A record-breaking afternoon in Friedrichstadt

Small but certainly not boring: a buzzing district in central Düsseldorf

Some days start out so hectic. Paperwork piles up as high as Mount Everest (or at least Mont Blanc). First the washing machine, then the iron and finally the oven all stop working. The children decide to explore the depths of the store cupboard, their secret expedition unearthing such amazing treasures as bags of sugar and flour that they then tip all over the floor. What to do? Just leave the house, I’d say. Get some fresh air and close the door on the chaos at home for a while. And where would be the best place to go? Friedrichstadt, of course!  

While this district of Düsseldorf may not have the city’s mightiest trees, most prestigious museums or biggest parks, it does boast some highlights – and yes, superlatives – of its own. For example, Friedrichstadt has an area of one square kilometre and around 20,000 residents, making it the most densely populated district not only in Düsseldorf but also in the whole of Germany. Moreover, it has something in common with cities such as New York and Canberra as it too was designed from scratch on a drawing board. Friedrichstadt’s marshy ground did not make it an attractive place to live, but the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, after whom the district is named, brought the necessary sense of glamour that encouraged people to move here in their droves. And that glamour can still be felt today during performances at theatres such as the Takelgarn (Philipp-Reis-Strasse 10) and the Forum Freies Theater (Konrad-Adenauer-Platz 1).

Another record is set by St Anthony’s Catholic Church on Fürstenplatz square, which towers over every other church in Düsseldorf. Built in the neo-Romanesque style between 1905 and 1909 to plans by architects and father-and-son duo Wilhelm and Paul Sültenfuß, the church has been heritage-listed since 1983. In fact, many buildings in Friedrichstadt can tell their own stories. They can also be told by many of the home owners that have come and gone over the decades. Much of the original architecture, built between 1870 and 1874, still exists today. Thanks to that drawing board, its basic pattern resembles that of a chessboard. Just a few metres from St Anthony’s is the Industriebrunnen, a fountain built in 1939 that features three bronze figures – the god Vulcan, a miner and a steelworker – that to this day greet passing motorists and cyclists. The work was created by sculptor Friedrich Coubillier for the ‘Große Kunstausstellung’, an art exhibition that ran from 1913 to 1926.

Let the hustle and bustle of Friedrichstadt take your mind off those everyday concerns. See how the pigeons on Fürstenplatz peck about for the remaining breadcrumbs from the market (Wednesdays and Saturdays) or squabble in front of Lina’s Coffee Brew Bar & Deli (Fürstenplatz 1). Watch as the stones are laid to form a new building on the vast ‘Curve’ construction site. And, right opposite, admire the 3D planets that adorn the facade of the apartment blocks on Scheurenstrasse. Where else in Düsseldorf does it feel like you can almost reach out and touch space! And talking of touch, massages are available at Hamam Sahara Wellness (Mintropstrasse 21). 

If you think Friedrichstadt hadn’t covered all the senses, think again! At the end of every street, on every corner, you’ll catch the smell of freshly prepared pancakes (e.g. at Café Buur, Friedrichstrasse 120), Korean dishes (e.g. at Beud, Zimmerstrasse 28), tomatoes tossed in garlic (for pasta sauce at Il Mercato, Friedrichstrasse 59a) or cakes straight from the oven (e.g. at Café Kucheneck, Corneliusstrasse 110, or at Café Knülle, Oberbilker Allee 24). In the evening, why not meet up with friends at Bar Ellington (Scheurenstrasse 5) or MuSaMe (Fürstenplatz 5) or try out the vast array of tapas at Sol y Sombra (Kirchfeldstrasse 85). If you’ve still got some energy after your meal, you should definitely head for Graf-Adolf-Strasse 47, which has been showing films in its basement since 1958 and now has a venue for live music and entertainment upstairs, including comedy and musicals. The perfect place to end the day, especially one that started out so hectic. And that’s what makes Friedrichstadt so great.

This article is supported by REACT-EU.

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism