View source for Wuppertal

{{for|the village in South Africa|Wupperthal}}
{{Infobox German location
|type                       = City
|image_skyline = {{multiple image
|border = infobox
|total_width = 266
|image_style = border:1
|perrow = 1/2/2
|image1 = Wuppertal ansicht.jpg
|image2 = Wuppertal Friedrichstraße 0003.jpg
|image3 = Sonnborner + Siegfriedstraße 01 ies.jpg{{!}}Wuppertal Suspension Railway running beneath Sonnborn Railway Bridge (Sonnborner Eisenbahnbrücke)
|image4 = Wuppertal - Rathaus Elberfeld (1895-1900) (32776046831).jpg
|image5 = Laurentiuskirche in Wuppertal.jpg{{!}}St Lawrence's Basilica at dusk
|caption1 = View over Wuppertal-[[Elberfeld]]
|caption2 = Hilly cityscape at ''Friedrichstraße''
|caption3 = [[Wuppertal Schwebebahn|Wuppertal Suspension Railway]] beneath Sonnborn Railway Bridge
|caption4 = The former town hall of the ''Elberfeld'' district
|caption5 = St Lawrence's Basilica}}
|image_flag                 = Flagge Wuppertal.svg
|image_coa                  = DEU Wuppertal COA.svg
|coordinates                = {{coord|51|16|N|07|11|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|image_plan                 = North rhine w W.svg
|plantext                   = Wuppertal within North Rhine-Westphalia
|state                      = North Rhine-Westphalia
|region                     = [[Düsseldorf (region)|Düsseldorf]]
|district                   = urban
|elevation                  = 100-350
|area                       = 168.41
|area_metro                 = 
|pop_urban                  = 608000
[[Bergisches Land|(Bergisches Dreieck)]]
|pop_metro                  = 11300000
([[Rhein-Ruhr]])
|postal_code                = 42001-42399
|area_code                  = 0202
|licence                    = W
|Gemeindeschlüssel          = 05 1 24 000
|divisions                  = 
|website                    = [https://www.wuppertal.de/ wuppertal.de]
|mayor                      = [[Miriam Scherff]]
|leader_term                = 2020&ndash;25
|Bürgermeistertitel         = Oberbürgermeister
|party                      = SPD
|ruling_party1              = SPD
|ruling_party2              = CDU
|year                       = 
|_noautocat                 = 
}}
[[File:Wuppertal 7.18769E 51.23313N.jpg|thumb|Wuppertal from space]]
[[File:Elberfeld-Mitte,_Wuppertal-0124.jpg|thumb|The center of Wuppertal-Elberfeld, north of the main station in 2019]]
[[File:Wuppertal-100508-12833-Uferstraße.jpg|thumb|The Schwebebahn ''floating tram'' in Wuppertal-Barmen, suspended above the River Wupper]]
[[File:Schwebebahn ueber Strasse.jpg|thumb|The Schwebebahn in Wuppertal-Elberfeld]]
[[File:Wuppertal Stadthalle.JPG|thumb|Concert Hall (Stadthalle) Wuppertal]]
[[File:280505 001 Engelshaus Barmen.jpg|thumb|Engels House (Historisches Zentrum)]]
[[File:Beyenburger Freiheit und Klosterkirche, Wuppertal 4.jpg|thumb|Wuppertal-Beyenburg]]
[[File:Wuppertal Nützenberger Str 0117.JPG|thumb|Wuppertal University]]

'''Wuppertal''' ({{IPA|de|ˈvʊpɐtaːl|-|De-Wuppertal.ogg}}; {{Lit|''[[Wupper]] [[dale (landform)|Dale]]''}}) is a city in [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], in western [[Germany]], with a population of 355,000. Wuppertal is the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and [[List of cities in Germany by population|17th-largest]] in Germany. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of [[Elberfeld]], [[Barmen]], [[Ronsdorf]], [[Cronenberg, Wuppertal|Cronenberg]] and [[Vohwinkel Schwebebahn|Vohwinkel]], and was initially called "Barmen-Elberfeld" before adopting its present name in 1930. It is the capital and largest city of the [[Bergisches Land]].

The city straddles the densely populated banks of the River [[Wupper]], a tributary of the [[Rhine]]. Wuppertal is located between the [[Ruhr]] ([[Essen]]) to the north, [[Düsseldorf]] to the west, and [[Cologne]] to the southwest, and over time has grown together with [[Solingen]], [[Remscheid]] and [[Hagen]]. The stretching of the city in a long band along the narrow Wupper Valley leads to a spatial impression of Wuppertal being larger than it actually is. The city is known for its steep slopes, its woods and parks, and for being the greenest city in Germany, with two-thirds green space of the total municipal area. From any part of the city, it is only a ten-minute walk to one of the public parks or woodland paths.

