Judgment Island

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Judgment Island
The division of the Wupper in front of the island. At the time of recording, the tip and the Hartmann-Ufer are under construction. Later, pedestrians will be able to get closer to the Wupper
The division of the Wupper in front of the island. At the time of recording, the tip and the Hartmann-Ufer are under construction. Later, pedestrians will be able to get closer to the Wupper
Waters Wupper
Geographical location 51 ° 15 '27 "  N , 7 ° 9' 44"  E Coordinates: 51 ° 15 '27 "  N , 7 ° 9' 44"  E
Judgment Island (Wuppertal)
Judgment Island
length 300 m
width 70 m
surface 1.4 ha
Residents uninhabited
In the foreground the regional and district court, the bridge over the tributary of the Wupper and in the background, where the electronics store is now, was the Bendahl prison
In the foreground the regional and district court, the bridge over the tributary of the Wupper and in the background, where the electronics store is now, was the Bendahl prison

The Judgment Island is located in the urban area of Wuppertal and is surrounded by two arms of the Wupper . Marked on the maps under the name Eiland , the name “Judgment Island ” has been at least as common since the 20th century. The road that leads across the island is also named after the island.

Development

On it stand the buildings of the regional court and the district court from the 19th century as well as the new extension of the district court completed in spring 2005, which replaces the judicial tower from the 1970s, which was demolished due to fire protection deficiencies .

Gone over the Wupper

Situation sketch from 1852

The court island became eloquent in the German language : as early as the 19th century, the district court on the island housed the bankruptcy court of the industrial city of Elberfeld . If a manufacturer had to go to court to file for bankruptcy, he had to cross the Wupper on a bridge beforehand . This gave rise to the phrase that a company “went over the Wupper” - it was then bankrupt.

Another, macabre interpretation of the proverb is as follows: On the other side of Wuppers, directly opposite the courts, the Bendahl prison stood on the site of the former German headquarters of the Wal-Mart retail group (now a Media Markt branch) until the 1980s . Executions were also carried out in this correctional facility from the 19th century until 1912 . So the delinquents convicted in the regional court went “ across the Wupper ” to the place of execution, analogous to the saying “go across the Jordan” for dying.

See also: Wupper # phrase go over the Wupper

literature