Kaiserswerth Facts for Kids

Kaiserswerth is a very old town with a history of over 1,000 years. It's one of the oldest parts of the city of Düsseldorf in Germany.

Where is Kaiserswerth?
A Look Back: Kaiserswerth's History
Images for kids
See also

Where is Kaiserswerth?

Kaiserswerth is located in the northern part of Düsseldorf. It sits right next to the famous Rhine river. About 7,712 people live in Kaiserswerth. The area of the town is about 4.71 square kilometers.

A Look Back: Kaiserswerth's History

Kaiserswerth has a long and interesting past. Many important events happened here over the centuries.

Early Beginnings

Around the year 700, a monk named St. Suitbert started a Benedictine abbey in Kaiserswerth. An abbey is a special home for monks. Sadly, this first abbey was destroyed about 88 years later.

The Emperor's Palace

In 1045, a special building called the Kaiserpfalz was built here. This was a temporary home for the Holy Roman Emperor. Emperors would travel a lot, so they had palaces like this in different places.

In 1062, something dramatic happened. The young German King Heinrich IV was still a child. He was kidnapped by the archbishop of Cologne right here in Kaiserswerth.

Controlling the Rhine River

Later, in 1174, Emperor Frederick I, also known as Barbarossa, moved the collection of customs (taxes on goods) from the Rhine river to Kaiserswerth. This meant that the local bishop gained a lot of control over trade in the empire.

Over time, other emperors also used Kaiserswerth. Sometimes it was a temporary home, and sometimes it was even a prison for important people.

Battles and Destruction

Between 1212 and 1215, the Count of Berg tried to free prisoners from the castle. He even tried to drain the land around the castle to make it easier to attack.

In 1273, the Emperor gave control of Kaiserswerth to the archbishop of Cologne. This was like pledging it as a promise.

Kaiserswerth faced tough times during wars. In 1689, it was badly damaged by France during the Nine Years' War. This war is also called the War of the Palatine Succession.

During the Spanish war of succession, the Bishop of Cologne sided with France. Because of this, Kaiserswerth became home to French soldiers. In 1702, a group of countries called the Grand Alliance attacked the city. After this war, the castle was mostly destroyed.

Florence Nightingale's Visit

In the 1800s, Kaiserswerth became famous for its deaconess clinic. Deaconesses were women who dedicated their lives to helping the sick and needy. In 1850, the famous nurse Florence Nightingale visited this clinic. She learned a lot from Pastor Theodor Fliedner and the deaconesses working there. Florence Nightingale later wrote a book about her experience. It was called The Institution of Kaiserswerth on the Rhine, for the Practical Training of Deaconesses, etc. This book was published in 1851 and was her very first publication.