The Wupper Valley was, along with the [[Ore Mountains]] and before the [[Ruhr]], the first highly industrialized region of Germany, which resulted in the construction of the [[Wuppertal Schwebebahn]] [[suspension railway]] in the then independent cities of [[Elberfeld]] and [[Barmen]]. The increasing demand for coal from the textile mills and blacksmith shops from those cities encouraged the expansion of the nearby [[Ruhr]]. Wuppertal still is a major industrial centre, being home to industries such as textiles, [[metallurgy]], chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, automobiles, rubber, vehicles and printing equipment. [[Aspirin]] originates from Wuppertal, patented in 1897 by [[Bayer]], as does the [[Vorwerk (company)|Vorwerk]] [[Kobold (vacuum cleaner)|Kobold vacuum cleaner]].<ref name="110 Jahre Aspirin">{{cite web|url=http://geschichtspuls.de/art1294-markenjubilaum-110-jahre-aspirin-kopfschmerzmittel|title=110 Jahre Aspirin|access-date=May 22, 2011|publisher=GeschichtsPuls|author=Marvin Brendel|language=de}}</ref><ref name="Kobold vacuum cleaner">{{cite web|url=http://corporate.vorwerk.com/en/divisions/kobold-vacuum-cleaners/|title=Official website Vorwerk – Kobold vacuum cleaners|access-date=May 22, 2011|archive-date=February 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221032048/http://corporate.vorwerk.com/en/divisions/kobold-vacuum-cleaners/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Wuppertal Institute|Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy]] and the European Institute for International Economic Relations are located in the city.<ref name="EIIW">{{cite web|url=http://eiiw.eu/index.php?id=3619&L=1|title=Official website European Institute for International Economic Relations|access-date=March 2, 2013}}</ref> [[Barmen]] was the birthplace of [[Friedrich Engels]]. Due to the city's length, the Bergish varieties of the Limburgish language called Platt are spoken in its western communities like Vohwinkel, but not in the city's eastern communities like Langenfeld where the Southern varieties of Westphalian language are spoken and the city is called Wupperdaal by locals.

==History==
[[File:Einwohnerentwicklung von Wuppertal - ab 1871.svg|thumb|Population development]]
Wuppertal in its present borders was formed in 1929 by merging the industrial cities of [[Barmen]] and [[Elberfeld]] along with the communities of [[Vohwinkel, Wuppertal|Vohwinkel]], [[Ronsdorf]], [[Cronenberg, Wuppertal|Cronenberg]], [[Langerfeld]] and [[Beyenburg]]. The initial name '''Barmen-Elberfeld''' was changed in a 1930 referendum to Wuppertal ("Wupper Valley"). The new city was administered as part of [[Prussia]]'s [[Rhine Province]].

Uniquely for Germany, it is a "[[Linear settlement|linear city]]", owing to the steep hillsides along the river [[Wupper]]. Its highest hill is the [[Lichtscheid]], which is {{convert|351|m|ft|abbr=on}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]. The dominant urban centres Elberfeld (historic commercial centre) and Barmen (more industrial) have formed a continuous urbanized area since 1850. During the succeeding decades, "Wupper-Town" became the dominant industrial agglomeration of northwestern Germany. During the 20th century, this conurbation had been surpassed by [[Cologne]], Düsseldorf and the [[Ruhr area]], all with a more favourable topography.

From 5 July 1933 to 19 January 1934 the [[Kemna concentration camp]] was established in Wuppertal. It was one of the early [[Nazi concentration camps]], created by the [[Nazi Party]] to [[incarcerate]] their political opponents upon [[Machtergreifung|gaining power in 1933]]. The camp was established in a former factory on the Wupper in the Kemna neighborhood of the Barmen part of Wuppertal. [[Protestantism|Protestant Christians]] opposed to the so called [[German Christians (movement)|German Christians]] adopted the [[Barmen Declaration]] in Wuppertal in 1934.

By order of 10 October 1938, the 1st Light Division of the German Army was formed in Wuppertal, which in September 1939 took part in the [[invasion of Poland]] which started [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ruszkowski|first=Andrzej|year=2015|title=Atak niemieckiej I Dywizji Lekkiej na Konopnicę i Rychłocice w 1939 roku|magazine=Na Sieradzkich Szlakach|language=pl|location=Sieradz|volume=XXX|issue=2 (118)|page=6|issn=1232-2695}}</ref> During the war, Nazi Germany operated a Nazi prison, two [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] subcamps of the prison in [[Remscheid]]-[[Lüttringhausen]] and an [[SS construction brigade]] in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100001329|title=Strafgefängnis und Untersuchungshaftanstalt in Wuppertal|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=15 March 2025|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=1858|title=Außenkommando "Lager Homann-Werke" des Zuchthauses Remscheid-Lüttringhausen in Wuppertal bei den Homann-Werken|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=15 March 2025|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100000965|title=Außenkommando "Vorwerk & Co. Lager" des Zuchthauses Remscheid-Lüttringhausen in Wuppertal-Barmen|website=Bundesarchiv.de|access-date=15 March 2025|language=de}}</ref><ref name=ushm>{{cite book|last=Megargee|first=Geoffrey P.|year=2009|title=The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945. Volume I|publisher=Indiana University Press, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum|page=1400|isbn=978-0-253-35328-3}}</ref> The prisoners of the SS construction brigade were Poles, Russians, French, Czechs, Romanians, Hungarians, and Greeks.<ref name=ushm/> About 40% of buildings in the city were destroyed by Allied bombing, as were many other German cities and industrial centres (see [[Bombing of Wuppertal in World War II]]). However, a large number of historic sites have been preserved, such as:

* Ölberg, literally "Oil mountain", Germany's largest original working class district, is protected as a [[historic monument]]. The name came about during the 1920s as the district continued using oil lamps while the surrounding bourgeois residential quarters were electrified. In traditional use, the name "Ölberg" refers to the [[Mount of Olives]] in [[Jerusalem]].
* [[Wuppertal-Brill|Brill]] is one of Germany's largest districts of [[Gründerzeit]] villas, i.e. middle class mansions built by industrial entrepreneurs during the second half of the 19th century.

