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104-458: The Malkastenpark (Paintbox park) is a historic private park, now in the centre of Düsseldorf , North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. The name refers to a group of artists, Malkasten , founded in 1848. The park is also known as the Jacobigarten , after the original owners who created a Baroque garden . It is now a public garden with both Baroque features and English landscape garden elements, and
208-534: A border with North Rhine-Westphalia: North Rhine-Westphalia has a population of approximately 18.1 million inhabitants (more than the entire former East Germany , and slightly more than the Netherlands ) and is centred around the polycentric Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region , which includes the industrial Ruhr region with the largest city of Dortmund and the Rhenish cities of Bonn , Cologne and Düsseldorf . 30 of
312-758: A deep of 293 m below sea level. At the same time, this is the deepest human-made dip in Germany. The most important rivers flowing at least partially through North Rhine-Westphalia include: the Rhine , the Ruhr , the Ems , the Lippe , and the Weser . The Rhine is by far the most important river in North Rhine-Westphalia: it enters the state as Middle Rhine near Bad Honnef, where still being part of
416-549: A framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic republic. The two main parties are, as on the federal level, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union and the centre-left Social Democratic Party . From 1966 to 2005, North Rhine-Westphalia was continuously governed by the Social Democrats or SPD-led governments. The state's legislative body is the Landtag ("state parliament house"). It may pass laws within
520-531: A general election to elect at least 181 members of the Landtag. Only parties who win at least 5% of the votes cast may be represented in parliament. The Landtag, the parliamentary parties and groups consisting of at least 7 members of parliament have the right to table legal proposals to the Landtag for deliberation. The law that is passed by the Landtag is delivered to the Minister-President, who, together with
624-490: A genuine Prussian officer, whose good common sense was occasionally undermined by "female influences". This was a reference to William's wife, who had been educated by, among others Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and was intellectually superior to her husband. She was also at times very outspoken in her opposition to official policies as she was a liberal . William, however, had long been strongly opposed to liberal ideas. Despite possessing considerable power as Kaiser, William left
728-474: A heated discussion, Bismarck threatened to resign if William continued to Vienna; Bismarck got his way. William had to content himself with becoming the de facto ruler of the northern two-thirds of Germany. Prussia annexed several of Austria's allies north of the Main, as well as Schleswig-Holstein. Saxe-Lauenburg was already in a personal union with Prussia since 1865 (which became a full union in 1876). In 1867,
832-485: A listed historic monument. The park is located next to the Hofgarten [ de ] , between Malkastenstraße, Jacobistraße, Pempelforter Straße and Louise-Dumont-Straße. It is just under three hectares in size, and runs along the northern Düssel stream. In the 18th century, several country houses surrounded by gardens were near Schloss Jägerhof called Pempelfort . Johann Konrad Jacobi [ de ] ,
936-421: A listed monument since 2001. In 2014, it was severely damaged by Storm Ela , which felled 40 trees and affected 200 others, damaged walls, through sculptures from their pedestals and displaced stones. Repair, especially to recreate the background of tulip trees and magnolia trees behind the pond, was supported by sponsors and the city's departments for gardens, culture, historic monuments, and the treasury. The park
1040-479: A merchant and councilor of commerce, acquired a small estate there in 1742 which became a meeting place for artists and philosophers. It was enhanced by a French formal garden with parterre and avenue. In the 1770s, his son Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi transformed the Baroque garden into an English landscape garden , preserving the central avenue and a pond. The new areas featured orchards with winding paths that crossed
1144-503: A permanent basis. Against the advice of his brother, William swore an oath of office on the Prussian constitution and promised to preserve it "solid and inviolable". William appointed a liberal, Karl Anton von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen , as Minister President and thus initiated what became known as the "New Era" in Prussia, although there were conflicts between William and the liberal majority in
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#17331424763921248-611: A relatively small part of Westphalia, consisting instead mostly of Hessian and Eastphalian regions. After the Congress of Vienna , the Kingdom of Prussia received a large amount of territory in the Westphalian region and created the province of Westphalia in 1815. The northernmost portions of the former kingdom, including the town of Osnabrück , had become part of the states of Hanover and Oldenburg . The flag of North Rhine-Westphalia
1352-566: A title such as Präsident as it sounded too republican. William became also the constitutional Bundesfeldherr , the commander of all federal armed forces. Via secret treaties with the South German states, he also became commander of their armies in times of war. In 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War , William was in command of all the German forces at the crucial Battle of Sedan . During
