Wuppertal
Encyclopedia
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...
. It is located in and around the Wupper
Wupper
The Wupper is a right tributary to the Rhine river in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous area of the Bergisches Land Berg County and enters the Rhine at Leverkussen, south of Düsseldorf...
river valley, and is situated east of the city of 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...
and south of the Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land
Bergisches Land
The Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes...
. Wuppertal is known for its steep slopes, its woods and parks, and its suspension railway
Suspension railway
A suspension railway is a form of elevated monorail where the vehicle is suspended from a fixed track , which is built above street level, over a river or canal, or an existing railway track.-Palmer System:...
, the Wuppertal Schwebebahn. Two-thirds of the total municipal area of Wuppertal is green space. From any part of the city it is only a ten-minute walk in one of the public parks or woodland paths.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Wuppertal was one of the biggest industrial regions of continental Europe. Wuppertal today is still a major industrial centre, being home to industries such as textiles, metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
, chemicals, pharmaceuticals (Aspirin
Aspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
was invented in Wuppertal in 1897 by 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:...
), electronics, automobiles, rubber, vehicles and printing equipment.
The Wuppertal Institute
Wuppertal Institute
The Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy is a German research institution that explores and develops models, strategies and instruments to support sustainable development at local, national and international level. Sustainability research at the Wuppertal Institute focuses on...
for Climate, Environment and Energy is located in the city.
History
Wuppertal in its present borders was formed in 1929 by merging the early-industrial cities of BarmenBarmen
Barmen is a former industrial metropolis of the region of Bergisches Land, Germany, which in 1929 with four other towns was merged with the city of Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. Barmen was the birth-place of Friedrich Engels and together with the neighbouring town of Elberfeld founded the...
and Elberfeld
Elberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
with Vohwinkel, Ronsdorf
Ronsdorf
Ronsdorf is a district of the German town Wuppertal. It has population of about 22.500. Ronsdorf was first mentioned in 1494, and in 1745 it received its town character. It was founded only a few years before by Elias Eller when he relocated the Zionites there from Elberfeld...
, Cronenberg, Langerfeld
Langerfeld
Langerfeld is a borough of the German town Wuppertal....
, and Beyenburg. The initial name Barmen-Elberfeld was changed in a 1930 referendum to Wuppertal (“Wupper Valley”). The new city was administered within the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Rhine Province
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
.
Uniquely for Germany it is a linear city
Linear city
The linear city was an urban plan for an elongated urban formation. The city would consist of a series of functionally specialized parallel sectors. Generally, the city would run parallel to a river and be built so that the dominant wind would blow from the residential areas to the industrial strip...
, owing to the steep hillsides along the river Wupper
Wupper
The Wupper is a right tributary to the Rhine river in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous area of the Bergisches Land Berg County and enters the Rhine at Leverkussen, south of Düsseldorf...
. Its highest hill is the Lichtscheid
Lichtscheid
The Lichtscheid is the highest hill of the German town Wuppertal.It has an altitude of 350 metres.-See also:* List of mountains and hills in North Rhine-Westphalia...
which is 351 metres above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The dominant urban centres Elberfeld (historic commercial centre) and Barmen (more industrial) have formed a unified built-up area since 1850. In the following decades, “Wupper-Town” became the dominant industrial agglomeration of northwestern Germany. In the 20th century this conurbation had been surpassed by 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...
, 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...
and the Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
, all with a more favourable topography.
During 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...
, about 40% of buildings in the city were destroyed by Allied bombing
Strategic bombing during World War II
Strategic bombing during World War II is a term which refers to all aerial bombardment of a strategic nature between 1939 and 1945 involving any nations engaged in World War II...
, as were many other German cities and industrial centres. However, a large number of historic sites have been preserved, such as:
- Ölberg, literally “Oil mountain”, Germany’s largest original working class district, protected as a historic monument. The name came about in the 1920s as the district continued using oil lamps while the surrounding bourgeois residential quarters were electrified. In traditional use the name "Ölberg" refers to the Mount of Olives from the Christian Bible.
- Brill, one of Germany’s largest districts of GründerzeitGründerzeit' refers to the economic phase in 19th century Germany and Austria before the great stock market crash of 1873. At this time in Central Europe the age of industrialisation was taking place, whose beginnings were found in the 1840s...
villas, i.e. middle class mansions built by industrial entrepreneurs in the second half of the 19th century.
