As a German industrial and commercial center in the Prussian Rhine province, Düsseldorf expanded rapidly in the last quarter of the 19th century, serving as the banking and trading center for the heavily industrialized Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr Valley) to the east. Industrialization and continuous development as a trade-fair center shaped the city and its architecture along the Rhine River. Noteworthy commercial and administrative structures were built in the first half of the 20th century, but during World War II much of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing raids. Although some prewar buildings were undamaged or restored, a great deal of construction in the 1950s and 1960s transformed the cityscape, with many notable achievements. In 1946, the Allied occupation designated Düsseldorf the capital of the new state of Northrhine-Westphalia, and, as a result, prominent new structures associated with state capital status have enhanced the city’s architectural character. Düsseldorf has long been ...