The US [[78th Infantry Division (United States)|78th Infantry Division]] under Major General [[Edwin P. Parker Jr.]] captured Wuppertal against scant resistance on 16 April 1945.<ref>Stanton, Shelby, ''World War II Order of Battle: An Encyclopedic Reference to U.S. Army Ground Forces from Battalion through Division, 1939–1946'', Stackpole Books (Revised Edition 2006), p. 147</ref> Wuppertal became a part of the [[British Zone of Occupation]], and subsequently part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia in [[West Germany]].

==Population==
{{Historical populations|1610|2500|1800|12000|1822|23758|1852|39944|1871|71384|1885|106499|1900|156966|1910|170195|1919|157218|1925|167025|1929|414951|1933|408602|1939|401672|1946|325846|1950|363224|1961|420711|1970|418454|1980|393381|1990|383660|2001|364784|2011|342661|2022|356768|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.
Source:<ref>[[:de:Einwohnerentwicklung von Wuppertal]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=August 2019}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Germany: States and Major Cities|url=https://citypopulation.de/en/germany/cities/}}</ref>}}

Wuppertal currently has a population of about 355,000. The number of inhabitants more than doubled in 1929 as a result of the [[Barmen]]–[[Elberfeld]] merger. The economic boom of the 1950s and 60s saw the establishment of new industry headquarters and with it an influx of workers, including migrant workers from [[Turkey]], [[Greece]] and [[Italy]]. Population numbers during these times of as-yet unparalleled growth peaked at about 423,000 in 1963; in the 1970s, a period of steady decline followed in the wake of industrial losses.

As of 31 December 2022, the largest groups of foreign residents were:

{| class="wikitable"
! From country
! Number of residents
|-
|{{flag|Turkey}}||11,575
|-
|{{flag|Syria}}||7,415
|-
|{{flag|Italy}}||6,870
|-
|{{flag|Greece}}||6,130
|-
|{{flag|Poland}}||5,870
|-
|{{flag|Ukraine}}||5,387
|-
|{{flag|Romania}}||2,835
|-
|{{flag|Morocco}}||2,463
|-
|{{flag|Serbia}}||2,197
|-
|{{flag|North Macedonia}}||1,724
|-
|{{flag|Iraq}}||1,593
|-
|{{flag|Spain}}||1,439
|-
|{{flag|Russia}}||1,354
|-
|{{flag|Croatia}}||1,273
|-
|{{flag|Netherlands}}||1,228
|-
|{{flag|Kosovo}}||1,147
|}

==Main sights==
In total, Wuppertal possesses over 4,500 buildings classified as national monuments, most exemplifying styles such as [[Neoclassicism]], [[Eclecticism]], [[Historicism]], [[Art Nouveau]]/[[Jugendstil]] and [[Bauhaus]]. The American TV station [[CNN]] recommended Wuppertal as one of 20 places worldwide to visit in the year 2020 because of the Schwebebahn, the architectural diversity and the Nordbahntrasse, a {{convert|22|km|adj=on}} cycle route across the city 2020.<ref>CNN: 20 places to visit in 2020 [https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/places-to-visit-2020/index.html])</ref>

Main sights include:

* [[Wuppertal Schwebebahn|'''Schwebebahn or ''floating tram''''']]. One of the city's greatest attractions is the globally unique suspended [[monorail]] ''Wuppertaler Schwebebahn'', which was established in 1901. The tracks are {{convert|8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} above the streets and {{convert|12|m|ft|-1|abbr=on}} above the Wupper. 
* [[Kaiserwagen|Wuppertaler Schwebebahn Kaiserwagen]] A guided tour of the suspension railway in a special tram.
* [[Opernhaus Wuppertal|Wuppertal Opera]] (Opernhaus Wuppertal).
* '''Concerthall ''Stadthalle''''', a fine piece of turn-of-the-century architecture with outstanding acoustics. Home of the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra (Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal) (Stadthalle).
* '''[[Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch|Wuppertal Dance Theatre]]''' (''Tanztheater Wuppertal''), a world-famous centre of modern dance founded by the choreographer [[Pina Bausch]].
* '''[[Engels-Haus]]''', 18th century-architecturally typical of the region, it houses a permanent display of materials associated with the co-founder of modern Communism, [[Friedrich Engels]].
* '''[[Zoo Wuppertal|Wuppertal Zoo]]''', a large, nicely landscaped zoo.
* '''[[Botanischer Garten Wuppertal]]''', a municipal [[botanical garden]].
* '''[[Arboretum Burgholz]]''', an extensive [[arboretum]].
* '''[[Von der Heydt Museum]]''' is an important art gallery with works from the 17th century to the present time. The first of Picasso's works that ever appeared in public was displayed here.
* '''[[Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden]]''', a sculpture park with exhibition hall, founded by sculptor [[Tony Cragg]].

