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Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the largest city (by area and population) of the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
, Germany's largest urban area with some 5.1 million inhabitants, as well as the largest city of Westphalia. On the Emscher and
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
rivers ( tributaries of the Rhine), it lies in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region and is considered the administrative, commercial, and cultural center of the eastern
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
. Dortmund is the second-largest city in the
Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle L ...
dialect area after Hamburg. Founded around 882, Wikimedia Commons: First documentary reference to Dortmund-Bövinghausen from 882, contribution-list of the Werden Abbey (near Essen), North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Dortmund became an Imperial Free City. Throughout the 13th to 14th centuries, it was the "chief city" of the Rhine, Westphalia, and the Netherlands Circle of the
Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
. During the Thirty Years' War, the city was destroyed and decreased in significance until the onset of industrialization. The city then became one of Germany's most important coal, steel and beer centres. Dortmund consequently was one of the most heavily bombed cities in Germany during World War II. The devastating bombing raids of 12 March 1945 destroyed 98% of buildings in the inner city center. These bombing raids, with more than 1,110 aircraft, hold the record to a single target in World War II. The region has adapted since the collapse of its century-long steel and coal industries and shifted to high-technology biomedical technology, micro systems technology, and also services. Dortmund was classified as a ''Node city'' in the Innovation Cities Index published by 2thinknow, ranked among the twelve innovation cities in European Union and is the most sustainable and digital city in Germany. Other key sectors include retail, leisure and the visitor economy, creative industries, and logistics. With its central station and airport, the third-busiest airport in North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund is an important transport junction, especially for the surrounding Ruhr area as well as Europe ( Benelux countries), and with the largest canal port in Europe it has a connection to important seaports on the North Sea. Dortmund is home to many
cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
and educational institutions, including the
Technical University of Dortmund TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's an ...
and
Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts (german: Fachhochschule Dortmund) is a university of applied sciences (German: ''Fachhochschule'') in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with 14,057 students, and 894 staff, ...
, International School of Management and other educational, cultural and administrative facilities with over 49,000 students, many museums, such as
Museum Ostwall The Museum Ostwall (known as Museum am Ostwall until 2010) is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Dortmund, Germany. It was founded in the late 1940s, and has been located in the Dortmund U-Tower since 2010. The collection includes ...
, Museum of Art and Cultural History, German Football Museum, as well as theatres and music venues like the Konzerthaus or the Opera House of Dortmund. Nearly half the municipal territory consists of waterways, woodland, agriculture and green spaces with spacious parks such as Westfalenpark and
Rombergpark Botanischer Garten Rombergpark (Rombergpark Botanical Garden), or informally Rombergpark, is an extensive municipal botanical garden and arboretum in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With its total area of 68 hectares the Rombergpark is ...
. This stands in a stark contrast with nearly a hundred years of extensive
coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
and
steel mill A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-finish ...
ing in the past. Borussia Dortmund is one of the most successful German football clubs.


History


Etymology

] Dortmund was first mentioned in the Werden Abbey, which was built between 880 and
884 __NOTOC__ Year 884 ( DCCCLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * March 1 – Diego Rodríguez Porcelos, count of Castile, founds and repo ...
. The Latin entry reads: ''In Throtmanni liber homo Arnold viii den nob solvit.'' (German: ''In Throtmanni zahlt uns der freie Mann Arnold 8 Pfennige'' and English: ''In Throtmanni the free man Arnold pays us 8 pfennigs'')).Norbert Reimann: I. Das Werden der Stadt. Die Anfänge. Der Königshof Karls des Großen. In: Stadtarchiv Dortmund (Hrsg.): Geschichte der Stadt Dortmund. Harenberg, Dortmund 1994, , S. 24–25 (Reihe Dortmunder Leistungen, Band 2) According to this, there are a large number of different names, but they all go back to the same phoneme stem. Their respective use in the sources appears arbitrary and random. In the course of time the name changed many times: ''trut munia''
899 __NOTOC__ Year 899 ( DCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – King Arnulf of Carinthia enlists the support of the Magyars, to ...
, ''Thortmanni, Trutmania, Trotmunni''
939 Year 939 ( CMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Hugh the Great, count of Paris, rebels against King Louis IV ("d'Outremer") and gains su ...
, ''Tremonia''
1152 Year 1152 ( MCLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Levant * Spring – King Baldwin III and his mother, Queen Melisende, are called to intervene ...
. From the 13th century on, the ''Dortmunde'' appeared for the first time, but it was not until a few centuries later that it became generally accepted. In the Middle Ages
1389 Year 1389 ( MCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * February 24 – Queen Margaret of Norway and Denmark defeats Albert, King of Swede ...
, when the city had withstood the siege of 1200 knights under the leadership of the Archbishop of Cologne, it chose as its motto a saying that is still upheld today by traditional societies: ''So fast as Düörpm''. ( High German: As firm as Dortmund). In the past, the city was called ''Dortmond'' in Dutch, ''Tremonia'' in Spanish and ''Trémoigne'' in Old French. However, these exonyms have fallen into disuse and the city is now internationally known by its German name of ''Dortmund''. The common
abbreviation An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
for the name of the city is "DTM", the IATA code for
Dortmund Airport Dortmund Airport is a minor international airport located east of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves the eastern Rhine-Ruhr area, the largest urban agglomeration in Germany, and is mainly used for low-cost and leisure charter flight ...
.


