Expert´s Report Statement Düsseldorf, Rheinhafen
Hydrant facility on Kaistraße, Franziusstraße, Speditionsstraße, Kesselstraße, Weizenmühlenstraße, Holzstraße

1 History
After 1890, Düsseldorf port was created as a new integrated facility. Its first development phase with petroleum mountain, commercial, wood and security port was completed in 1896. Further north between 1898-1902, the new Rhine dockyard was extended as a lower dockyard and upper traffic road. Between 1904-1907, a further dock was added south of the security port. The Düsseldorf port was an exemplary, modern facility. Thus, it was geared to electrical operation from the outset and was connected with road traffic by an extensive rail network. Even the fire-fighting equipment was totally up-to-date: the entire port area was covered with a standard network of fire hydrants, that had been connected to the municipal water supply (Karnau, P.170). This standard equipment was also used for the port expansion until 1907. The new dock also had its own fire extinguishing system (Karnau P.220).

2 Description
The hydrants included in the fire extinguishing system of Düsseldorf port described under 1 consist of cast-iron hydrants produced by various manufacturers and of varying ages. It has been established that the cast iron hydrants were manufactured by the following companies:

1)   Vereinigte Armaturenwerke GmbH, Mannhein   - VAG
2)   Armaturen Werk Kaiserslautern  - AWK
3)   Mittelmann Wülfrath  - MW

The age of the hydrants is between about 100 and approx. 40 years. Almost all of them are marked with indenture numbers. The following list includes the systems that have been traced according to the installation areas – and if available – the indenture numbers:

Quantity	No.	Manufacturer	Location
14	-	-	East bank of the commercial port along the Kaistraße
1	-		South end of the commercial port, in front of Kaistr. 2a
1	38	VAG	South end of the commercial port, in front of Kaistr. 2a
1	37	VAG	Kaisstr./Franziusstr.
1	-	AWK	Speditionsstr., at the level of Küppersmühle
1	44	VAG	Speditionsstr., at the level of Silo
1	45	VAG	Speditionsstr. 13
1	47	VAG	Speditionsstr. 17
1	-	VAG	Speditionsstr. 17a
1	49	VAG	Speditionsstr. 21
1	50	MW	Speditionsstr. 20
1	69	AWK	Weizenmühlenstr./Holzstr.
1	70	VAG	in front of the Muskator management building
1	71	VAG	in front of the Muskator management building
1	75	VAG	Weizenmühlenstr. 14
1	76	-	Weizenmühlenstr. 11
1	77	-	Weizenmühlenstr. 13
1	78	-	Weizenmühlenstr. opposite the firm Deuka

The following historic technical systems associated with shipping are also to be listed:

1) Cast-iron water tap connection, manufacturer VAG, dated 1950, location: southern end of the commercial port
2) 6 cast-iron bollards, location: west side of the commercial port

3 Evaluation
The technical devices associated with handling operation of Düsseldorf port have largely disappeared as their use has been changed. The only historically significant crane has been removed from the site.

Against this background, the clearly perceptible elements of technical operation in the appearance of the port, such as hydrants, water removal points, capstans and bollards, have increased in significance. In conjunction with the docks, they refer to the original, technical operation of the port, the material handling and fire-fighting methods of the historical port system.
For these reasons, as listed under 2), they are to be classified as monuments in accordance with § 2 paragraph 1 DschG NW. There is a public interest in maintaining them as they were significant for the cities and settlements and to the development of working and product conditions. They are also of scientific interest, since they provide information concerning details of historic port operation and the appearance of the port which is over 100 years old.

Rhine Office for the Preservation of Historic Monuments, Puhlheim, Germany

May 1996

Axel Föhl

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