Elberfeld

Elberfeld, one of the manufacturing capitals of Germany, is situated on both sides of the Wupper, an affluent of the Rhine, 16 miles ENE. of Düsseldorf. The old parts of the town are poorly built, straggling, and irregular, but the newer portion has numerous spacious and imposing build- ings. The town is famous for its dyeing, bleaching, and calico-printing establishments, also for its extensive manufactures of cotton, silks, tapes, ribbons, thread, lace, buttons, fancy woollen goods, &c. Its Turkey-red dyeworks are especially noted. There are also manufactures of machinery, iron and steel wares, pianofortes, paper, and carpets, besides large breweries. For miles around an immense number of weavers are labouring for the Elberfeld factories. The town, which, like the rest of the Wupper valley, is notable for religious zeal, supports a Bible Society. It is connected by a tramway with the adjoining town of Barmen (q.v.). Pop. (1875) 80,599; (1885) 106,499; (1890) 125,899, three-fourths Protestant.