Remscheid

Industrial city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km/15 mi, beside the Wupper River, east of Dusseldorf; population (2001 est) 117,800. Stainless-steel implements are manufactured and important industries include engineering and tool manufacture.

The first mention of the settlement was in the 12th century as Lennep; it became the city of Remscheid in 1808. Lennep was an important trade centre in the 13th century. It was given municipal rights in 1230 and became a fortified settlement in 1250. The textile industry flourished in the city during this period. The iron trade industry developed in the early 19th century. The Eschbachtalsperre Dam in Remscheid, the first drinking-water dam to be built in Germany, was completed in 1891 and the Mueungstener Bridge, Germany's highest railway bridge (107 m/33 ft), was constructed in 1897. The city suffered extensive damage in World War II.

The German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen was born in the suburb of Lennep; the Röntgen Museum is located in this area.