ABSTRACT
In the district of Dusseldorf, the most important political issue between the passage of the indemnity bill in 1866 and the Reichstag election of 1878 was the “struggle over culture”, during which the liberals had supported Bismarck in the passage of many illiberal laws. Since the Progressives condoned the illiberal measures referred to above to a lesser extent than did the National Liberals, the deterioration of the Progressives’ strength in the district of Dusseldorf can be seen as a measure of the general decline in liberal values. Losses to the Center explain the bulk of the Progressive decline in the Catholic Kreise of Düsseldorf and Essen, where Social Democracy remained comparatively weak except during 1867 and 1868 in Essen. In the bergisch area losses to the socialists were much more significant. Much Progressive support came from merchants and manufacturers. Many of them undoubtedly participated in the process of economic growth. Their businesses increased in size.
