"Krimvelde" was first mentioned in a deed around 1005. From the middle of the 12th century on, Krefeld's fate was determined by that of the counts of Moers. Owing to the special connections to the Emperor, in 1373 the Moerser Count received through a deed the right to raise Krefeld to city status.
Krefeld is also called the "Velvet and Silk City".
In more recent decades the city has hosted an honors program in foreign language (German) studies. The program annually places thirty specially selected high school students with families in and around Krefeld for intensive German language training.de:Krefeld