Dusseldorf: a River Runs through It by Campbell Jefferys
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There is something intangible about the River Rhine. It is much more than a wide and quick moving expanse of murky green water.
Sitting on the sun drenched Rhine promenade in elegant Duesseldorf, facing west and watching the sun go down, one can ponder the river’s mystique, admire the sheer beauty of this prosperous, modern locale, or cast their mind back to an age when farmers slowly ploughed the land along the Rhine or when armies marched towards its banks. Gracefully located at the crossroads of past and present, Duesseldorf lets your fancy drift away from the standard equilibrium.
Germany’s post war miracle is not just a political catch-cry; for in Duesseldorf, situated where the small Duessel River meets the majestic Rhine, the turnaround from utter devastation to thriving prosperity can be seen in the shimmering glass of numerous skyscrapers, the hip architecture of the Media Harbour, and the affluent strut of the locals striding down the famously chic boulevard Koenigsallee. But while economic development and modernization are key factors, history has not been forgotten.
With its quaint passageways and narrow cobblestone streets, the old town along the banks of the Rhine remains an historical marvel. The 14th-century St Lambertus church is easily recognizable by its tall and twisted spire while the stuccoed St Andreas church is the mausoleum of the Electors Palatine, the city’s former rulers. Outside the renaissance City Hall, there is a masterly equestrian statue of Jan Wellem, the most popular of the Electors and the one who established Duesseldorf’s reputation as a city of the arts. Today, with outstanding museums, theatres, concert halls and galleries, his legacy remains.
The cultural development from the time of Jan Wellem can be seen in numerous palaces and especially in the structure of the city, no more so than along Duesseldorf’s most sophisticated and visually stunning mile, the Koenigsallee. Considered one of the world’s most luxurious boulevards, it is sliced down the middle by a generous stretch of water, ringed by graceful chestnut trees and lined with elegant boutiques and galleries. The two bridges crossing the water originally had toll huts; these days, shoppers with strings bags from Benetton and Armani swinging from their wrists pause on the bridges to admire the sculptures and fountains and discuss which designer store to hit next.
The Benrath Palace, in the south of Duesseldorf, was built as a summer residence and hunting lodge by Jan Wellem’s successor, Karl Theodor. Together with the Hofgarten and Jaegerhof Palace (which now houses the Goethe Museum), this picturesque combination of palace and park is now of great cultural-historical importance. The garden, designed by Nicolas de Pigage in 1769, is itself a work of baroque art and was Germany's first public park; it was also the model for Munich’s English Garden. The Benrath Palace now houses exhibits of 18th century furniture, porcelain and paintings as well as the Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of European Garden History.
There is another very interesting palace in the suburb of Kaiserswerth. Here, on the banks of the Rhine, are the ruins of Emperor Barbarossa’s medieval Imperial Palace. It dates back to the 10th-century but was enlarged from 1174-1184 by Barbarossa because he needed a fortress to control this strategically and economically important stretch of the Rhine. The palace is only accessible in summer but the street Burgweg offers a wonderful view all year round.
But after strolling the old town, taking in the picturesque Burgplatz, particularly the last remaining tower of the Palace of Berg, strutting and shopping along the Kö, visiting the palaces and gardens, and admiring the works of Paul Klee, Picasso, Matisse and Jasper Johns in the K20 art gallery, always come back to the Rhine. Watch the white ships float by, hear the metallic clink of Bocci balls, or just sit and listen to the rhythmic rushing of the water. This is where locals meet, talk, relax and savour the picturesque beauty of their city.
The Rhine promenade is a recent addition to the cityscape. This lovely stretch along the river was for many years a highway. That road has now been moved underground, making the majority of the city centre vehicle-free and putting the old town back on the banks of the river, where it belongs. This blend of intelligent infrastructure and historical architecture characterizes modern Düsseldorf. The economic miracle has given the city its affluence but the locals remember their roots and fully appreciate that they now have the most majestic Rhine promenade in Germany.
The promenade also links the old with the new. It runs along the old town to the Media Harbour, where derelict warehouses and buildings have been transformed into high-tech office buildings. Düsseldorf is one of Germany’s leading media and fashion cities and the bold new structures of the Media Harbour, designed by celebrated international architects including Frank Gehry, have put the city at the forefront of architectural design and inner city redevelopment.
It all culminates in an elegant combination of past, present and future. Duesseldorf has since the time of Jan Wellem nurtured its cultured swagger. Devastating conflicts almost took that swagger away. The capital of North-Rhine Westphalia climbed out of the post-war gutter to become a symbol of a prosperous and cosmopolitan Germany. It has one of the largest stock exchanges in the country, is the headquarters for numerous multinational companies, and also has the largest Japanese population in Europe.
That’s why, strolling the Rhine promenade of a summer’s evening, one will see people from all works of life enjoying this splendidly oversized terrace. The Rhine flows ever onward, the sun sets behind the art nouveau houses of the Oberkassel, and there is barely a hum from the vehicles using the tunnel beneath the promenade. You could easily be excused for forgetting you are standing in the centre of one of Germany’s most important cities.