==Wuppertal in the arts==
* In the 1974 [[Wim Wenders]] movie ''[[Alice in the Cities]]'', the main characters visit Wuppertal.
* Part of the action of {{lang|fr|[[Le Feu de Wotan]]}} (1984) of the comic book ''[[Yoko Tsuno]]'' series by [[Roger Leloup]] take place in Wuppertal and its ''{{lang|de|Schwebebahn}}''.
* The play ''Die Wupper'' by [[Else Lasker-Schüler]] is set in Elberfeld.
* The 2000 movie ''[[The Princess and the Warrior]]'', by [[Tom Tykwer]], was filmed in Wuppertal.
* The 2001 movie ''{{ill|No Regrets (2001 film)|de|3=Nichts bereuen|lt=No Regrets}}'', by Benjamin Quabeck, was filmed in Wuppertal.
* In the 2011 movie ''[[Pina (film)|Pina]]'', several of the dance sequences take place in and around Wuppertal. In several sequences, the elevated tram is used as a setting, as well as a backdrop.

==Sports==

===Association football===
In [[Association football|football]], Wuppertal's most popular club is [[Wuppertaler SV]] which currently play in the [[Regionalliga West]], the fourth tier of the [[German football league system]]. Playing their home games at the city's [[Stadion am Zoo]], the club, which enjoyed its last season in a nationwide division during the [[2009–10 3. Liga|2009–10 season]], looks back on a rich and eventful history since its establishment as the result of a 1954 merger between the two main Wuppertal clubs ''SSV 04 Wuppertal'' and ''TSG Vohwinkel 80''. The club spent a total of seven seasons in the top flight of German football, three of which in the [[Bundesliga]], which they were promoted to during 1972. In their first season in the nationwide first division, the club reached a remarkable fourth place and qualified for the [[1973–74 UEFA Cup|UEFA Cup]] for the first and only time in its history. After a first-round defeat by Polish side [[Ruch Chorzów]] and another two widely unsuccessful Bundesliga campaigns, the club disappeared from the top flight again, though, and has yet to return.

During 2004, the club merged with local rivals ''SV Borussia Wuppertal'' to form ''Wuppertaler SV Borussia'', though the name change remained the only visible attribute of the merger with the club's colours and crest remaining unaltered. The additional "Borussia" was scrapped again during 2013 due to fans' demand amidst a change of leadership which was brought about to lead the club through necessary [[insolvency]] proceedings which have been completed as of September 2014.

Another noteworthy Wuppertal football club is '''Cronenberger SC''' from the district of [[Cronenberg, Wuppertal|Cronenberg]]. Their greatest success to date is reaching the 1952 [[German amateur football championship]] final which they lost 5–2 against [[BSV 07 Schwenningen|VfR Schwenningen]]. Today, they play one tier below WSV in the [[Oberliga Nordrhein]].

Famous players include [[Günter Pröpper]] who scored 39 of WSV's 136 Bundesliga goals and [[Germany national football team|West Germany]] international [[Horst Szymaniak]], as well as Cronenberg's [[Herbert Jäger]] who represented [[Germany Olympic football team|Germany]] at the [[1952 Summer Olympics]] in Helsinki during his stay with the club.

===Team handball===
In [[team handball|handball]], Wuppertal's most successful team is [[Bergischer HC]], playing in the top-tier [[Handball-Bundesliga]] which they were promoted to for the second time during 2013, reaching 15th place during the [[2013–14 Handball-Bundesliga|2013–14 campaign]] and therefore staying among the top scorers for a second consecutive season. ''BHC'' originates from a 2006 cooperation between the management, squad and main sponsor of LTV Wuppertal and rivals SG Solingen from the nearby [[Solingen|city of the same name]]. The club advertises itself as a representative of the entire [[Bergisches Land]] region. The team plays its home games at Wuppertal's ''[[Uni-Halle]]'' (3,200 seats).

Wuppertal's past most successful club are the aforementioned '''[[LTV Wuppertal]]'''. LTV spent most of their seasons in the second and third tiers, before they merged with ''Wuppertaler SV's'' handball section in 1996 to form ''HSG LTV/WSV Wuppertal''. The handball combination was promoted to the Bundesliga after its inaugural season, finishing 8th before dissolving again in 1998. However, the mere departure of Wuppertaler SV still allowed LTV Wuppertal, whose professional team were renamed ''HC Wuppertal'', to play another three seasons in the Bundesliga before returning to the 2nd division and re-introducing its old name. After the establishment of BHC in 2006, LTV lost its financial base and was relegated several times, currently playing in the fifth-tier Verbandsliga.

===Volleyball===
In [[volleyball]], [[SV Bayer Wuppertal]] was one of Germany's leading men's teams for many years during the 1990s and 2000s. The team was part of the well-known mass-sports club originating in [[Leverkusen]] and was promoted to the Bundesliga in 1978. Reacting to low attendances, the eponymous [[Bayer|Bayer AG]] decided to relocate the volleyball team to Wuppertal in 1992, where there also was a Bayer-funded club. After the move, the club won various titles, including the German championship in 1994 and 1997 and the German Cup in 1995. In addition to that, they finished runners-up to Greek side [[Olympiacos S.C.]] in the 1995–96 [[CEV Cup|European Cup Winners' Cup]], losing the final in five sets.

After the wide-reaching retreat of Bayer AG from less popular professional sport during 2008, the club acquired the name ''Wuppertal Titans'' and later ''A!B!C Titans Berg. Land''. However, the loss of their main sponsor eventually resulted in the team having to terminate during 2012. Presently, they once more play by the name of Bayer Wuppertal in the third-tier Regionalliga, unable to promote with their current financial set-up.