The US 78th Infantry Division captured Wuppertal against scant resistance on 16 April 1945. After the last World War, the U.S.A. held the intellectual ownership rights to Bayer and other German companies and organisations. Wuppertal became a part of the British Zone of Occupation, and subsequently part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Main sights
In total, Wuppertal possesses over 4,500 buildings classified as national monuments, most dating from styles as NeoclassicismNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
, Eclecticism
Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
, Historicism
Historicism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
, Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
/Jugendstil and Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
.
Main sights include:
- Concert hall, a fine piece of turn-of-the-century architecture with great acoustics (Stadthalle)
- Wuppertal Dance Theatre (Tanztheater Wuppertal), a world-famous center of modern dance founded by the choreographer Pina BauschPina BauschPhilippina "Pina" Bausch was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director...
- Engels house (Engels-Haus), 18th century-architecturally typical of the region. It houses a permanent display of materials associated with Friedrich EngelsFriedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
and other famous citizens of Wuppertal - Wuppertal ZooZoo WuppertalWuppertal Zoo is a zoo in the German city of Wuppertal. About 5,000 animals from about 500 species from all continents live on the park's 20 ha areal...
, a large, nicely landscaped zoo - Botanischer Garten WuppertalBotanischer Garten WuppertalThe Botanischer Garten Wuppertal , also known as the Botanischer Garten der Stadt Wuppertal, is a municipal botanical garden located at Elisenhöhe 1, Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is open daily without charge....
, a municipal botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names... - Arboretum BurgholzArboretum BurgholzThe Arboretum Burgholz is an arboretum maintained by the Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz Nordrhein Westfalen. It is located in the Staatsforst Burgholz at Friedensstraße 69, Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and open daily without charge.The arboretum was begun before 1900 to test the...
, an extensive arboretumArboretumAn arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study... - Von der Heydt MuseumVon der Heydt MuseumVon der Heydt Museum is a museum in Wuppertal, Germany.The Von der Heydt Museum includes works by 19th and 20th century artists. The first of Pablo Picasso’s works that ever appeared in public was displayed here.-External links:*...
, an important art gallery with works by 19th and 20th century artists. The first of Picasso’s works that ever appeared in public was displayed here. - Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden, a sculpture park with exhibition hall, founded by sculptor Tony Cragg
Schwebebahn
One of the city’s greatest attractions is the suspended monorailMonorail
A monorail is a rail-based transportation system based on a single rail, which acts as its sole support and its guideway. The term is also used variously to describe the beam of the system, or the vehicles traveling on such a beam or track...
(“Wuppertaler Schwebebahn”), which was established in 1901. The tracks are 8 m (26.25 ft) above the streets and 12 m (39.37 ft) above the Wupper River.
Wuppertal in the arts
- The play Die Wupper by Else Lasker-SchülerElse Lasker-SchülerElse Lasker-Schüler was a Jewish German poet and playwright famous for her bohemian lifestyle in Berlin. She was one of the few women affiliated with the Expressionist movement. Lasker-Schüler fled Nazi Germany and lived out the rest of her life in Jerusalem.-Biography:Schüler was born in...
takes places in Elberfeld. - The 2000 movie The Princess and the WarriorThe Princess and the WarriorThe Princess and the Warrior is a 2000 German drama film written and directed by Tom Tykwer with Franka Potente, star of his previous movie Run Lola Run , in a leading role...
by Tom TykwerTom TykwerTom Tykwer is a German film director, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing Run Lola Run , Heaven , Perfume: The Story of a Murderer , and The International ....
, was filmed in Wuppertal. - In the 1974 Wim WendersWim WendersErnst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
film Alice in the CitiesAlice in the CitiesAlice in the Cities is a 1974 German road movie directed by Wim Wenders. This was the first part of Wenders' "Road Movie Trilogy" which included The Wrong Move and Kings of the Road...
, the main characters visit Wuppertal. - A Lufthansa A340-600 D-AIHM (delivered 2006) is named after the city of Wuppertal. It primarily operates long haul flights from Munich Airport.
