About City
Duisburg is a city in the Land of Northrhine-Westphalia (Germany) situated at the confluence of the rivers of Rhine and Ruhr. According to the data of 2010, the population ofDuisburgmade out about 490 thousand people.
Archeological excavations confirm that the permanent settlement on the territory of the modern Duisburg appeared in the first centuries of our times. Around the 5th century, the central trading square of the settlement was situated nearby theRhine. It has the name of the Old Market (German: Alter Markt). In 420, the settlement was taken over by the Franks, a King’s residence was founded here in 740.
Duisburg was mentioned for the first time in 883, when the settlement was plundered by the Vikings. Thanks to the convenient geographical situation on the Trade way of Hellweg,Duisburghad been developing in a fast way. However, the settlement lost its strategic significance in the 13th century, when the transposition of the Rhine bed occured, and became an agricultural one.
A brief period of the city’s blossom, mainly connected with the name of Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594), famous scientist, mathematician, philosopher, geographer, and cartographer, as well as the foundation of the University in 1655, ended with the takeover of the city – along with the Duchy of Cleve – by the Principality of Brandenburg-Prussia and the loss of the status of the imperial city in 1674.
Another point for development was regained by the city at the end of the 19th century only, when the Ruhr became a centre for the coal and steel industry of Germany, whereas Duisburg after association of Ruhrort and Meiderich had been gradually growing as the largest river port in Europe.
However, the industrial fame of Duisburg reached out not for a long time. Since 1970s, the amounts of coal have been decreasing, steel works have been shut down and the handling at the port has been lowering correspondingly.
In these circumstances, the city was forced to search for its own identity again. The decision was found in re-conception of city spaces: So, the recreation park Landschaftspark Nord appeared at the place of former works of the Thyssen Concern, the port area was converted into an office centre of the city, modern art objects were placed on the streets …
All that let Duisburg become attractive for work and life again as well as lead tourists to the city. It is not only about static sites – the City Theatre or the Lehmbruck Museum - but also about events, which made Duisburg famous like, eg, Duisburg Accents or Traumzeit. Another positive contribution to the city image was the announcement of Duisburg within the entire Ruhr as the European Capital of Culture in 2010.
Twin city of Perm since 2007.
www.duisburg.de