Krefeld

The city of Krefeld is situated on the left bank of the Rhine river in the northwestern German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Chartered in 1373, it was ruled by the counts of Moers, then by the House of Orange from 1600, then by Prussia from 1702. The town prospered in textile manufacture, particularly of silk and velvet, begun by Protestant and Mennonite refugees from the 17th century. An important battle of the Seven Years' War was fought near there in 1758, in which Ferdinand, duke of Brunswick, defeated the French. The city expanded greatly in size and acquired a harbor on the Rhine through the annexation of several neighboring towns in the early 20th century. It suffered greatly in the two World Wars, being occupied by the Allies from 1918 to 1926, and then severely damaged in World War II. The modern city is a cultural center, with a restored castle housing the Museum Burg Linn, the Kaiser-Wilhelm Museum, the Museum Haus Lange of modern art, and a textile museum. It is also a rail transportation center and produces steel, clothing, machinery, and chemicals. The population estimate for 2004 was 239,000.