Early history

The
Sigiburg The Sigiburg was a Saxon hillfort in Western Germany, overlooking the River Ruhr near its confluence with the River Lenne. The ruins of the later Hohensyburg castle now stand on the site, which is in Syburg, a neighbourhood in the Hörde district ...
was a hillfort in the South of present-day Dortmund, overlooking the River
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
near its confluence with the River Lenne. The ruins of the later Hohensyburg castle now stand on the site of the Sigiburg. The hillfort is presumably of
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
origin, but there are no archeological or documentary proofs. During the
Saxon Wars The Saxon Wars were the campaigns and insurrections of the thirty-three years from 772, when Charlemagne first entered Saxony with the intent to conquer, to 804, when the last rebellion of tribesmen was defeated. In all, 18 campaigns were fought ...
, it was taken by the Franks under Charlemagne in 772, retaken by the Saxons (possibly under Widukind) in 774, and taken again and refortified by Charlemagne in 775.
Archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
evidence suggests the Sigiburg site was also occupied in the Neolithic era. The first time Dortmund was mentioned in official documents was around 882 as Throtmanni – In throtmanni liber homo arnold sviii den riosnob ssoluit olvit In 1005 the "Ecclesiastical council" and in 1016 the"Imperial diet" met in Dortmund.


Middle Ages and early modern period

After it was destroyed by a fire, the
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
Frederick I (Barbarossa) had the town rebuilt in 1152 and resided there (among other places) for two years. In 1267 St. Mary's Church, Dortmund, and three years later in 1270 St. Reinold's Church first mentioned. The combination of crossroad, market place, administrative centre – town hall, made Dortmund an important centre in Westphalia. It became an Imperial Free City and one of the first cities in Europe with an official
Brewing right In Medieval times, the brewing right or ''gruit right'' was one of the privileges granted by the land owner or territorial ruler. Sometimes this right was linked to a plot or a house, called a "beer court"; sometimes the right was held by a heredi ...
in 1293. Throughout the 13th to 14th centuries, it was the "chief city" of the Rhine, Westphalia, the Netherlands Circle of the
Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label=Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German to ...
. After 1320, the city appeared in writing as "Dorpmunde". In the years leading up to 1344, the English King even borrowed money from well-heeled Dortmund merchant families Berswordt and Klepping, offering the regal crown as security. In 1388, the
Count of Mark The County of Mark (german: Grafschaft Mark, links=no, french: Comté de La Marck, links=no colloquially known as ) was a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle. It lay on both sides of the Ruhr River ...
joined forces with the Archbishop of Cologne and issued declarations of a feud against the town. Following a major siege lasting 18 months, peace negotiations took place and Dortmund emerged victorious. In 1400 the seat of the first Vehmic court (german: Freistuhl) was in Dortmund, in a square between two linden trees, one of which was known as the '' Femelinde''. With the growing influence of Cologne during the 15th century, the seat was moved to Arnsberg in 1437. After Cologne was excluded after the
Anglo-Hanseatic War The Anglo-Hanseatic War was a conflict fought between England and the Hanseatic League, led by the cities of Gdańsk and Lübeck, that lasted from 1469 to 1474. Causes of the war include increasing English pressure against the trade of the Hans ...
(1470–74), Dortmund was made capital of the Rhine-Westphalian and Netherlands Circle. This favors the founding of one of the oldest schools in Europe in 1543 – . In 1661 an earthquake made the
Reinoldikirche The Lutheran Protestant Church of St. Reinold (german: Reinoldikirche) is, according to its foundation date, the oldest extant church in Dortmund, Germany; it is dedicated to Reinold, also known as Renaud de Montauban, the patron of the city. T ...
collapse.