Notable people from Wuppertal
- Friedrich EngelsFriedrich EngelsFriedrich Engels was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, philosopher, and father of Marxist theory, alongside Karl Marx. In 1845 he published The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research...
, philosopher, historian, co-author of the Communist Manifesto (with Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
) - Johannes RauJohannes RauJohannes Rau was a German politician of the SPD. He was President of Germany from 1 July 1999 until 30 June 2004, and Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia from 1978 to 1998.-Education and work:...
, former Federal President of Germany - Alice SchwarzerAlice SchwarzerAlice Schwarzer is the most prominent contemporary German feminist. She is founder and publisher of the German feminist journal EMMA.-Biography and positions:...
, one of the leaders of the German second wave feministFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
movement - Tom TykwerTom TykwerTom Tykwer is a German film director, screenwriter, and composer. He is best known internationally for directing Run Lola Run , Heaven , Perfume: The Story of a Murderer , and The International ....
, film director (“Run Lola, Run”, “The Princess and the Warrior”), co-founder of X-Filme syndicate - Rita SüssmuthRita SüssmuthRita Süssmuth is a German politician and a member of the Christian Democratic Union .From 1985 to 1988, Süssmuth was Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl. She was a member of the German Bundestag from 1987 to 2002...
, former President of the German Parliament - Horst TappertHorst TappertHorst Tappert was a German movie and television actor who played Inspector Stephan Derrick in the television drama Derrick.-Biography:...
, actor - Linda KisabakaLinda KisabakaLinda Kisabaka is a retired German middle distance runner. She ran the 400 metres until 1996, when she began specializing in the 800 metres. She retired in 2001, having represented the sports clubs Bayer 04 Leverkusen and LAZ Leipzig during her active career.Her personal best time is 1:58.24...
, athlete - Pina BauschPina BauschPhilippina "Pina" Bausch was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director...
, choreographer - Friedrich BayerFriedrich BayerFriedrich Bayer was the founder of what would become Bayer, a German chemical and pharmaceutical company. He founded the paint factory Friedrich Bayer along with Johann Friedrich Weskott in 1863 in Elberfeld.-External links:*...
, founder of the Friedrich Bayer paint factory, later Bayer AGBayerBayer 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:... - Arno BrekerArno BrekerArno Breker was a German sculptor, best known for his public works in Nazi Germany, which were endorsed by the authorities as the antithesis of degenerate art....
, sculptor - Rudolf CarnapRudolf CarnapRudolf Carnap was an influential German-born philosopher who was active in Europe before 1935 and in the United States thereafter. He was a major member of the Vienna Circle and an advocate of logical positivism....
, philosopher of science - Udo DirkschneiderUdo DirkschneiderUdo Dirkschneider is a German heavy metal singer who is best known as the vocalist in German heavy metal band Accept and later U.D.O.After leaving Accept in 1987, Dirkschneider formed the band U.D.O....
, singer in heavy-metal band AcceptAcceptAccept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s... - George Dreyfuss, bassoonist, composer
- Hermann EbbinghausHermann EbbinghausHermann Ebbinghaus was a German psychologist who pioneered the experimental study of memory, and is known for his discovery of the forgetting curve and the spacing effect. He was also the first person to describe the learning curve...
, psychologist who studied memoryMemoryIn psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory.... - Hans KnappertsbuschHans KnappertsbuschHans Knappertsbusch was a German conductor, best known for his performances of the music of Richard Wagner, Anton Bruckner and Richard Strauss....
, orchestra conductor - Else Lasker-SchülerElse Lasker-SchülerElse Lasker-Schüler was a Jewish German poet and playwright famous for her bohemian lifestyle in Berlin. She was one of the few women affiliated with the Expressionist movement. Lasker-Schüler fled Nazi Germany and lived out the rest of her life in Jerusalem.-Biography:Schüler was born in...
, expressionist poet - Harald LeipnitzHarald LeipnitzHarald Leipnitz was a German actor.- Filmography :- External links :...
, actor - Ulrich LeyendeckerUlrich LeyendeckerUlrich Leyendecker is a German composer of classical music. His output consists mainly of symphonies, concertos, chamber and instrumental music.-Life:...