===Basketball===
Perhaps one of the most successful Wuppertal sports clubs was the '''[[women's basketball]]''' team of '''[[Wuppertal Wings|Barmer TV]]''' (known as ''BTV Wuppertal'' between 1994 and 2000, ''BTV Gold-Zack Wuppertal'' between 2000 and 2002 and ''Wuppertal Wings'' internationally). An 11-time [[List of German basketball champions#German champions (women)|German champion]] and 12-time German Cup winner, they won a remarkable ten consecutive doubles between 1993 and 2002. During [[1995–96 FIBA Women's European Champions Cup|1996]], they even won the [[EuroLeague Women|European Cup]] as the first and so far only German side, beating [[Italy]]'s [[SFT Como]] in the final. A year later, they narrowly missed out on back-to-back trebles, losing to French side [[CJM Bourges]] in the [[1997 EuroLeague Women|newly christened EuroLeague]]'s final.

In 2002, the club withdrew from the Bundesliga due to financial troubles, their then-main sponsor ''Gold-Zack Werke'' filing for insolvency a year later. After a decade-long stay in amateur divisions, Barmer TV returned to the second-tier 2nd Bundesliga North in 2014.

Wuppertal co-hosted the [[1998 FIBA World Championship for Women]] as one of seven host cities.

===Roller hockey===
In [[Roller hockey (Quad)|roller hockey]], Wuppertal club RSC Cronenberg are one of the most successful German teams, having won the [[Rink Hockey Bundesliga|German championship]] and the German Cup in both men's and women's competitions. In total, the men won 13 German championships and nine cups, the women ten championships and nine cups. Both teams play their home games at ''Alfred-Henckels-Halle''.

Wuppertal hosted several international tournaments, including the World Championship in 1997 ([[FIRS Roller Hockey World Cup|men]]) and [[2004 Ladies Rink Hockey World Championship|2004]] ([[FIRS Women's Roller Hockey World Cup|women]]) and the European Championship in [[1992 Rink Hockey European Championship|1992]], [[2010 Rink Hockey European Championship|2010]] ([[CERH European Roller Hockey Championship|men]]) and 2011 ([[CERH European Women's Roller Hockey Championship|women]]).

==Education==
[[File:GER Wuppertal Junioruni 005 2016.jpg|thumb|Junior Uni Campus, designed 2013 by the Wuppertal Architects Goedeking and Niedworok]]
[[File:GER Wuppertal Unimensa 002 2014.jpg|thumb|View from the university canteen in direction of the west part of Wuppertal-Elberfeld]]

Four institutions of higher education are in Wuppertal.
* [[University of Wuppertal]] (Bergische Universität Wuppertal)
* [[FOM University of Applied Sciences]]
* [[Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln|Cologne University of Music, section Wuppertal]]
* College of Theology, Wuppertal/Bethel (Theologische Zentrum Wuppertal)

The privately financed Junior Uni is a unique German initiative to educate youth from the age of 4 to 18 in science outside the school program.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.junioruni-wuppertal.de|title=Official website Junior Uni Wuppertal – Bergisches Land|language=de|access-date=March 14, 2013}}</ref>

==Politics==
===Mayor===
The current mayor of Wuppertal is Uwe Schneidewind of [[Alliance 90/The Greens]], who was elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on [[2025 North Rhine-Westphalia local elections|14 September 2025]], with a runoff held on 28 September and [[Miriam Scherff]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] being elected as the [[Designation (law)|designated]] mayor. The results of the election were as follows:

{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Miriam Scherff
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 41,595
| 33.3
| 65,142
| 74.6
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}|
| align=left| Matthias Nocke
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|CDU]]
| 29,185
| 23.4
| 22,164
| 25.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}|
| align=left| Hartmut Beucker
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 20,494
| 16.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| Dagmar Liste-Frinker
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens|Greens]]
| 9,363
| 7.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Salvador Oberhaus
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 7,765
| 6.2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Marcel Hafke]]
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 6,085
| 4.9
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| Guido Gallenkamp
| align=left| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| 2,842
| 2.3
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance}}|
| align=left| Susanne Herhaus
| align=left| [[Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance]]
| 2,657
| 2.1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Voters}}|
| align=left| Henrik Dahlmann
| align=left| Voters' Association for Wuppertal/[[Free Voters]]
| 1,896
| 1.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}| 
| align=left| Mira Lehner
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]]
| 1,465
| 1.2
|-
| 
| align=left| Selly Wane
| align=left| Strong and colorful-Together for Wuppertal
| 1,419
| 1.1
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 124,766
! 98.8
! 87,306
! 98.9
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 1,501
! 1.2
! 950
! 1.1
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 124,641
! 100.0
! 88,256
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 254,358
! 49.6
! 254,358
! 34.7
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlen.wuppertal.de/kw2025/05124000/praesentation/index.html City of Wuppertal]
|}