1456-621: Is below the national average in GRDP per capita . The state of North Rhine-Westphalia was established by the British military administration 's "Operation Marriage" on 23 August 1946 by merging the province of Westphalia and the northern parts of the Rhine Province , both being political divisions of the former state of Prussia within the German Reich . On 21 January 1947, the former state of Lippe
1560-553: Is divided almost equally between Catholicism and Protestantism. After the defeat of the Prussian Army at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt , the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 made the Westphalian territories part of the Kingdom of Westphalia from 1807 to 1813. It was founded by Napoleon and was a French vassal state . This state only shared the name with the historical region; it contained only
1664-505: Is green-white-red with the combined coats of arms of the Rhineland (white line before green background, symbolizing the river Rhine), Westfalen (the white horse) and Lippe (the red rose). After the establishment of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946, the tricolor was first introduced in 1948, but was not formally adopted until 1953. The plain variant of the tricolor is considered the civil flag and state ensign, while government authorities use
1768-580: Is hosted in Cologne . It is the largest video game convention in Europe. North Rhine-Westphalia has always been Germany's powerhouse with the largest economy among the German states by GDP figures . In the 1950s and 1960s, Westphalia was known as Land von Kohle und Stahl ( Land of Coal and Steel ). In the post-World War II recovery, the Ruhr was one of the most important industrial regions in Europe, and contributed to
1872-421: Is now Rhineland-Westphalia and neighbouring Belgium and the Netherlands . In spite of its dismembered condition and the sufferings it underwent at the hands of its French neighbours in various periods of warfare, the Rhenish territory prospered greatly and stood in the foremost rank of German culture and progress. Aachen was the place of coronation of the German emperors, and the ecclesiastical principalities of
1976-410: Is the most populous state in Germany. Apart from the city-states ( Berlin , Hamburg and Bremen ), it is also the most densely populated state in Germany. Covering an area of 34,084 km (13,160 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest German state by size. North Rhine-Westphalia features 30 of the 81 German municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants, including Cologne (over 1 million),
2080-506: Is the NRW-Nordpunkt near Rahden in the northeast of the state. The Nordpunkt has located the only 100 km to the south of the North Sea coast. The deepest natural dip is arranged in the district Zyfflich in the city of Kranenburg with 9.2 m above sea level in the northwest of the state. Though, the deepest point overground results from mining. The open-pit Hambach reaches at Niederzier
2184-693: The Niederwalddenkmal in Rüdesheim . A group of anarchists had prepared an attack using dynamite which failed due to the wet weather. The Berlin Conference of 1884–85 organized by Otto von Bismarck can be seen as the formalization of the Scramble for Africa . Claiming much of the left-over territories in Africa and Oceania that were yet unclaimed, Germany managed to build the large German colonial empire . Despite
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#17331424763922288-712: The Venus de Milo . When the fountain was installed in the pond, a historic water pipe was found, which is now being reused. The entrance area to the Malkastenpark is on the left hand side next to the Jacobihaus. With an entrance fee of two euros , which the Künstlerverein Malkasten uses for the maintenance of the park, visitors contribute to the park's nature and art. On the nationwide Tag des offenen Denkmals in September,
2392-490: The 80 largest cities in Germany are located within North Rhine-Westphalia. The state's capital is Düsseldorf; the state's largest city is Cologne. In 2022, there were 164,496 births and 234,176 deaths. The following table shows the ten largest cities of North Rhine-Westphalia: The following table shows the population of the state since 1930. The values until 1960 are the average of the yearly population, from 1965
2496-483: The Austro-Prussian War in 1866. After the latter was won by Prussia, William wanted to march on to Vienna and annex Austria, but was dissuaded from doing so by Bismarck and his son Crown Prince Frederick . Bismarck wanted to end the war quickly, so as to allow Prussia to ally with Austria if it needed to at a later date; Frederick was also appalled by the casualties and wanted a speedy end to hostilities. During
2600-550: The Battle of Leipzig , 18 October, for this event, which was the first Prussian coronation ceremony since 1701 and the only coronation of a German king after 1806. William refused to comply with his brother's wish, expressed in Frederick William's last will, that he should abrogate the constitution. William inherited a conflict between Frederick William and the liberal Landtag. He was considered to be politically neutral as he intervened less in politics than his brother. In 1862
2704-1018: The County of Glatz ; Grand Duke of the Lower Rhine and of Posen ; Duke of Saxony , of Westphalia , of Angria , of Pomerania , Lüneburg , Holstein and Schleswig , of Magdeburg , of Bremen , of Guelders , Cleves , Jülich and Berg , Duke of the Wends and the Kassubes , of Crossen , Lauenburg and Mecklenburg ; Landgrave of Hesse and Thuringia ; Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia ; Prince of Orange ; Prince of Rügen , of East Friesland , of Paderborn and Pyrmont , of Halberstadt , Münster , Minden , Osnabrück , Hildesheim , of Verden , Cammin , Fulda , Nassau and Moers ; Princely Count of Henneberg ; Count of Mark , of Ravensberg , of Hohenstein , Tecklenburg and Lingen, of Mansfeld , Sigmaringen and Veringen; Lord of Frankfurt. Wilhelm Island
