The Stadterhebungsmonument, the City Charter Monument, is a bronze sculpture in Düsseldorf's Old Town that tells how a small Rhine village became a town. It was unveiled in 1988, 700 years after Count Adolf V of Berg granted Düsseldorf its town rights. The surprising part of the story is that the town owes its charter to a battle fought near Cologne.
Stadterhebungsmonument at a glance
- Where: in the Altstadt, just east of the Burgplatz, at the corner of Müller-Schlösser-Gasse and Joseph-Wimmer-Gasse, close to the Marktplatz.
- Created: 1988, for the 700th anniversary of Düsseldorf's town charter of 1288.
- By: Bert Gerresheim (1935–2025), a sculptor born in Düsseldorf.
- What it is today: a public monument in a busy Old Town lane, free to see at any time.
- Time needed: 10 to 15 minutes to study the scenes; it fits easily into a walk between the Burgplatz and the Marktplatz.
From a battlefield to a town charter
In 1288 the lands of the Lower Rhine were split over who should inherit the duchy of Limburg. The quarrel came to a head at the Battle of Worringen on 5 June 1288, one of the largest battles of its time in Europe. Duke John I of Brabant and his allies, including Count Adolf V of Berg, defeated Siegfried of Westerburg, the Archbishop of Cologne. The result shifted the balance of power in the Rhineland and freed the counts of Berg from the archbishop's pressure.
Ten weeks later, on 14 August 1288, Adolf V raised Düsseldorf, then a settlement of only about four hectares on the western edge of his county, to the status of a town. In the same year the parish church of St Lambertus was raised to a collegiate church. Lying on the border of Berg, the new town was soon fortified. Seven centuries later Bert Gerresheim turned this founding story into a sculpture for the 1988 anniversary, mixing the great events with the hardships of ordinary people.
What to look for
- The battle: helmets, breastplates and scenes of fighting recall Worringen, the clash that made the charter possible.
- The sealing of the charter: look for the moment the town deed is sealed, the legal birth of Düsseldorf.
- St Lambertus: the raising of the parish church to a collegiate church is part of the story; the real church stands a few minutes away.
- The market cart: a cart stands for the market rights that came with town status and the trading life that followed.
- The growing city: Gerresheim packed in images, symbols and quotations showing Düsseldorf growing from a medieval village to a modern city, so look at the work from several sides.
A battle near Cologne
Worringen, where the battle was fought, is today a district of Cologne, and the losing side was Cologne's own archbishop. So the event that gave Düsseldorf its town rights was a defeat for the most powerful ruler in Cologne. That adds a historical twist to the long, mostly friendly rivalry between the two Rhine cities.
Tips for your visit
- Come in the morning or early afternoon. The lanes of the Altstadt fill up in the evening, when the bars of the 'longest bar in the world' get busy.
- The bronze is detailed and full of small figures, so stand close and take your time rather than snapping one photo and moving on.
- Combine it with the Burgplatz and the Rhine embankment promenade, both just a short walk west.
- Look out for other works by Gerresheim in the city, such as his Heinrich Heine sculpture on the Schwanenmarkt.
Nearby
- Burgplatz and the Schlossturm: the castle tower is the last remnant of the old Düsseldorf palace and now houses a shipping museum. It is a few minutes' walk away.
- Marktplatz and the Old Town Hall: the square in front of the town hall is dominated by the equestrian statue of Elector Jan Wellem by Gabriel de Grupello.
- St Lambertus Basilica: the church with the twisted spire, linked to the same founding year of 1288.
- Rhine embankment promenade: the riverside walk with views of the Rhine and the Rheinturm, good for a break after the Old Town lanes.
See Düsseldorf with World City Trail
Our Düsseldorf scavenger hunt turns the Old Town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 24 minutes of walking. It includes St Lambertus Basilica, the Old Town Hall and the Kunstsammlung, all close to the monument.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Düsseldorf.
Play the Düsseldorf scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Düsseldorf →
Play the outdoor escape game in Düsseldorf →
Facts checked in October 2026.