===City council===
The Wuppertal city council governs the city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 14 September 2025, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| 35,884
| 28.8
| {{decrease}} 0.1
| 24
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| 27,649
| 22.2
| {{decrease}} 2.0
| 18
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| 21,386
| 17.1
| {{increase}} 11.0
| 14
| {{increase}} 9
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| 14,249
| 11.4
| {{decrease}} 8.2
| 9
| {{decrease}} 7
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| 10,511
| 8.4
| New
| 7
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| 5,282
| 4.2
| {{decrease}} 3.0
| 3
| {{decrease}} 3
|-
| bgcolor}={{party color|Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance}}|
| align=left| [[Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance]] (BSW)
| 3,128
| 2.5
| New
| 2
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Voters' Association for Wuppertal/[[Free Voters]] (WfW/FW)
| 2,181
| 1.7
| {{decrease}} 1.2
| 1
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Die PARTEI}}| 
| align=left| [[Die PARTEI]] (PARTEI)
| 1,728
| 1.4
| {{decrease}} 1.3
| 1
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| 
| align=left| Strong and colorful-Together for Wuppertal (GfW)
| 1,293
| 1.0
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| colspan=7 bgcolor=lightgrey| 
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Volt Germany]] (Volt)
| 365
| 0.3
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening}}|
| align=left| [[Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening]] (DAVA)
| 383
| 0.3
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany}}|
| align=left| [[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany]] (dieBasis)
| 280
| 0.2
| New
| 0
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Gathe for all
| 224
| 0.2
| New
| 0
| New
|-
! colspan=2| Valid votes
! 124,720
! 99.2
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Invalid votes
! 963
! 0.8
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=2| Total
! 125,683
! 100.0
! 
! 80
! ±0
|-
! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout
! 254,358
! 49.4
! {{increase}} 2.5
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlen.wuppertal.de/kw2025/05124000/praesentation/ City of Wuppertal]
|}


==Transport==

===Railways===
[[File:Wuppertal Döppersberg 2018 129.jpg|thumb|Central Station]]
Wuppertal is well connected to the rail network. The town lies on the Cologne–Hagen and the Düsseldorf–Hagen railway lines, and is a stop for long-distance traffic. The [[Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof|central station]] is located in the district of Elberfeld. [[Regionalbahn]] trains and some [[Regional-Express]] trains also stop at [[Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station|Oberbarmen]], [[Wuppertal-Barmen station|Barmen]], [[Wuppertal-Ronsdorf station|Ronsdorf]] and [[Wuppertal-Vohwinkel station|Vohwinkel]]. There are also S-Bahn stations in [[Wuppertal-Langerfeld station|Langerfeld]], [[Wuppertal-Unterbarmen station|Unterbarmen]], [[Wuppertal-Steinbeck station|Steinbeck]], [[Wuppertal-Zoologischer Garten station|Zoologischer Garten]] and [[Wuppertal-Sonnborn station|Sonnborn]].

The rail services that operate on the [[Elberfeld–Dortmund railway|mainline through the valley]] are the RE 4 ([[Wupper-Express]]), RE 7 ([[Rhein-Münsterland-Express]]), RE 13 ([[Maas-Wupper-Express]]), RB 48 ([[Rhein-Wupper Bahn]]) and four [[Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn]] services: the [[S7 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S 7]], [[S8 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S 8]], [[S9 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S 9]] and [[S68 (Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn)|S 68]] (peak hours only). Every 30 minutes, it is served by a long-distance ([[Intercity-Express]], [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)|InterCity]], [[EuroCity in Germany|EuroCity]]) service in each direction.

With the exception of the [[Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Solingen railway|line from Wuppertal to Solingen]] (operated as the S 7) and the [[Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr railway|Prince William Railway]] to Essen (now S-Bahn line S 9), all of the branch lines connecting to main line in the city of Wuppertal are now closed. This includes, among others, the [[Düsseldorf-Derendorf–Dortmund Süd railway]] (the ''Wuppertaler Nordbahn''), the [[Burgholz Railway]], the [[Wuppertal-Wichlinghausen–Hattingen railway]], the [[Wupper Valley Railway]] and [[Solingen–Wuppertal-Vohwinkel railway|the Corkscrew Railway]]. Thus, there were once 31 stations in the Wuppertal area, including nine stations on the mainline. Nowadays only ten are serviced any more.

Wuppertal Hauptbahnhof is the location of the [[lost luggage]] services for [[Deutsche Bahn]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/23/travel/germany-lost-luggage-auction.html|title=The Secret Afterlife of Lost German Luggage|last=Emory|first=Sami|date=December 25, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=December 26, 2019|last2=Meichsner|first2=Andreas|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The [[Wuppertal Schwebebahn|Wuppertal Suspension Railway]], a [[Suspension railway|suspended]] [[monorail]], serves the city and its surroundings. It has operated since 1901. In 1950, a young elephant named [[Tuffi]] was put aboard the Wuppertal Schwebebahn (monorail), as a promotion for the Althoff Circus. The swinging tram upset the elephant, and she trumpeted, charged, and plummeted {{convert|40|ft|m|order=flip|abbr=on|0}} into the river below. Tuffi suffered minor injuries; she lived until 1989. In 1999, the ''Schwebebahn'' had its thus far [[1999 Wuppertal Suspension Railway accident|only fatal accident]]. New cars were added beginning in December 2016.

Between 1873 and 1987, Wuppertal was served by its own [[trams in Wuppertal|tram network]].