2808-698: The Cugerni were later settled on the west side of the Rhine in the Roman province of Germania Inferior . Julius Caesar conquered the tribes on the left bank, and Augustus established numerous fortified posts on the Rhine, but the Romans never succeeded in gaining a firm footing on the right bank, where the Sugambri neighboured several other tribes including the Tencteri and Usipetes . North of
2912-619: The Franco-Prussian War , the South German states joined the North German Confederation, which was reorganized as the German Empire (Deutsches Reich). The title of Bundespräsidium was replaced with the title of German Emperor (Deutscher Kaiser). This was decided on by the legislative organs, the Reichstag and Bundesrat , and William agreed to this on 8 December in the presence of a Reichstag delegation. The new constitution and
3016-501: The House of Hohenzollern , he was the first head of state of a united Germany. He was de facto head of state of Prussia from 1858, when he became regent for his brother Frederick William IV . During the reign of his grandson Wilhelm II , he was known as Wilhelm the Great . The second son of Prince Frederick William and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , William was not expected to ascend to
3120-525: The Kroll Opera House in Berlin, and was given the name Agnes Kroll. She married a Carl Friedrich Ludwig Dettman (known as "Louis") and emigrated to Sydney, in 1849. They had a family of three sons and two daughters. Agnes died in 1904. In 1829, William married Princess Augusta , the daughter of Grand Duke Karl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Maria Pavlovna , the sister of Nicholas I. Their marriage
3224-648: The Malkasten-Haus [ de ] and its terrace needed rebuilding. In the process, Roland Weber , one of the most important landscape architects of the 20th century, redesigned the garden. In the summer of 1997, the artists Jost Wischnewski [ de ] , Gregor Russ, and curator Karl Heinz Rummeny founded the Parkhaus, a building in the area of the utility garden and former garden houses, serving as an experimental exhibition space intended primarily intended for young international artists. The park has been
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3328-619: The Mittelrhein wine region . It changes into the Lower Rhine near Bad Godesberg and leaves North Rhine-Westphalia near Emmerich at a width of 730 metres. Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The Pader , which flows entirely within the city of Paderborn , is considered Germany's shortest river. For many, North Rhine-Westphalia is synonymous with industrial areas and urban agglomerations. However,
3432-642: The North German Confederation was created as a federation (federally organised state) of the North German and Central German states under the permanent presidency of Prussia. William assumed the Bundespräsidium , the presidium of the Confederation; the post was a hereditary office of the Prussian crown. Not expressis verbis , but in function he was the head of state. Bismarck intentionally avoided
3536-887: The North German Plain . A few isolated hill ranges are located within these lowlands, among them the Hohe Mark, the Beckum Hills , the Baumberge and the Stemmer Berge . The terrain rises towards the south and in the east of the state into parts of Germany's Central Uplands . These hill ranges are the Weser Uplands – including the Egge Hills , the Wiehen Hills , the Wesergebirge and
3640-846: The Randstad , the Flemish Diamond and the Frankfurt Rhine-Main Region . North Rhine-Westphalia was established in 1946 after World War II from the Prussian provinces of Westphalia and the northern part of Rhine Province ( North Rhine ), and the Free State of Lippe by the British military administration in Allied-occupied Germany and became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949. The city of Bonn served as
3744-575: The Revolutions of 1848 in Germany , although he was briefly forced into exile in England. Frederick William IV suffered a stroke in 1857 and was left incapacitated, and William was formally named Prince Regent a year later. In 1861, William ascended to the Prussian throne on his elder brother's death. Upon ascension, William immediately came into conflict with the liberal Landtag over his proposed military budget. In response, he appointed Otto von Bismarck to
3848-552: The Social Democratic Party , his actions were used as a pretext by Bismarck to ban the party. To do this, Bismarck partnered with Ludwig Bamberger , a Liberal, who had written on the subject of Socialism, "If I don't want any chickens, then I must smash the eggs." These attempts on William's life thus became the pretext for the institution of the Anti-Socialist Laws , which were introduced by Bismarck's government with
3952-793: The Teutoburg Forest in the east, the Sauerland , the Bergisches Land , the Siegerland and the Siebengebirge in the south, as well as the left-Rhenish Eifel in the southwest of the state. The Rothaargebirge in the border region with Hesse rises to height of about 800 m above sea level. The highest of these mountains are the Langenberg , at 843.2 m above sea level, the Kahler Asten (840.7 m) and
4056-450: The Thirty Years' War . The concept of nation-state sovereignty resulting from the treaty became known as " Westphalian sovereignty ". As a result of the Protestant Reformation , there is no dominant religion in Westphalia. Catholicism and Lutheranism are on relatively equal footing. Lutheranism is strong in the eastern and northern parts with numerous free churches. Münster and especially Paderborn are thought of as Catholic. Osnabrück
