Wuppertal, city in west central Germany, in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), on the Wupper River. Manufactures of this industrial center include textiles, processed food, machinery, clothing, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Wuppertal is the center of the area known as the Bergisch Land. Features of the city include the Schwebebahn, an intraurban railroad (about 13 km/8 mi long) suspended over the river; the Bismarck and Toelle towers on wooded heights above the city; an opera house; and Von der Heydt Museum, featuring 19th- and 20th-century German painting. A university (1972) is in the city. Wuppertal was created in 1929 by the merger of Barmen, an insurance center, with Elberfeld, Cronenberg, Ronsdorf, Vohwinkel, and Beyenburg. Population (1997) 383,776.
