Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-31
DATES BACK TO 1159
Dusseldorf an Ancient City
With Modern Ideas.
ONCE GERMAN ART CENTER
Government of Municipality Admin
istered on Paternal Lines.
COMFORT OF PEOPLE STUDIED
Best Possible Service of Water,
Light, Sewers, Pavemen.s-
Public Utilities.
COMFORT OF PEOPLE STUDIED
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.

ing Berlin, which has that human To-
comotlve. the German kaiser, push
ing 1t along. The progress of Dussel-
dorf IS due to the public spirit Of the
people. and they have undertaken
several enterprises that are unique in
municipal administration. No city in
Europe. unless it be Vienna, has gone
into municipal socialism so thoroughly
or extensively: nor has any undertaken
to develop SO many new and novel
ideas for the benefit Of it's citizens
Dusseldorf was the chief center Of
German art under that splendor- loving
elector. John Wilhelm, who reigned
from 1890 to 1915 and invited the
great painters and sculptors Of the
world to his capital under the most
liberal terms. In 1919 its reputation
as an art center was revived, and
continued until the present day.
Sixty years ago. what is known as
the Dusseldorf school Of art was a
distinct style OF treatment particu-
larry of scenes from private life and
humorous or poetical conceptions,
readily intelligible to the middle
this school produced many pleasing
pictures and stirred up a deep national
interest. They did not permit their
ideals to be SO refined as to go beyond
| the understanding of the ordinary OBJ
servers, and to them is attributed, more
than to any other school Of painters,
| the almost universal taste that now
distinguishes the German people.
Prosperous Academy Of Art.
The opponents of the Dusseldorf
school still retain their vitality and
enthusiasm, and the academy of art in
| this city is still one of the most pros
porous and influential and largely at
tended in the empire. 1t was given a
new building in 1881, an imposing
renaissance structure, $50 feet long. 80
feet wide and stories high. On the
ground floor are the remains of what
was once the most famous gallery OF
old masters in Germany, but the
greater number of the pictures was
removed to Munich in 1905. The pres
ent collection is almost exclusively
modern-that is, of the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries. The collection Of
drawings. engravings and water colors,
between 1900 and $4,000 in number
is unsurpassed and adds immensely to
the Importance Of the school,
There are two other galleries, the
Kunsthalle and the municipal gallery,
both hung with modern pictures Ihere
are several museums. chieny OF INDUS
trial arts. and several industrial schools,
3,
and other practical arts are taught TO
thousands of young people. The impor-
lance given to industrial education IN
Dusseldorf is indicated by the splendid
buildings which have been erected dur
ing the last twenty or thirty years for
ments also. including a statue of Helm
reich Heine, the poet, who was born
here in 49,. and died here in 1856.
There are historical museums. CONNER
-, ne c.
tory. botanical gardens and various other
expressions of Dusseldorf enterprise in
educational matters. There is an insane
asylum and All asylum for homeless chill
ton and has features that have been cop
led in America as we'll as Europe.
Famous Village of Kaiserwerth.
On the other side of the Rhine, reached
by trolley cars, is the ancient village OF
kaiserwerth, famous for having the first
training school for nurses. 1t is there
that Florence Nightingale got her train
ing. She spent three years at Kaiser
werth before she went to the Crimea-
The school was founded in 1896 by the
benevolent pastor of a Lutheran church
in Dusseldorf and is managed by Prot
estant order of Sisters of Charity. Their
influence has extended to such a degree
that there are now more than 80 branch
schools in different parts of Germany
and none but graduates are recognized
I'm the official hospitals.
Dusseldorf is regarded by many theO-
rsts as the best governed town in Ger
many, and while many of the autOcratic
features of administration would not be
tolerated in any city of the United ...ates,
our municipal officials might learn great
deal and receive many valuable ideas by
the study OF the system which prevails
here. The city Is about the same size
as Minneapolis. New Orleans, Milwaukee
and Los Angeles. and has several of the
physical features Of Cincinnati and Louis
vile. 1t is situated on q navigable river
and it's commerce is similar to theirs,
while itS industries are akin to those OF
Cleveland. Detroit, Newark and Indianap-
oils.
Dusseldorf is growing as rapidly as our
most enterprising American cities. In
1871 it had only $4,000 inhabitants, in 1881
it had reached $4,000. in 1900 the census
showed 252,ts0 Inhabitants, and in 1910
more than 100000
Dusseldorf might easily have been as
unattractive as Cincinnati, and it might
have been as rotten government as
Pittsburg or San Francisco. 1t is not
fashionable residence city, like Dresden,
largely mechanics and other wage earn
ers, while their employers reside in con-
yenient suburbs.
Notwithstanding these conditions. and
working classes the successive mu-
nicipal administrations during the last
quarter of century have made it almost
as beautiful as Washington. have pro-
vided the people with the very best posi-
hle service of water, light. sewers, pave
nents, parks, TRANSPORTATION facilities,
police, fire department. schools. art gal
leries. museums. Fairgrounds. prone
nades. model tenements and everything
else almost that is required to make up
an ideal city.
The comfort and convenience Of the
people have been studied. rather than
economy. and the cost has been charged
to pCsterity.
These things cannot be done without
Of $a& j0O.OM, or nearly 500 for every
man, woman and child in Dusseldorf has
been incurred during the last twenty
five years. This debt represents 81 per
cent of the cost Of improvements that
have been made in that period for the
health. comfort and happiness Of the peo-
pie. Only little more than II per cent
of the improvement has been paid for
from the current revenue.
City Heavily in Debt.
The debt is larger than that of any
American city, I believe. and twice as
large as that of the average American
city. and the taxes are very high. so
high that property owners would refuse
them in any American city. They will
average 10 per cent of the gross revenues
and income of business men and prop.
lots worth $lOO.000. which bring him an
income of 5000. will be assessed $500 a
year direct taxes, without reference to
gas, electric light, water, insurance re-