, composer - Reimar LüstReimar LüstReimar Lüst is a German astrophysicist. He was the director general of the European Space Agency from 1984 until 1990. Dr...
, astrophysicist - Steffen MöllerSteffen MöllerSteffen Möller is a German teacher, actor, satirist and stand-up artist, living and performing in Poland. Known there from the Europa da się lubić TV show and the M jak miłość soap opera...
, satirist, soap-opera star and TV celebrity in Poland; the most popular German in Poland - Tyron MontgomeryTyron MontgomeryTyron Montgomery is a film director and media creative. Originally raised in Ireland, near Limerick, Montgomery today is a German citizen, living and working in Munich....
, Oscar-winning film director - Simone OsygusSimone OsygusSimone Osygus is a former freestyle swimmer from Germany, who won two silver medals and two bronze medals at the Summer Olympics....
, swimmer - Siegfried PalmSiegfried PalmSiegfried Palm was a German cellist who is known worldwide for his interpretations of contemporary music. Many 20th-century composers like Kagel, Ligeti, Xenakis, Penderecki and Zimmermann wrote music for him....
, cellist, director of Hochschule für Musik KölnHochschule für Musik KölnThe Cologne University of Music is a music college in Cologne, and Germany's largest academy of music.-History:The academy was founded by Ferdinand Hiller in 1850 as Conservatorium der Musik in Coeln...
, Intendant of Deutsche Oper BerlinDeutsche Oper BerlinThe Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera company located in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Germany. The resident building is also home to the Berlin State Ballet.-History:... - Julius PlückerJulius PlückerJulius Plücker was a German mathematician and physicist. He made fundamental contributions to the field of analytical geometry and was a pioneer in the investigations of cathode rays that led eventually to the discovery of the electron. He also vastly extended the study of Lamé curves.- Early...
, physicist - Hans SingerHans SingerSir Hans Wolfgang Singer was a development economist best known for the Singer-Prebisch thesis, which states that the terms of trade move against producers of primary products. He is one of the primary figures of heterodox economics.-Biography:Singer was born in Elberfeld, Germany in 1910...
, economist - Helmut ThielickeHelmut ThielickeHelmut Thielicke was a German Protestant theologian and rector of the University of Hamburg from 1960 to 1978....
, theologian - Bettina TietjenBettina TietjenBettina Tietjen is a German television presenter and talkshow host.- Life :Tietjen studied german studies, art history and romance studies at University of Münster and in Paris. After university studies she worked as journalist at RIAS and then at NDR...
, television presenter - Günter WandGünter WandGünter Wand was a German orchestra conductor and composer. Wand studied in Wuppertal, Allenstein and Detmold. At the Cologne conservatory, he was a composition student with Philipp Jarnach and a piano student with Paul Baumgartner...
, orchestra conductor - Sulamith WülfingSulamith WülfingSulamith Wülfing was a German artist and illustrator. Her ethereal, enigmatic works depict fairy tales or mystical subjects.-Life:...
, artist and illustrator - Peter BrötzmannPeter BrötzmannPeter Brötzmann is a German artist and free jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.Brötzmann is among the most important European free jazz musicians. His rough, lyrical timbre is easily recognized on his many recordings.-Early life:...
and Peter KowaldPeter KowaldPeter Kowald was a German free jazz musician.A member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, and a touring double-bass player, Kowald collaborated with a large number of European free jazz and American free-jazz players during his career, including Peter Brötzmann, Irène Schweizer, Karl Berger, Fred...
, noted innovators in modern improvised music - Christoph Maria HerbstChristoph Maria HerbstChristoph Maria Herbst is a German actor and comedian.-Life and theatre career:After passing the Abitur, Herbst became a banker apprentice and was active at the free theatre scene in Wuppertal at the same time. In 1986, he was a founding member of the private Theater in Cronenberg and its acting...
, actor
Association football
In football, Wuppertal's most popular club is Wuppertaler SV BorussiaWuppertaler SV Borussia
Wuppertaler SV Borussia is a German association football club located in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. The city was founded in 1929 out of the union of a number of smaller towns including Elberfeld, Barmen, Vohwinkel, Cronenberg and Ronsdorf – each with its own football club...
, who currently play in the Regionalliga West, the fourth tier of the German football league system
German football league system
The German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...