4160-493: The state flag ( Landesdienstflagge ) which is defaced with the state's coat of arms . The state ensign can easily be mistaken for a distressed flag of Hungary , as well as the former national flag of Iran (1964–1980). The same flag was used by the Rhenish Republic (1923–1924) as a symbol of independence and freedom. The horse on the coat of arms is a reference to the Saxon Steed , a heraldic motif associated with both Westphalia and Lower Saxony . The horse first featured in
4264-402: The "Nixenteich") and historic and new buildings, provided space and a backdrop for imaginative artists' festivals that were famous beyond the borders of Düsseldorf. The Kaiserfest (Emperor's feast) was held in 1877 in honour of Emperor Wilhelms I and Empress Augusta , beginning a tradition of legendary festival productions in the Malkastenpark. After the Second World War, the destroyed part of
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4368-469: The 15th century coat of arms of the Duchy of Westphalia, before being inherited by the Prussian province of Westphalia and finally the modern state of North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia encompasses the plains of the Lower Rhine region and parts of the Central Uplands ( die Mittelgebirge ) up to the gorge of Porta Westfalica . The state covers an area of 34,083 km (13,160 sq mi) and shares borders with Belgium ( Wallonia ) in
4472-402: The Clemensberg (839.2 m). The planimetrically determined centre of North Rhine-Westphalia is located in the south of Dortmund- Aplerbeck in the Aplerbecker Mark (51° 28' N, 7° 33' Ö). Its westernmost point is situated near Selfkant close to the Dutch border, the easternmost near Höxter on the Weser . The southernmost point lies near Hellenthal in the Eifel region. The northernmost point
4576-461: The Düssel several times, and a pond. It included various buildings used for horticultural and agricultural purposes. The Jacobi Garden was an early example of an English landscape garden in the Düsseldorf area. For many years, Jacobi and his wife Betty née von Clermont maintained a meeting place for people interested in literature and politics, receiving, among others, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Wilhelm von Humboldt in their garden. Since 1855,
4680-427: The Emperor drove past in an open carriage, the assassin fired two shots from a shotgun at him from the window of a house off the Unter den Linden . William was severely wounded and was rushed back to the palace. Nobiling shot himself in an attempt to commit suicide. While William survived this attack, the assassin died from his self-inflicted wound three months later. Despite the fact that Hödel had been expelled from
4784-425: The German Wirtschaftswunder . As of the late 1960s, repeated crises led to contractions of these industrial branches. On the other hand, producing sectors, particularly in mechanical engineering and metal and iron working industry, experienced substantial growth. Despite this structural change and an economic growth which was under national average, the 2018 GDP of 705 billion euro (1/4 of the total German GDP) made NRW
4888-472: The Jacobi house and garden were owned by Friedrich Wilhelm Julius Brewer, the general director of the Düsseldorf gasworks . Brewer wanted to sell the property as a building site to expand housing in Düsseldorf. The mayor of Düsseldorf, Ludwig Hammers [ de ] , called on Düsseldorf artists to make an effort to purchase and save "the memorable site of German classical literature". The Malkasten association of artists, founded in 1848, tried to acquire
4992-407: The Landtag on matters of reforming the armed forces. On 2 January 1861, Frederick William IV died and William ascended the throne as William I of Prussia. In July, a student from Leipzig attempted to assassinate William, but he was only lightly injured. Like Frederick I of Prussia , William travelled to Königsberg and there crowned himself at the Schlosskirche. William chose the anniversary of
5096-447: The Landtag refused an increase in the military budget needed to pay for the already implemented reform of the army. This involved expanding the peacetime army from 150,000 to 200,000 men and the annual number of new recruits from 40,000 to 63,000. However, the truly controversial part was keeping the length of military service (raised in 1856 from two years) at three years. When his request (backed by his Minister of War Albrecht von Roon )
5200-441: The Prussian army. William served in the army from 1814 onward. Like his father, he fought against Napoleon I of France during the part of the Napoleonic Wars known in Germany as the Befreiungskriege ("Wars of Liberation", otherwise known as the War of the Sixth Coalition ), and was reportedly a very brave soldier. He was made a captain ( Hauptmann ) and won the Iron Cross for his actions at Bar-sur-Aube . The war and
5304-425: The Rhine bulked largely in German history. Prussia first set foot on the Rhine in 1609 by the occupation of the Duchy of Cleves and about a century later Upper Guelders and Moers also became Prussian. At the peace of Basel in 1795, the whole of the left bank of the Rhine was resigned to France, and in 1806, the Rhenish princes all joined the Confederation of the Rhine . After the Congress of Vienna, Prussia
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#17331424763925408-449: The Sigambri and the Rhine region were the Bructeri . As the power of the Roman empire declined, many of these tribes came to be seen collectively as Ripuarian Franks and they pushed forward along both banks of the Rhine, and by the end of the fifth century had conquered all the lands that had formerly been under Roman influence. By the eighth century, the Frankish dominion was firmly established in western Germany and northern Gaul, but at