===Air===
The city is served by [[Düsseldorf Airport]], located {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} which is half an hour drive north west of Wuppertal.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany}}
[[File:Wuppertal Johannes-Rau-Platz 2018 002.jpg|thumb|150px|Signpost with twin towns]]
Wuppertal is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerstädte|url=https://www.wuppertal.de/tourismus-freizeit/stadtportrait/partnerstaedte/102010100000009929.php|website=wuppertal.de|publisher=Wuppertal|language=de|access-date=2019-11-23}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ENG}} [[South Tyneside]], England, United Kingdom (1951)
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Saint-Étienne]], France (1960)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Tempelhof-Schöneberg|Tempelhof-Schöneberg (Berlin)]], Germany (1964)
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Beersheba]], Israel (1977)
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Košice]], Slovakia (1980)
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Schwerin]], Germany (1987)
*{{flagicon|NIC}} [[Matagalpa]], Nicaragua (1987)
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Legnica]], Poland (1993)
*{{flag icon|Ukraine}} [[Kamianske]], Ukraine (2025)
{{div col end}}

===Sister suspension railway===
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Shonan Monorail]], Japan
The [[Wuppertal Suspension Railway]] is twinned with [[Shonan Monorail]] since 2018. The Shonan Monorail is located in [[Kanagawa Prefecture|Kanagawa]], Japan and connects the cities between [[Kamakura]] and [[Fujisawa, Kanagawa|Fujisawa]]. Both suspended railways made a campaign of their twinning in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our partner: Shonan Monorail |url=https://schwebebahn.de/en/shonan-monorail |website=www.schwebebahn.de |access-date=August 2, 2023}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Category see also|People from Wuppertal}}
[[File:Friedr. Bayer 1863.jpg|thumb|100px|Friedrich Bayer, 1863]]
[[File:Engels 1856.jpg|thumb|100px|Friedrich Engels]]
[[File:Else Lasker-Schüler 1875.jpg|thumb|100px|Else Lasker-Schüler, 1895]]
[[File:Johannes rau 2004-05-16 berlin-RZ.jpg|thumb|100px|Federal President Johannes Rau in 2004]]
*[[Ian Ashley]] (born 1947), British-German [[Formula One]] driver
*[[Christian Lindner]] (born 1979), politician
*[[Pina Bausch]] (1940–2009), choreographer known for her work with the Wuppertal Dance Theater, died in Wuppertal
*[[Friedrich Bayer]] (1825–1880), founder of the Friedrich Bayer paint factory, later [[Bayer|Bayer AG]]
*[[Greta Bösel]] (1908–1947), concentration camp guard executed for war crimes
*[[Gyles Brandreth]] (born 1948), English writer, broadcaster, actor, and former British Conservative Member of Parliament
*[[Arno Breker]] (1900–1991), sculptor
*[[Peter Brötzmann]] (1941–2023), [[free jazz]] musician
*[[Rudolf Carnap]] (1891–1970), philosopher of science
*[[Udo Dirkschneider]] (born 1952), singer and songwriter
*[[Rudolf Dreßler]] (1940–2025), politician and ambassador
*[[George Dreyfus]] (born 1928), Australian bassoonist, composer
*[[Hermann Ebbinghaus]] (1850–1909), psychologist who studied [[memory]]
*[[Friedrich Engels]] (1820–1895), philosopher, historian, coauthor of ''[[The Communist Manifesto]]'' (with [[Karl Marx]])
*[[Kurt Franz]] (1914–1998), SS Officer, major perpetrator of genocide during the Holocaust, died in Wuppertal
*[[Daniel Gerlach]] (born 1977), journalist
*[[Hans Grüneberg]] (1907–1982), British geneticist, born in Wuppertal.
*[[Marco Goecke]], (born 1972) choreographer
*[[Vincenzo Gualtieri]], professional boxer
*[[Christoph Maria Herbst]] (born 1966), actor and comedian
*[[Carolina Hermann]] (born 1988), figure skater
*[[Felix Hoffmann]] (1868–1946), scientist, synthesized aspirin while working at a Bayer facility in Wuppertal
*[[Raimund Hoghe]] (1949–2021), choreographer, dancer, film maker, journalist, and author
*[[Werner Hoyer]] (born 1951), politician (FDP), President of the European Investment Bank
*[[Ignaz Kirchner]] (1946–2018), actor
*[[Linda Kisabaka]] (born 1969), middle-distance runner
*[[Hans Knappertsbusch]] (1888–1965), orchestra conductor
*[[Peter Kowald]] (1944–2002), [[free jazz]] musician
* Adolph Hermann Josef Kuhrs, later [[Adolph Coors]], (1847-1929), brewer
*[[Hans Peter Luhn]] (1896–1964), computer scientist
*[[Else Lasker-Schüler]] (1869–1945), expressionist poet
*[[Harald Leipnitz]] (1926–2000), actor
*[[Ulrich Leyendecker]] (1946–2018), composer
*[[Reimar Lüst]] (1923–2020), astrophysicist
*[[Hans Moller (painter)|Hans Moller]] (1905–2000), painter
*[[Steffen Möller]] (born 1969), satirist and actor in Poland
*[[Sylkie Monoff]], singer-songwriter
*[[Franz Yaakov Orgler]] (1914-2015), track and field athlete
*[[Simone Osygus]] (born 1968), swimmer
*[[Siegfried Palm]] (1927–2005), cellist, director of [[Hochschule für Musik Köln]], general manager of [[Deutsche Oper Berlin]]
*[[Julius Plücker]] (1801–1868), physicist
*[[Kolja Pusch]] (born 1993), footballer
*[[Johannes Rau]] (1931–2006), politician (SPD), former Federal President of Germany.
*[[Hans Reichel]] (1949–2011), composer, recording artist, and inventor of the [[Daxophone]]
*[[Emil Rittershaus]] (1834–1897), poet
*[[Alice Schwarzer]] (born 1942), one of the leaders of the German second wave [[feminism]]
