has a water reservoir for 4000 cubic metres with a diameter of 42 metres...
- 72.45 metres (237.7 ft) water reservoir containing an observation deck - Neuland Park - large park beside the Rhine
- Japanese GardenJapanese garden, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
- A garden created by Carl Duisberg at 1923 - Colony of workers - historical urban district in the center of Leverkusen
- Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit - historical Boat bridge next to the Rhine between Wiesdorf and Rheindorf
- MausoleumMausoleumA mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of Carl DuisbergCarl DuisbergFriedrich Carl Duisberg was a German chemist and industrialist.-Life:He was born in Barmen, Germany and from 1879 until 1882 he studied at the "Georg-August-Universität " and Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and received his doctorate .After military service in Munich, which he combined with...
- mausoleum in the center of the Carl Duisberg Park next to the Casino - NaturGut Ophoven - educational center for nature in Leverkusen-Opladen
International relations
Leverkusen is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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Notable people
- Jörg BergmeisterJörg BergmeisterJörg Bergmeister is a race car driver from Germany.His father, Willi Bergmeister, owns a workshop and dealership where Michael Schumacher learned his trade as a car mechanic in the 1980s....
(born February 13, 1976) , racing driver - Uta Briesewitz, cinematographer
- Bärbel DieckmannBärbel DieckmannBärbel Dieckmann was elected mayor of Bonn in 1994. She is the first woman and first Social Democrat to become mayor of Bonn...
(born March 26, 1949), politician (SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
), mayor of BonnBonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
1994-2009 - Paul JanesPaul JanesPaul Janes was a German football player. He earned 71 caps and scored 7 goals for the Germany national football team from 1932 to 1942, and played in two World Cups: 1934 and 1938...
, football player - Heidemarie Ecker-RosendahlHeide RosendahlHeidemarie Ecker-Rosendahl is a retired German athlete who competed mainly in the pentathlon and long jump...
(born February 14, 1947), athlete and olympic medalist - Danny EckerDanny EckerDanny Ecker is a German athlete competing in the pole vault.- Biography :His current personal best is 5.93 metres, but through his indoor best performance of 6.00 metres he has a place in the so-called 6 metres club. 5.93 ranks him fourth among German pole vaulters, behind Tim Lobinger, Andrei...
, athlete, son of Heidemarie Ecker-Rosendahl - Wilhelm Fucks (June 4, 1902 - April 1, 1990), physicist and former rector of the RWTH Aachen University
- Hans KühneHans KühneHans Kühne was a German chemist on the board of IG Farben and a defendant during the Nuremberg Trials.-Early years:...
, plant manager of IG Farben's (BayerBayerBayer AG is a chemical and pharmaceutical company founded in Barmen , Germany in 1863. It is headquartered in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and well known for its original brand of aspirin.-History:...
) plant in Leverkusen during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, acquitted of crimes against humanity in the IG Farben TrialIG Farben TrialThe United States of America vs. Carl Krauch, et al., also known as the IG Farben Trial, was the sixth of the twelve trials for war crimes the U.S. authorities held in their occupation zone in Germany after the end of World War II.... - Dietmar MögenburgDietmar MögenburgDietmar Mögenburg is a former German high jumper who won gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and at the 1982 European Championships in Athletics in Athens.-Career:...
, athlete - Sabine MoussierSabine MoussierDiana Sabine Moussier is a German-Mexican actress who is best known for her work, frequently as a villainess, in numerous Mexican telenovelas such as El privilegio de amar, Entre el amor y el odio, and La madrastra.-Early life:...
, telenovelaTelenovelaA telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
actress - Ralf SchmitzRalf SchmitzRalf Schmitz is a German actor.- Filmography :* since 2003: Genial daneben – Die Comedy Arena* 2004–2006: Schillerstraße* 2002–2005: Die Dreisten Drei Ralf Schmitz (* 3 November 1974 in Leverkusen) is a German actor.- Filmography :* since 2003: Genial daneben – Die Comedy Arena* 2004–2006:...
, (born 1974) actor and comedian - Detlef SchrempfDetlef SchrempfDetlef Schrempf is a retired German NBA basketball player.-High school and college career:...
(born January 21, 1963), former NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player - Felix SturmFelix SturmFelix Sturm is a German boxer and current WBA middleweight Super champion of Bosniak descent. Sturm was born and raised in Leverkusen, Germany, but both of his parents were immigrants from Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.- Professional career :On 27 January 2001, Sturm made his debut as a...
(born January 31, 1979), middleweight boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds... - Wolf VostellWolf VostellWolf Vostell was a German painter, sculptor, noise music maker and Happening artist of the second half of the 20th century. Wolf Vostell is considered one of the pioneers of video art, environment-sculptures, Happenings and the Fluxus Movement...
, painter - Werner Wenning (born October 21, 1946), former chairman of the board of Bayer AG
- Goran Bakaric (born January 11, 1974), Semi-professional poker player famous for his bad luck when holding KK V 72o G-Unit Industries
Literature
- Blaschke, Stefan (1999): Unternehmen und Gemeinde: Das Bayerwerk im Raum Leverkusen 1891-1914 Cologne: SH-Verlag, ISBN 3-89498-068-0 (German)
- Archive of Leverkusen (2005): Leverkusen. Geschichte einer Stadt am Rhein. Bielefeld: Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, ISBN 3-89534-575-X (German)
- Franz Gruß (1987): Geschichte und Porträt der Stadt Leverkusen. Leverkusen: Verlag Anna Gruß, ISBN 393047803X (German)
See also
- Nazi concentration campsNazi concentration campsNazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
- Research Materials: Max Planck Society ArchiveResearch Materials: Max Planck Society ArchiveAt the end of World War II, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society was renamed the Max Planck Society, and the institutes associated with the Kaiser Wilhelm Society were renamed "Max Planck" institutes. The records that were archived under the former Kaiser Wilhelm Society and its institutes were placed in the...
- Subsequent Nuremberg TrialsSubsequent Nuremberg TrialsThe Subsequent Nuremberg Trials were a series of twelve U.S...