5512-493: The age of 90 after a short illness and was succeeded by his son Frederick . Frederick, already suffering from cancer, died 99 days later and the throne passed to Wilhelm II. The future king and emperor was born William Frederick Louis of Prussia ( Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig von Preußen ) in the Kronprinzenpalais in Berlin on 22 March 1797. As the second son of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Prince Frederick William , himself son of King Frederick William II , William
5616-468: The area of Westphalia. Charlemagne is thought to have spent considerable time in Paderborn and nearby parts. His Saxon Wars also partly took place in what is thought of as Westphalia today. Popular legends link his adversary Widukind to places near Detmold , Bielefeld , Lemgo , Osnabrück, and other places in Westphalia. Widukind was buried in Enger , which is also a subject of a legend. Along with Eastphalia and Engern , Westphalia ( Westfalahi )
5720-407: The assassination attempts and William's unpopular role in the 1848 uprising, he and his wife were very popular, especially in their later years. Many people considered them the personification of "the old Prussia" and liked their austere and simple lifestyle. William died on 9 March 1888 in Berlin after a short illness, at age 90. He was buried on 16 March at the Mausoleum at Park Charlottenburg . He
5824-416: The bullet missed, Hödel ran across the street and fired another round which also missed. In the commotion one of the individuals who tried to apprehend Hödel suffered severe internal injuries and died two days later. Hödel was seized immediately. He was tried, convicted, sentenced to death, and executed on 16 August 1878. A second attempt to assassinate William I was made on 2 June 1878 by Karl Nobiling . As
5928-419: The commander of the Stettiner Gardelandwehrbataillon and in 1818 was promoted to Generalmajor . The next year, William was appointed inspector of the VII. and VIII. Army Corps . This made him a spokesman of the Prussian Army within the House of Hohenzollern . He argued in favour of a strong, well-trained, and well-equipped army. In 1820, William became commander of the 1. Gardedivision and in 1825
6032-434: The competency of the state, e.g. cultural matters, the education system, matters of internal security, i.e. the police, building supervision, health supervision and the media; as opposed to matters that are reserved to Federal law. North Rhine-Westphalia uses the same electoral system as the Federal level in Germany: " Personalized proportional representation ". Every five years the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia vote in
6136-460: The crown prince travelled to Russia (against the advice of Bismarck) to mend fences in face-to-face talks. However, by once again threatening to resign, Bismarck overcame the opposition of William to a closer alliance with Austria-Hungary . In October, William agreed to the Dual Alliance ( Zweibund ) between Germany and Austria-Hungary, which was directed against Russia. Another assassination attempt failed on 28 September 1883 when William unveiled
6240-422: The districts and municipalities, while the Landschaftsverband has a directly elected assembly. The five government regions of North Rhine-Westphalia each belong to one of the two Landschaftsverbände : The state's area covers a maximum distance of 291 km from north to south, and 266 km from east to west. The total length of the state's borders is 1,645 km. The following countries and states have
6344-404: The economically strongest state of Germany by GRP figures , as well as one of the most important economical areas in the world. Of Germany's top 100 corporations, 37 are based in North Rhine-Westphalia. On a per capita base, however, North Rhine-Westphalia remains one of the weaker among the Western German states. North Rhine-Westphalia attracts companies from both Germany and abroad. In 2009,
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#17331424763926448-410: The estate, in order to save the Jacobi garden. The Düsseldorf notary Joseph Euler , a founding member of the Malkasten, and the district president Leo von Massenbach [ de ] supported the efforts by bringing about the "Corporationsrecht" (right of incorporation) for the Malkasten, which finally opened the legal way for the artists' association to acquire the property. On 17 September 1857,
6552-400: The federal capital until the reunification of Germany in 1990 and as the seat of government until 1999. Culturally, North Rhine-Westphalia is not a uniform area; there are significant differences, especially in traditional customs, between the Rhineland region on the one hand and the regions of Westphalia and Lippe on the other. Its economy is the largest among German states by GRDP but
6656-487: The fight against France left a lifelong impression on him, and he had a long-standing antipathy towards the French. In 1815, William was promoted to major and commanded a battalion of the 1. Garderegiment . He fought under Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher at the Battles of Ligny and Waterloo . In 1817, he accompanied his sister Charlotte to Saint Petersburg , when she married Emperor Nicholas I of Russia , becoming Empress Alexandra Feodorovna . In 1816, William became
6760-522: The historian Maximilian Wolfgang Duncker , August von Bethmann-Hollweg and Clemens Theodor Perthes [ de ] . William's opposition to liberal ideas gradually softened. In 1854, the prince was raised to the rank of a field-marshal and made governor of the federal Fortress of Mainz . In 1857 Frederick William IV suffered a stroke and became mentally disabled for the rest of his life. In January 1858, William became Prince Regent for his brother, initially only temporarily but after October on