*[[Annette Seiltgen]] (born 1964), operatic singer
*[[Hans Singer]] (1910–2006), British economist
*[[Ilse Steppat]] (1917–1969), actress
*[[Rita Süssmuth]] (born 1937), former president of the German Parliament
*[[Horst Tappert]] (1923–2008), actor
*[[Helmut Thielicke]] (1908–1986), theologian
*[[Stephen Timoshenko]] (1878–1972), Russian engineer and academician
*[[Bettina Tietjen]] (born 1960), television presenter
*[[Tom Tykwer]] (born 1965), movie director and composer
*[[Günter Wand]] (1912–2002), composer and orchestra conductor
*[[Ute Vinzing]] (born 1936), operatic soprano
*[[Henrik Freischlader]] (born 1982), blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer
*[[Wolf Hoffmann]] (born 1959), metal guitarist, initiator of the musical band [[Accept (band)|Accept]]
*[[Armin T. Wegner]] (1886–1978), soldier, medic, human rights activist
*[[Mathilde Wesendonck]] (1828–1902), poet, author, artist, muse of [[Richard Wagner]]
* [[Hubert Tigges]] (1895–1971), German tour operator and travel organizer; founder (1928) of the Wuppertal-based study-tour company ''Dr. Tigges-Fahrten'', later one of the four firms that merged to form [[TUI Group|TUI]] in 1968. In the 1950s he collaborated with [[Luis Riu Bertrán]] in developing German tourism in the [[Balearic Islands]], particularly through early charter travel to [[Mallorca]]; he is commemorated locally by the Dr.-Tigges-Weg in Elberfeld.<ref>{{cite web |title=TUI Group GmbH |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/tui-group-gmbh |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=28 October 2025 |quote=...founded in 1928 by husband and wife Hubert and Maria Tigges in Wuppertal.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Becker |first=Frank |title=Die Reise als Ware |url=https://zeithistorische-forschungen.de/1-2-2007/4562 |website=Zeithistorische Forschungen/Studies in Contemporary History |date=2007 |language=de |access-date=28 October 2025 |quote=1968 schlossen sich ... Touropa, Scharnow, Hummel und Dr. Tigges zur Touristik Union International (TUI) zusammen.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=RIU: la empresa familiar mallorquina que se erigió en un emporio hotelero |url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2018-10-02/riu-empresa-familiar-hoteles-emporio-bra_1623606/ |work=El Confidencial |date=2 October 2018 |language=es |access-date=28 October 2025 |quote=En la localidad de Wuppertal ... la segunda generación de los Riu firma una alianza con el touroperador Dr. Tigges...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=What’s New with Riu |url=https://www.travelagewest.com/Travel/News/What-s-New-with-Riu |work=TravelAge West |date=18 February 2008 |access-date=28 October 2025 |quote=...agreement with LTU and the wholesaler Doctor Tigges Fahrten.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wuppertal – Straßenverzeichnis (Dr.-Tigges-Weg) |url=https://www.wuppertal.de/vv/produkte/105/102370100000364921.php.media/535424/Wuppertal-Strassenverzeichnis.pdf |website=Stadt Wuppertal (official) |format=PDF |language=de |access-date=28 October 2025}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Wuppertal Friedrichstraße 0003.jpg|Typical steep street in Wuppertal
Cragg Skulpturenpark 05.JPG|Waldfrieden sculpture park - Tony Cragg's ''Points of View'' (2008)
Burgholz45.jpg|View of Burgholz woods with typical Bergisches farmerhouse
oelberg wuppertal.jpg|Panoramic view of the Ölberg quarter in Wuppertal
Wuppertal, Johannes-Rau-Platz nach N, Rathaus-Hauptfassade.jpg|City Hall in the district of Barmen
GER Wuppertal, Schauspielhaus 005.jpg|The ''Schauspielhaus'' theatre
Schwimmoper an der Südstraße im Wohnquartier Elberfeld-Mitte im Stadtbezirk Elberfeld der kreisfreien Stadt Wuppertal in Nordrhein-Westfalen A1.jpg|The swimming arena "Schwimmoper"
Elisenturm Wuppertal.jpg|Elisenturm
Zoo Gaststätten Wuppertal 001.jpg|Wuppertal Zoo 
Wuppertal kaiserwagen.jpg|Special tours with the historical 'Kaiserwagen'
Vohwinkeler-Flohmarkt-2.jpg|World's largest 'one day flea market' 
Wuppertal Hardt 0142.jpg|Botanic garden and view over the city
Wuppertal Hardt 0165.jpg|The central 'Hardt' park
Wuppertal_Schwebebahn_Generation_15.jpg|The current generation of the Schwebebahn
Burgholz28.jpg|The river Wupper in the woods of Wuppertal
Burgholz65.jpg|View from the Kiesberg woods
Bergische Synagoge.jpg|A synagogue in the district of Barmen
Wuppertal_Beyenburg_-_Klosterkirche_02.jpg|Abbey Wuppertal-Beyenburg
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Polizeipräsidium Wuppertal]]
*[[Wefelpütt]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|de}}
*{{in lang|de|en}} {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20131111003000/http://www.wuppertal.us/ Wuppertal, Information {{!}} Photos]}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*{{Official website|https://www.uni-wuppertal.de/en/}} of the [[University of Wuppertal]]

{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Germany districts north rhine-westphalia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wuppertal| ]]
[[Category:Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Urban districts of North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Rhineland]]
[[Category:Districts of the Rhine Province]]
[[Category:Historic Jewish communities]]
[[Category:1929 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1929]]
[[Category:Düsseldorf (region)]]