RUHRORT  , a

town of Germany, in the Prussian Rhine province, situated at the junction of the Ruhr and the Rhine, in the midst of a productive coal district, 15 rn . N. of Dusseldorf and 12 E. of Crefeld by rail . Ruhrort has the largest river harbour in Europe, with quays extending nearly 5 M. along the river, and it is the principal shipping port for the coal of the Westphalian coalfield, which is despatched in the fleet of steam-tugs and barges belonging to the port . The coal is sent principally to South Germany and the Netherlands . Grain and timber are also exported and iron ore is imported . In 1905 the port was entered and cleared by over 27,000 vessels of 7,418,065 tons . The industries of the town include large iron and steel works, ship-building yards and tanneries . Ruhrort has three Evangelical and three Roman Catholic churches, and several schools and public institutions . Rurhort is first mentioned in 1379, and obtained civic rights in 1551 . Having been in the possession of the counts of La Marck, it passed into that of Brandenburg in 1614 . In 'nos it was united with Duisburg and Meiderich to form a single municipality, the joint population being 41,416 . See Geschichte der StoAt Ruhrort (Ruhrort, 1882) .