6864-501: The interior ministry of North Rhine-Westphalia reported that the number of mosques with a Salafist influence had risen from 3 to 9, which indicated both an actual increase and improved reporting. According to German authorities, Salafism is incompatible with the principles codified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany , in particular: democracy , the rule of law , and political order based on human rights . The politics of North Rhine-Westphalia takes place within
6968-407: The king, liked to see his working relationship with William as that of a vassal to his feudal superior. Nonetheless, it was Bismarck who effectively directed affairs, domestic as well as foreign; on several occasions he gained William's assent by threatening to resign. During his reign, William was the commander-in-chief of the Prussian forces in the Second Schleswig War against Denmark in 1864 and
7072-541: The kingdom of Lotharingia . By the time of Otto I (d. 973), both banks of the Rhine had become part of the Holy Roman Empire , and the Rhenish territory was divided between the duchies of Upper Lorraine on the Moselle and Lower Lorraine on the Meuse. The Ottonian dynasty had both Saxon and Frankish ancestry. As the central power of the Holy Roman Emperor weakened, the Rhineland split into numerous small, independent, separate vicissitudes and special chronicles. The old Lotharingian divisions became obsolete, although
7176-407: The landscape painter Andreas Achenbach and the industrial lobbyist Alexander von Sybel [ de ] bought or pre-financed the Jacobi'schen Garten "with residential buildings, sheds, stables, barn, sheds, park with orangery house, meadow, vegetable garden and orchard, a total of 11 acres 117 Ruthen for 22,000 Thaler" with the intention of later transferring it to the Malkasten. The purchase
7280-432: The largest part of the state is used for agriculture (almost 52%) and forests (25%). The state consists of five government regions ( Regierungsbezirke ), divided into 31 districts ( Kreise ) and 23 urban districts ( kreisfreie Städte ). In total, North Rhine-Westphalia has 396 municipalities (1997), including the urban districts, which are municipalities by themselves. The government regions have an assembly elected by
7384-658: The ministers involved, is required to sign it and announce it in the Law and Ordinance Gazette. These are the minister-presidents of North Rhine-Westphalia : For the current state government, see Wüst cabinet . The state has Aachen Cathedral , the Cologne Cathedral , the Zeche Zollverein in Essen , the Augustusburg Palace in Brühl and the Imperial Abbey of Corvey in Höxter which are all World Heritage Sites . North Rhine-Westphalia hosts film festivals in Cologne , Bonn, Dortmund , Duisburg , Münster , Oberhausen and Lünen . Other large festivals include Rhenish carnivals , Ruhrtriennale . Every year Gamescom
7488-658: The monument at Porta Westfalica (1896) and the mounted statue of William at the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz (1897). The National Kaiser Wilhelm Monument in Berlin was destroyed by the government of East Berlin in 1950. William and Augusta of Saxe-Weimar had two children: He had two illegitimate twin children, born from an affair with Elisa Radzwill . Agnes Dettman (born 30 January 1824 in Posen; died 3 January 1904 in Sydney, Australia )
7592-777: The name survives for example in Lorraine in France, and throughout the Middle Ages and even into modern times, the nobility of these areas often sought to preserve the idea of a preeminent duke within Lotharingia, something claimed by the Dukes of Limburg , and the Dukes of Brabant . Such struggles as the War of the Limburg Succession therefore continued to create military and political links between what
7696-487: The park is usually open to the public for free. The park features several works of art, including: 51°13′46.6″N 6°47′20.8″E / 51.229611°N 6.789111°E / 51.229611; 6.789111 North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia , commonly shortened to NRW , is a state ( Land ) in Western Germany . With more than 18 million inhabitants, it
7800-563: The population at year end is used. Source: Statistische Ämter des Bundes Und der Länder As of 2020 , 50% of the population of the state adhered to the Roman Catholic Church , 25% to the Protestant Church in Germany , and 28% of the population is irreligious or adheres to other denominations or religions. North Rhine-Westphalia ranks first in population among German states for both Roman Catholics and Protestants. In 2016,
7904-506: The post of Minister President in order to force through his proposals, beginning a partnership that would last for the rest of his life. On the foreign front, William oversaw Prussian victories in the Second Schleswig War and the Austro-Prussian War , establishing Prussia as the leading German power. In 1871, through Bismarck's maneuvers, the unification of Germany was achieved following the Franco-Prussian War . The German Empire
8008-498: The reprisals the Social Democratic Party increased its influence among the masses. Under pressure of the mass working-class movement the laws were repealed on 1 October 1890. In August 1878, Alexander II of Russia , William's nephew, wrote a letter (known as Ohrfeigenbrief ) to him complaining about the treatment Russian interests had received at the Congress of Berlin . In response William, his wife Augusta, and his son
