Düsseldorf-Gerresheim

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Gerresheim is one of the oldest parts of the City of Düsseldorf. It is in the east of the city and has 27,881 inhabitants.

1 History
2 Buildings and attractions
3 Infrastructure
4 Literary references
5 Sources

[edit] History

The first church in Gerresheim is mentioned in documents dated to the year 670. In 870 the church of the women's collegiate foundation (Stift) of St. Margaret's (Gerresheim Abbey) was founded by Gerricus.

In 1368 the village of Gerresheim located around the religious house was made a city with city rights by the Count of Berg.

In the 17th century many aristocratic ladies in the convent moved away and the city of Gerresheim became poorer and poorer. Soldiers of the Truchsess War and later the Thirty Years' War raided Gerresheim. The city lost its reputation. In 1803 the Reichsdeputationshauptschluss abolished the abbey. In 1815 Gerresheim was taken over by the Kingdom of Prussia.

The famous Gerresheimer Glashütte was founded by Ferdinand Heye in 1864.

In 1909 Gerresheim became a part of Düsseldorf.

[edit] Buildings and attractions

Basilica Sta. Margaretha, formerly St. Hippolytus, Roman Catholic church, Romano-Gothic abbey church, sanctified in 1236 in the place of a church of the Staufens.
The treasures of the Church are a crucifix from the 10th century and a Gospel book from the 11th century
Abbey buildings date from the 13th century
Quadenhof Castle dates from the 15th century
Gustav-Adolph-Church, Protestant (Lutheran) Church from 1878

[edit] Infrastructure

Gerresheim has had its own railway station since 1838. Today only three regional train lines stop there, S8, S11 and S28, connecting with Düsseldorf Central Station, Düsseldorf-Bilk, Wuppertal, Neuss, Mönchengladbach, Hagen, Kaarst and Mettmann. The tram line 703 connects Gerresheim with the central districts of Düsseldorf and bus lines with other parts of the city.

[edit] Literary references

It is at the Gerresheim Stadtbahn station that the hero of Günter Grass's novel Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) abandons his stolen tram to save Victor Weluhn from execution, as the book draws to an end.