. Playing their home games at the Stadion am Zoo
Stadion am Zoo
The Stadion am Zoo is a multi-purpose stadium in Wuppertal, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home matches of Wuppertaler SV Borussia. The stadium is able to hold 23,067 people and was built in 1924....
, the club, which was relegated from the 3rd Liga
3rd Liga
The 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
in 2009, looks back on a rich and eventful history, since it was established in a merger between the two leading Wuppertal clubs SSV Elberfeld 04 and TSG Vohwinkel 80 in 1954. The club spent a total of seven years in the first division of German football, three of which in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, which they were promoted to in 1972. In their first season in the nationwide first division, the club reached a remarkable fourth place and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first and only time in its history. After a first-round-defeat by the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
side Ruch Chorzow
Ruch Chorzów
Ruch Chorzów is a Polish association football club based in Chorzów, Upper Silesia. It is one of the most successful football teams in Poland: 14 time national champion, and 3 time winner of the Polish Cup. Currently the team plays in the top Polish league, the Ekstraklasa. Their stadium capacity...
and another two widely unsuccessful Bundesliga campaigns, the club disappeared from the top flight again and has yet to return.
Team handball
In handballTeam handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, Wuppertal's currently most successful club is Bergischer HC
Bergischer HC
Bergischer Handball-Club 06 is a handball club from the cities of Wuppertal and Solingen, Germany. The club originates from a 2006 contract between Stefan Adam, then chairman of LTV Wuppertal, and SG Solingen, incorporating the Wuppertal club's management, squad and main sponsor into the...
playing in the 1st Bundesliga. BHC originates from a 2006 contract between LTV Wuppertal and rivals SG Solingen from the nearby city of the same name
Solingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, which merged both clubs' squads and managements, as well as renamed SG Solingen's professional section to Bergischer HC. The club's name derives from the Bergisches Land
Bergisches Land
The Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes...
(lit. “Country of Berg”), the historical and cultural region both cities are located in. LTV Wuppertal is still existent in its old structure, but due to the departure of their entire squad, they were relegated three times ever since, to the fifth tier Verbandsliga. They play their home games at both Wuppertal's Uni-Halle
Uni-Halle
Uni-Halle is an indoor sporting arena located in Wuppertal, Germany. The capacity of the arena is 4,100 people. It is currently home to the Bergischer HC handball team.- External links :*...
(4,100 seats) and Solingen's Klingenhalle (2,600 seats).
Wuppertal's past most successful club are afore-mentioned LTV Wuppertal. LTV spent most of their seasons in the 2nd and 3rd tier, before they merged with Wuppertaler SV's handball section in 1996, to form HSG LTV/WSV Wuppertal. The new handball combination immediately promoted to the Handball-Bundesliga and finished 8th in their first and only season in the top flight, before dissolving again in 1998. However, the departure of Wuppertaler SV still allowed LTV Wuppertal, whose handball section were renamed HC Wuppertal for the rest of their top-flight-days, to play another three seasons in the Bundesliga, before returning to the 2nd division.
Volleyball
In volleyballVolleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, A!B!C Titans Berg. Land is the new name of Wuppertal's Volleyball-Bundesliga club, formerly the volleyball section of Bayer Wuppertal and briefly known as Wuppertal Titans. The club itself originated in Leverkusen
Leverkusen
Leverkusen 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....
and promoted to the Bundesliga in 1978. Reacting to low attendances, the eponymous Bayer AG
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:...
decided to relocate the volleyball team to Wuppertal in 1992 where there also is a Bayer-funded club. Since the move, the club won various titles including the German championship in 1994 and 1997 and the German cup in 1995. Also, they finished as runner-up in the 1995-96 European Cup Winners' Cup, losing only to Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
side Olympiacos S.C. in the final. After the wide-reaching retreat of the Bayer AG from less popular professional sports in 2008, the club acquired its current name. There, however, still exists a cooperation between the former partners, especially in the amateur and youth sections.