8112-519: The republican rule of the French. In 1920, the districts of Eupen and Malmedy were transferred to Belgium (see German-speaking Community of Belgium ). Around AD 1, numerous incursions occurred through Westphalia and perhaps even some permanent Roman or Romanized settlements. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest took place near Osnabrück and some of the Germanic tribes who fought at this battle came from
8216-558: The restoration of the Holy Roman Empire. Felix Dahn wrote a poem, " Macte senex Imperator " ('Hail thee, old emperor') in which he nicknamed William Barbablanca (whitebeard), a play on the name of the medieval emperor Frederick Barbarossa (redbeard). According to the King asleep in mountain legend, Barbarossa slept under the Kyffhäuser mountain until Germany had need of him. William I
8320-515: The same time, to the north, Westphalia was being taken over by Saxons pushing south. The Merovingian and Carolingian Franks eventually built an empire which controlled first their Ripuarian kin, and then the Saxons. On the division of the Carolingian Empire at the Treaty of Verdun , the part of the province to the east of the river fell to East Francia , while that to the west remained with
8424-473: The southwest and the Netherlands ( Limburg , Gelderland and Overijssel ) in the west and northwest. It has borders with the German states of Lower Saxony to the north and northeast, Rhineland-Palatinate to the south and Hesse to the southeast. Approximately half of the state is located in the relative low-lying terrain of the Westphalian Lowland and the Rhineland , both extending broadly into
8528-638: The state capital Düsseldorf (630,000), Dortmund and Essen (about 590,000 inhabitants each) and other cities predominantly located in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area , the largest urban area in Germany and the fourth-largest on the European continent . The location of the Rhine-Ruhr at the heart of the European Blue Banana makes it well connected to other major European cities and metropolitan areas like
8632-465: The state had the most foreign direct investments ( FDI ) anywhere in Germany. Around 13,100 foreign companies from the most important investment countries control their German or European operations from bases in North Rhine-Westphalia. William I, German Emperor William I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888), or Wilhelm I , was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of
8736-451: The support of a majority in the Reichstag on 18 October 1878, for the purpose of fighting the socialist and working-class movement. These laws deprived the Social Democratic Party of Germany of its legal status; prohibited all organizations, workers’ mass organizations and the socialist and workers’ press; decreed confiscation of socialist literature; and subjected Social-Democrats to reprisals. The laws were extended every 2–3 years. Despite
8840-577: The task of governing mostly to his chancellor, limiting himself to representing the state and approving Bismarck's every policy. In private he once remarked on his relationship with Bismarck: It is difficult to be emperor under such a chancellor. On 11 May 1878, a plumber named Emil Max Hödel failed in an assassination attempt on William in Berlin . Hödel used a revolver to shoot at the then 81-year-old Emperor, while he and his daughter, Princess Louise , paraded in their carriage on Unter den Linden . When
8944-467: The throne. His grandfather, King Frederick William II died the year he was born, and his father was crowned Frederick William III . William fought with distinction during the War of the Sixth Coalition , and afterwards became a prominent figure within the Prussian Army . In 1840, his childless elder brother became King of Prussia, making him heir presumptive . William played a major role in crushing
9048-598: The time and earned him the nickname Kartätschenprinz (Prince of Grapeshot ). Indeed, he had to flee to England for a while, disguised as a merchant. He returned and helped to put down an uprising in Baden , where he commanded the Prussian army. In October 1849, he became governor-general of the Rhine Province and Province of Westphalia , with a seat at the Electoral Palace, Koblenz . During their time at Koblenz , William and his wife entertained liberal scholars such as
9152-456: The title Prinz von Preußen . Against his convictions but out of loyalty towards his brother, William signed the bill setting up a Prussian parliament in 1847 and took a seat in the upper chamber, the Prussian House of Lords . During the Revolutions of 1848 , William successfully crushed a revolt in Berlin that was aimed at Frederick William IV. The use of cannons made him unpopular at
9256-484: The title of Emperor came into effect on 1 January 1871. William, however, hesitated to accept the constitutional title, as he feared that it would overshadow his own title as King of Prussia. He also wanted it to be Kaiser von Deutschland ("Emperor of Germany"), but Bismarck warned him that the South German princes and the Emperor of Austria might protest. William eventually—though grudgingly—relented and on 18 January, he
9360-520: Was a Lutheran member of the Evangelical State Church of Prussia's older Provinces . It was a United Protestant denomination, bringing together Reformed and Lutheran believers. His full title as king of Prussia was William, by the Grace of God , King of Prussia; Margrave of Brandenburg , Burgrave of Nuremberg , Count of Hohenzollern ; Sovereign and Supreme Duke of Silesia and of
9464-482: Was awarded the entire Rhineland , which included the Grand Duchy of Berg , the ecclesiastic electorates of Trier and Cologne , the free cities of Aachen and Cologne, and nearly a hundred small lordships and abbeys. The Prussian Rhine province was formed in 1822 and Prussia had the tact to leave the lower Rhenish districts in undisturbed possession of the liberal institutions to which they had become accustomed under
