Düsseldorf lies on the river Rhine, 20 miles northwest of Cologne. Its most famous son was the Romantic poet Heinrich Heine, many of whose works Schumann later set to music. Today the city is mainly an industrial, banking and administrative centre.

When Robert and Clara Schumann moved from Dresden to Düsseldorf in 1850 it was a garden city with leafy avenues and parks, and the warm welcome given to the new Director of music and his wife soon helped them to feel at home. Schumann's main duty was to direct the public subscription concerts, with a large choir and orchestra at his disposal. But despite an auspicious start to this new career, Schumann's shortcomings as a conductor, which were exacerbated by the ever-increasing symptoms of his illness, soon became apparent, and by 1853 he had been forced to resign. Another blow came in 1853 when Schumann suffered a stroke which affected his speech, and the following year he suffered from severe aural and visual disturbances. Not long after these events he attempted suicide by throwing himself into the river Rhine, but was rescued and survived. At his own request he was taken to an asylum at Endenich, near Bonn, where he died two years later in 1856.

Despite Schumann's rapidly deteriorating physical, mental and creative powers during these final years in Düsseldorf, there were some notable musical achievements, the most important of which were the Cello Concerto (not performed until 4 years after his death) and the "Rhenish" symphony which was inspired by the sight of Cologne Cathedral during a river journey down the Rhine. It was in Düsseldorf that the acquaintance with Johannes Brahms began. For Schumann, whom Brahms regarded as a mentor, the friendship gave great comfort during the remaining few years of his life, but for Clara it was to provide a source of solace and companionship for the next forty years - and a source of much speculation (which lasts to the present day) as to the exact nature of that relationship!