Basketball
Perhaps one of the most successful Wuppertal sports clubs was the women's basketballWomen's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
team of Barmer TV (known as BTV Wuppertal between 1994 and 2000 and BTV Gold-Zack Wuppertal between 2000 and 2002). The 11-time German champion and 12-time German cup winner won a remarkable nine back-to-back doubles between 1994 and 2002. In 1996, they also won the EuroLeague Women
EuroLeague Women
The EuroLeague Women is the highest professional basketball league in Europe for women’s clubs.Unlike Euroleague for men, the competition is entirely organized by FIBA Europe.-Between 2004-2011:...
as the first and so far only German team, beating Italy's
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
SFT Como in the final, and therefore even achieved a treble in that season. In 1997, they closely missed out on a back-to-back treble by losing to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
side CJM Bourges in the EuroLeague final.
In 2002, the club withdrew from the Bundesliga due to financial problems. One year later, the club's main sponsor Gold-Zack Werke filed for insolvency.
Wuppertal co-hosted the 1998 FIBA World Championship for Women
1998 FIBA World Championship for Women
The 1998 FIBA Women's World Championship was hosted by Germany from May 26 to June 7, 1998. The USA won the tournament, defeating Russia 71-65 in the final.-Final standings:-References:*...
as one of seven host cities.
Roller hockey
In roller hockeyRoller hockey (Quad)
Roller Hockey is a team sport that enjoys significant popularity in a number of Latin countries. Depending on territories, it is also known as Hóquei em Patins, International Style Ball hockey, Rink Hockey or Hardball Hockey. Roller Hockey was a demonstration rollersport in the 1992 Summer...
, (also known as rink hockey) Wuppertal club RSC Cronenberg are current holders of the German championship
Rink Hockey Bundesliga
Rollhockey Bundesliga is the biggest Roller Hockey Clubs Championship in Germany.The Champion in the last edition of Bundesliga was RSC Cronenberg.-List of winners:-Number of Championships by team:-International:******...
and the German cup in both men's and women's competitions. In total, the men won eleven German championships and nine cups, the women nine championships and eight cups.
The club plays its home games at the Alfred-Henckels-Halle.
Wuppertal hosted the 1997 Rink Hockey World Championship, the 2004 Ladies Rink Hockey World Championship, as well as the 1992 and 2010
2010 Rink Hockey European Championship
- Group B :--------------------- Knockout stage :All times are Central European Summer Time .- Quarter-finals :------------- Semi-finals :----- Third-place play-off :France win 2-0 on penalties- Final :...
Rink Hockey European Championship
Rink Hockey European Championship
The CERH European Roller Hockey Championship is a roller hockey competition with the national teams of European countries that happens every two years...
. In 2011, local club RSC Cronenberg are set to host the Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship
Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship
The Ladies Rink Hockey European Championship or CERH Women's European Cup is a competition between the female national teams in the Europe. It takes place every two years and it is organized by CERH.-Ladies Championship:...
.
Education
There are two institutions of higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in Wuppertal.
- University of WuppertalUniversity of WuppertalThe University of Wuppertal is a German scientific institution, located in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia.The university, the full German name of which is Bergische Universität Wuppertal , was formed in 1972 and is located in the city of Wuppertal, within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia,...
(Bergische Universität Wuppertal) - College of Theology, Wuppertal/Bethel (Theologische Zentrum Wuppertal)
Railways
Wuppertal is well connected to the rail network. The town lies on the Cologne–Hagen and the Düsseldorf–Hagen railway lines and is a stop for long-distance traffic. The central station is located in the district of Elberfeld. RegionalbahnRegionalBahn
The Regionalbahn is a type of local passenger train in Germany.-Service:Regionalbahn trains usually call at all stations on a given line, with the exception of RB trains within S-Bahn networks, these may only call at selected stations...
trains and some Regional-Express trains also stop at Oberbarmen
Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station
Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station is a station in the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was long an important railway junction, connecting to four railway lines...
, Barmen
Wuppertal-Barmen station
Wuppertal-Barmen station is a station in the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on the Elberfeld–Dortmund railway. Its entrance building is protected as a monument. It was Barmen Hauptbahnhof prior to Barmen's incorporation in Wuppertal in 1929...
, Ronsdorf and Vohwinkel
Wuppertal-Vohwinkel station
Vohwinkel station is the most western station in the city of Wuppertal. It is placed in the district of Vohwinkel. It is a triangular station, built at a railway junction.-History:...