9568-461: Was extensively restored over three years, after plans by landscape architect Achim Röthig. It was reopened to the public in September 2015. The park includes the northern Düssel stream, with a small waterfall in place from 1840. A pond, Venus Pond, with rounded corners is still in forms of the Baroque period, with a sculpture of Venus in its centre, modelled after the Venus of Capua, an earlier version of
9672-548: Was formally proclaimed as emperor in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles . The date was chosen as the coronation date of the first Prussian king in 1701. In the national memory , 18 January became the day of the foundation of the Empire ( Reichsgründungstag ), although it did not have a constitutional significance. To many intellectuals, the coronation of William was associated with
9776-568: Was merged with North Rhine-Westphalia. The constitution of North Rhine-Westphalia was then ratified through a referendum . The first written account of the area was by its conqueror, Julius Caesar , the territories west of the Rhine were occupied by the Eburones and east of the Rhine he reported the Ubii (across from Cologne) and the Sugambri to their north. The Ubii and some other Germanic tribes such as
9880-478: Was not expected to ascend to the throne. His grandfather died the year he was born, at age 53, in 1797, and his father Frederick William III became king. He was educated from 1801 to 1809 by Johann Friedrich Gottlieb Delbrück [ de ] , who was also in charge of the education of William's brother, the Crown Prince Frederick William . At age twelve, his father appointed him an officer in
9984-611: Was originally a district of the Duchy of Saxony . In 1180, Westphalia was elevated to the rank of a duchy by Emperor Barbarossa . The Duchy of Westphalia comprised only a small area south of the Lippe River . Parts of Westphalia came under Brandenburg-Prussian control during the 17th and 18th centuries, but most of it remained divided duchies and other feudal areas of power. The Peace of Westphalia of 1648, signed in Münster and Osnabrück, ended
10088-513: Was outwardly stable, but not a very happy one. In 1834-37 he had the Old Palace in Berlin built as a new family home, in which he continued to live later as king and emperor, while he only used the Berlin Palace for representative purposes. On 7 June 1840 his older brother became King of Prussia. Since he had no children, William was first in line to succeed him to the throne and thus was given
10192-707: Was placed in the care of Joseph Kroll and Agnes Kroll. She later emigrated to Australia, where she started a family. Adalbert Berengar Viktor von Hohenzollern (born 30 January 1824 in Posen ; died 14 January 1882 in Marco, Ceará, Brazil ) was entrusted to the care of the Ursuline convent in Posen. He became a priest and emigrated to Brazil, where he engaged in missionary work throughout the northeastern region. During this period, he fathered an illegitimate child with Maria dos Anjos Chefe da Silveira, named Manoel Chefe da Silveira. William
10296-514: Was proclaimed and William was granted the title of German Emperor. Even though he had considerable power as Kaiser , William largely left the affairs of the state to Bismarck. Later in life he was the target of multiple failed assassination attempts, which enabled Bismarck to push through a series of anti-socialist laws . In 1888, which came to be known as the Year of the Three Emperors , William died at
10400-450: Was promoted to commanding general of the III. Army Corps . Around this time, William became romantically linked with his cousin, Polish noblewoman Elisa Radziwill . In 1826, William was forced to break off the relationship by his father, who deemed it an inappropriate match. It is alleged that Elisa had an illegitimate daughter by William who was brought up by Joseph and Caroline Kroll, owners of
10504-532: Was refused, William first considered abdicating, but his son, the Crown Prince, advised strongly against it. Then, on the advice of Roon, William appointed Otto von Bismarck as Minister President in order to force through the proposals. Under the Prussian constitution, the Minister President was responsible solely to the king, not to the Landtag. Bismarck, a conservative Prussian Junker and loyal friend of
10608-487: Was succeeded by his son Frederick, who was already fatally unwell himself (suffering from throat cancer). Frederick spent the 99 days of his reign fighting his illness before dying and being succeeded by his eldest son Wilhelm on 15 June. To honour him a large number of memorials/statues were erected all over the country over the following years. The best known among them are the Kyffhäuser monument (1890–96) in Thuringia ,
10712-648: Was thus portrayed as a second coming of Barbarossa. The Kyffhäuser Monument portrays both emperors. In 1872, he arbitrated a boundary dispute between the United Kingdom and the United States, deciding in favor of the U.S. and placing the San Juan Islands of modern-day Washington within U.S. national territory, thus ending the 12-year bloodless Pig War . In his memoirs, Bismarck describes William as an old-fashioned, courteous, infallibly polite gentleman and
10816-626: Was ultimately financed by a worldwide lottery of paintings, to which artists of the Düsseldorf school of painting contributed. The redesign of a new English landscape garden was the responsibility of the Royal garden director Joseph Clemens Weyhe [ de ] . The Malkasten ceremoniously moved into the garden on 14 July 1860. The gardens with the Düsselbach stream, the Venusteich pond (also known as
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