It's hard to imagine that once the bustling German political and economic center was just a small fishing village. Today, Düsseldorf has a population of around 600,000 people, making it the seventh-largest city in Germany.
It all began as a small settlement on the banks of the Rhine. By the way, if you're wondering where Düsseldorf is located on the map of Germany, you'll see that it is situated in the western part of the country. Düsseldorf is not just a city but also the capital of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Düsseldorf was founded in 1135, but it didn't receive city status until much later, in 1288. The famous Frederick Barbarossa played a significant role in the city's development. It was during his reign that the small town of Kaiserswerth gained complete control over the lower part of the Rhine River.
From there, the city experienced rapid growth and soon became wealthy through its market activities. It faced significant upheaval during the Napoleonic Wars. Like many German cities, it was heavily damaged during World War II and almost completely destroyed.
The restoration of the city began in 1946, and soon Düsseldorf regained its former power and reputation as an economic center.
