Wuppertal – Suspended over the Wupper

With 350,000 inhabitants, Wuppertal is a large city formed in 1929 when local politicians and urban planners merged several smaller cities along the Wupper River. The city’s most famous landmark is the suspension tram line.

by Janna Degener

Wuppertal at a glance

Schwebebahn bei Nacht, Foto: Medienzentrum Wuppertal

What do you expect from a city called “Wuppertal” (Wupper valley) located in a region called “Bergisches Land” (mountain country)? Wherever there are valleys and mountains, there are sure to be lots of uphill climbs. And Wuppertal is no exception. It is known for its steep streets and many, many steps. At last count, there were 469 stairways throughout the city with a total of 12,000 steps. The most famous stairway is called the Tippen-Tappen-Tönchen, which sounds just like the tip-tapping steps of the industrial workers who used to climb up these stairs to their residential quarter on Ölberg. In the end, Wuppertal couldn’t keep pace with the industrially expansion of its neighbouring cities in Ruhr region, but in the early days of industrialization, Wuppertal was one of the most important economic powerhouses in Europe. From the top of a hill, where the view stretches 15 km down the river valley, you can still recognize the vestiges of the old industrial city. Its most famous landmark , the suspension tram line, was also built around the same time in 1898. The suspension line is the perfect means of transportation for a city in a valley and takes 85,000 people from point A to B every day. Because the tracks are suspended above the train and wheels are connected to roof of the cars, you sometimes really feel as if you’re floating above the city.

Universities - Overview

University of Wuppertal

Im Hörsaal, Foto: Medienzentrum Wuppertal

Founded in 1972, the University of Wuppertal offers more than 50 degree programmes at three separate campuses to some 13,100 students. Its campus is situated on top of a hill, providing a gorgeous view of the Wupper river valley. If you’re feeling up to it, you can walk from the campus to the train station in just half an hour. The Haspel campus is located near one of the stations serviced by the suspension line. There are bus lines which connect both campuses with downtown and the third campus in Freudenberg. To get a better impression of the university, check out this short video.

Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Standort Wuppertal
The Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln with its three campuses in Aachen, Cologne and Wuppertal is one of the largest colleges of music in Europe. The degree programmes in Wuppertal focus on Music Education. Its facilities are housed in a registered landmark located in the district of Wupper-Barmen and include two concert halls and a historic chamber music hall.

Recreation in Wuppertal

Botanischer Garten, Foto: Medienzentrum Wuppertal

So you’ve taken the suspension line back and forth three times from one end of the city to the other? Then it’s about time you get to know the city from the ground! When you head downhill from the main campus, you’ll eventually come to the Elberfeld district with its pedestrian zone, which is essentially downtown Wuppertal today. A little further on at Laurentiusplatz and in Luisenstraße, you’ll find lots of cafés and bars in what is known as the ‘inofficial student quarter’ of Wuppertal. There are plenty of ethnic restaurants here as well, such as Alaturka, La Laterna and Meson Alegria. Once you’ve satisfied your appetite, you should head to the other city centre in the Barmen district. At the Historisches Zentrum, not only can you learn about the early industrialisation of the city, but also about Karl Marx’s comrade Friedrich Engels, who had lived in Wuppertal. It’s not much farther until you reach the Wuppertal Brewery, a restaurant located in a former swimming hall built over a century ago. If you are up for something less conventional, then we recommend watching a dance performance at the world-famous Tanztheater Pina Bausch in the evening. There are also numerous night clubs in Wuppertal, such as the U-Club, the Live Club Barmen and ‘Butan’. If you enjoy staying in shape or communing with nature, there’s plenty of hiking and biking trails in the outlying Wuppertal region; a popular destination is the Ronsdorfer reservoir. The famous Wuppertal Zoo offers visitors a stunningly beautiful landscape with almost 5,000 different animals. You could almost forget that you’re in a metropolitan city, that is, until you hear the suspension tram clattering overhead....

Interview with Patrick from Cameroon

Patrick received his bachelor’s in Business Mathematics. He is now pursuing his master’s degree in Industrial Engineering.

Patrick, Foto: privat

Patrick, you come from Cameroon. Why are you studying in Wuppertal?
In my home country, there are no possibilities to study what I am interested in. Business Mathematics isn’t as advanced there as it is in Europe. My brother lives in Belgium and had friends who had studied in Germany and recommended coming here to study. I completed a German course in Cottbus and saw Wuppertal for the first time while visiting a friend. I liked the suspension line the first moment I saw it, and I also liked the fact that there are more people on the streets in Wuppertal than in Cottbus. And the university is a good choice if you want to study Business Mathematics. So when I received notification that they accepted me, I had no problem deciding to study at the University of Wuppertal.

How do you like it?
It wasn’t easy for me in the beginning. It’s an entirely different system than in Cameroon and I had to get used to it. I had lots of lectures and I really struggled to understand everything because of the language barrier. But after three semesters, I had gradually found my stride. At first I wasn’t so happy with the university. The Economics lectures were so packed that some students had to sit on the stairs in the aisles. But many things are changing now. They’re renovating everything on the main campus to make it easier to find your way around, and the university is building new lecture halls. That’s a good thing. I also like the fact that it’s a comprehensive university which also offers many technical subjects like a technical university. There are a large number of electives that you can combine.

How do you spend your free time in Wuppertal?
When I’m not in class or revising, I’m generally working at the Cameroon Students’ Association in Wuppertal. At the moment where preparing for the Cameroon Cultural Festival. We also regularly get together for meetings, discussions, training courses or organise a big barbecue party. Other than that, I spend a lot of time in the city with friends.

Do you have a favourite spot in the city?
There are lots of beautiful places in Wuppertal. In the summer, you can take a walk through the Botanical Garden or visit the Zoological Garden. There are a lot of cafés in the Luisenviertel district where you can meet up with friends. There are also lots of discos here, for example, the Club Pavillon or Alpenmax.

You just have to take a few more examinations and you’ll have your master’s. What do you plan to do after that?
After graduation I’d like to apply for a job somewhere. But if I can’t find work here, I’ll go back to Cameroon. I could imagine starting my own company – for instance, in the field of signal processing, software development or telecommunications.