. There are also S-Bahn stations in Langerfeld
Wuppertal-Langerfeld station
Wuppertal-Langerfeld station is a through station in the district of Langerfeld of the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The station was opened in 1948 on a the section of the Elberfeld–Dortmund railway from Döppersberg, near the current Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof, to...
, Unterbarmen
Wuppertal-Unterbarmen station
Wuppertal-Unterbarmen station is located in the German city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is on the Düsseldorf–Elberfeld line and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 4 station.-History :...
, Steinbeck
Wuppertal-Steinbeck station
Wuppertal-Steinbeck station is a station on the Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway in the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The current station building was built in 1913 and it has been heritage-listed since 1991. It replaced an older station building that was built...
, Zoologischer Garten and Sonnborn
Wuppertal-Sonnborn station
Wuppertal-Sonnborn station is located in the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is on the Düsseldorf–Elberfeld line and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 4 station....
.
The rail services that operate on the mainline through the valley
Elberfeld–Dortmund railway
The Elberfeld–Dortmund railway is a major German railway. It is part of a major axis for long distance and regional rail services between Wuppertal and Cologne, and is served by Intercity Express, InterCity, Regional Express, Regionalbahn and S-Bahn trains....
are the RE 4 (Wupper-Express), RE 7 (Rhein-Münsterland-Express), RE 13 (Maas-Wupper-Express), RB 47 (Der Müngstener), RB 48 (Rhein-Wupper Bahn) and three Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn services: the S 8, S 9 and S 68 (peak hours only). Every 30 minutes, it is served by a long-distance (Intercity-Express, InterCity
Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)
Intercity is the second-highest train classification in Germany, after the ICE. Intercity services are loco-hauled express services, usually over long-distances. There are Intercity routes throughout Germany, and routes generally operate with a two-hour frequency, with multiple routes giving a more...
, EuroCity
EuroCity in Germany
The German rail network provides connections to each of its neighbouring countries, many of which are under the EuroCity classification. EuroCity services are part of the Intercity network - many EC services represented a couple of train pairs on an IC route extended across the border, while other...
or City Night Line) service in each direction.
With the exception of the line from Wuppertal to Remscheid (and continuing to Solingen
Solingen Hauptbahnhof
Solingen Hauptbahnhof is the only train station in Solingen, Germany offering ICE and IC long distance trains....
and operated as the RB 47) and the Prince William Railway
Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr railway
The Wuppertal-Vohwinkel-Essen Überruhr Railway is a 30 km long, continuous two-track electrified main line. It is known as the Prince William Railway, the first railway linking the valleys of the Wupper and the Ruhr....
to Essen (now S-Bahn line S 9), all of the branch lines connecting to main line in the city of Wuppertal are now closed. This includes, among others, the Düsseldorf-Derendorf–Dortmund Süd railway (the Wuppertaler Nordbahn), the Burgholz Railway, the Wuppertal-Wichlinghausen–Hattingen railway, the Wupper Valley Railway and the Corkscrew Railway. Thus, there were once 31 stations in the Wuppertal area, including nine stations on the mainline.
Twin towns — sister cities
Wuppertal 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:
| Beersheba Beersheba Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300.... , Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... -Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Germany Košice Košice Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary... , Slovakia Slovakia The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south... (since 1980) |
Legnica Legnica Legnica is a town in south-western Poland, in Silesia, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the plain of Legnica, riverside: Kaczawa and Czarna Woda. Between 1 June 1975 and 31 December 1998 Legnica was the capital of the Legnica Voivodeship. It is currently the seat of the county... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... Matagalpa Matagalpa Matagalpa is a city in Nicaragua, the capital of the department of Matagalpa. The city has a population of 109,100 , while the population of the department is more than 480,000. Matagalpa is Nicaragua's fifth largest city and one of its most commercially active outside of Managua... , Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean... Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Schwerin Schwerin Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:... , Germany Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's... , Russia South Tyneside South Tyneside South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
External links
Wuppertal official website of the University of WuppertalUniversity of Wuppertal
The University of Wuppertal is a German scientific institution, located in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia.The university, the full German name of which is Bergische Universität Wuppertal , was formed in 1972 and is located in the city of Wuppertal, within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia,...