Leverkusen

**Leverkusen** () is a ceety in North Rhine-Westphalie, Germany on the eastren bank o the Rhine. Tae the sooth, Leverkusen borders the ceety o Cologne an tae the north is the state caipital Düsseldorf.

Wi aboot 161,000 indwallers, Leverkusen is ane o the state's smawer ceeties. The ceety is kent for the pharmaceutical company Bayer an its associatit sports club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

## History
Datin tae the 12t century as Wiesdorf, the Leverkusen aurie wis rural till the late 19t century.

;Chemical facility
In 1860, Wiesdorf wis chosen bi the apothecary Carl Leverkus for establishin a dye factory. The factory wis taken ower bi the Bayer company in 1891. The company muivit its office tae Wiesdorf in 1912, turning the toun intae the centre o German chemical industry.  In Warld War II, the Bayer (Standard Oil/IG Farben) plant http://books.google.com/books?id=pqkqpAr6_s4C&pg=PA213 wis bombit on 22 August 1943,http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/83/a9019983.shtml  an durin the Battle o Berlin (air) on November 19/20 an December 10/11, 1943.

Leverkusen wis foondit in 1930 bi mergin Wiesdorf, Schlebusch, Steinbüchel an Rheindorf. In 1975, Opladen (includin Lützenkirchen syne 1930), Hitdorf an Bergisch Neukirchen jynt. The present ceety is made up o several veelages, oreeginally cried Wiesdorf, Opladen, Schlebusch, Lützenkirchen, Steinbüchel, Rheindorf an Bergisch-Neukirchen.

## Main sichts an places o interest

;BayArena: The BayArena is the stadium an hame o Leverkusen's fitbaa team Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Efter the extension the stadium nou haulds place for ower 30,210 fowk.
;Bayer Cross Leverkusen: The Bayer Cross Leverkusen is ane o the lairgest illuminatit advertisements in the warld. It haes a identifyin meanin for Leverkusen's population.
;Freudenthaler Sensenhammer: the Sensenhammer is a 'livin' industrial museum. The permanent exhibition includes manufratur o scythes an drepanium an the uise o those tuils in fermin. The museum itsel is the biggest exhibit. The museum is uised in a different wey an aw, for ensaumple for concerts or theater.
* Schloss Morsbroich - moatit castle in the baroque style, nou a museum for contemporary airt
* Water Tower Leverkusen-Bürrig -  watter reservoir containin an observation deck
* Neuland Park - lairge pairk beside the Rhine
* Japanese Garden - A gairden creatit bi Carl Duisberg at 1923
* Colony o wirkers - historical urban destrict in the centre o Leverkusen
* *Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit* - historical Boat brig next tae the Rhine atween Wiesdorf an Rheindorf
* Mausoleum o Carl Duisberg - mausoleum in the centre o the Carl Duisberg Pairk next tae the Casino
* NaturGut Ophoven - educational centre for natur in Leverkusen-Opladen

## Internaitional relations

Leverkusen is twinned wi:

## References

## Literature
* Blaschke, Stefan (1999): *Unternehmen und Gemeinde: Das Bayerwerk im Raum Leverkusen 1891-1914* Cologne: SH-Verlag, ISBN 3-89498-068-0 (German)
* Archive o Leverkusen (2005): *Leverkusen. Geschichte einer Stadt am Rhein.* Bielefeld: Verlag für Regionalgeschichte, ISBN 3-89534-575-X (German)
* Franz Gruß (1987): *Geschichte und Porträt der Stadt Leverkusen.* Leverkusen: Verlag Anna Gruß, ISBN 3-930478-03-X (German)

## External links

* Ceety o Leverkusen
* Ceety o Leverkusen