The Stadterhebungsmonument is a bronze sculpture by Düsseldorf artist Bert Gerresheim, set at Burgplatz on the edge of the Altstadt near Marktplatz and the Rhine. It marks 1288, when Count Adolf V of Berg granted city rights to the small settlement on the Düssel after his victory at the Battle of Worringen. The monument was unveiled in 1988 for the city’s 700th anniversary (Visit Düsseldorf).
Walk slowly around the sculpture, because its crowded surface tells a story. Gerresheim’s dense, expressive figures show the chaos of the Worringen battlefield, the sealing of the charter that made Düsseldorf a town, and the raising of the St. Lambertus parish church to a collegiate foundation (Düsseldorf Local). The date 1288 appears several times in the work and in the markings on the ground around it (Deutschland Guide). Spotting each one is part of the fun.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The monument stands outdoors and costs nothing to see. You can visit at any hour. Come in the morning for clear light on the bronze and room to study the details before the Altstadt crowds arrive, which happens most on weekend evenings. To reach it, take the U-Bahn to Heinrich-Heine-Allee and walk about five minutes. Afterward, you can easily visit the Schlossturm, St. Lambertus Basilica, the Rathaus on Marktplatz, and the Rhine promenade.