18th, 19th and early 20th centuries

With the ''
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss The ' (formally the ', or "Principal Conclusion of the Extraordinary Imperial Delegation"), sometimes referred to in English as the Final Recess or the Imperial Recess of 1803, was a resolution passed by the ' (Imperial Diet) of the Holy Roman Em ...
'' resolution in 1803, Dortmund was added to the
Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda Nassau-Orange-Fulda (sometimes also named ''Fulda and Corvey'') was a short-lived principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1803 to 1806. It was created for William Frederick, the son and heir of William V, Prince of Orange, the ousted stadthol ...
, with as a result that it was no longer a free imperial city. William V, Prince of Orange-Nassau did not want stolen areas and therefore let his son Prince Willem Frederik (the later King William I of the Netherlands) take possession of the city and the principality. This prince held its entry on 30 June 1806, and as such the
County of Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
then became part of the principality. On 12 July 1806, most of the Nassau principalities were deprived of their sovereign rights by means of the Rhine treaty. In October of the same year, the County of Dortmund was occupied by French troops and was added to the
Grand Duchy of Berg The Grand Duchy of Berg (german: Großherzogtum Berg), also known as the Grand Duchy of Berg and Cleves, was a territorial grand duchy established in 1806 by Emperor Napoleon after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz (1805) on territories bet ...
on 1 March 1808. It is the capital of the Ruhr department. In 1808 Dortmund becomes capital of French satellite Ruhr (department). At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the entire Grand Duchy of Berg, including Dortmund, was added to the Kingdom of Prussia. The state mining authority of the Ruhr area was founded in 1815 and moved from Bochum to Dortmund. Within the Prussian
Province of Westphalia The Province of Westphalia () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar Republic and from 1918 ...
, Dortmund was a district seat within
Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg Arnsberg () is one of the five Regierungsbezirke of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, located in the west-central part of the country. It covers the Sauerland hills as well as the east part of the Ruhr area. The region was founded in 1815 as a sub ...
until 1875, when it became an urban district within the region. During the
industrialisation Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econo ...
of Prussia, Dortmund became a major centre for coal and
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
. The town expanded into a city, with the population rising from 57,742 in 1875 to 379,950 in 1905. Sprawling residential areas like the North, East, Union and Kreuz district sprang up in less than 10 years. In 1920, Dortmund was one of the centres for resistance to the Kapp Putsch – a right-wing military coup launched against the
Social Democratic Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
-led government. Radical workers formed a Red Army who fought the freikorps units involved in the coup. On 11 January 1923, the
Occupation of the Ruhr The Occupation of the Ruhr (german: link=no, Ruhrbesetzung) was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925. France and Belgium occupied the heavily industria ...
was carried out by the invasion of
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and Belgian troops into the Ruhr. The French Prime Minister
Raymond Poincaré Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré (, ; 20 August 1860 – 15 October 1934) was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. Trained in law, Poincaré was elected deputy in 1 ...
was convinced that Germany failed to comply the demands of the Treaty of Versailles. On the morning of 31 March 1923, it came to the sad culmination of this French-German confrontation.


World War II

Under Nazi Germany, the Old Synagogue, which had opened in 1900, was destroyed in 1938. With a capacity of 1,300 seats, it was one of the largest Jewish houses of worship in Germany. Also, the
Aplerbeck Hospital Aplerbeck is a borough (''Stadtbezirk'') of the city of Dortmund in the Ruhr district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 1929, it has been a suburb of Dortmund, located in the city's south-east. The river Emscher, a tributary of the Ruhr, ...
in Dortmund transferred mentally and/or physically disabled patients to the Hadamar Killing Facility as part of '' Aktion T4'', where they were murdered. An additional 229 children were murdered in the "Children's Specialist Department", which was transferred from Marburg in 1941. Bombing targets of the Oil Campaign of World War II in Dortmund included Hoesch-Westfalenhütte AG, the " Hoesch-Benzin GmbH" synthetic oil plant, and the ''Zeche Hansa''. The bombings destroyed about 66% of Dortmund homes. The devastating bombing raids of 12 March 1945 with 1,108 aircraft (748 Lancasters, 292
Halifaxes The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester. The Halifax has its orig ...
, 68 Mosquitos) destroyed 98% of buildings in the inner city center, and 4,851 tonnes of bombs were dropped on Dortmund city centre and the south of the city; this was a record for a single target in the whole of World War II. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Dortmund in April 1945. The US 95th Infantry Division attacked the city on 12 April 1945 against a stubborn German defense. The division, assisted by close air support, advanced through the ruins in urban combat and completed its capture on 13 April 1945.


Postwar period

Post-war, most of the ancient buildings were not restored, and large parts of the city area were completely rebuilt in the style of the 1950s. A few historic buildings such as the main churches
Reinoldikirche The Lutheran Protestant Church of St. Reinold (german: Reinoldikirche) is, according to its foundation date, the oldest extant church in Dortmund, Germany; it is dedicated to Reinold, also known as Renaud de Montauban, the patron of the city. T ...
and Marienkirche were restored or rebuilt, and extensive parks and gardens were laid out. The simple but successful postwar rebuilding has resulted in a very mixed and unique cityscape. Dortmund was in the British zone of occupation of Germany, and became part of the new state (Land) of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1946. The LWL-Industriemuseum was founded in 1969. In 1987 the pit Minister Stein closed, marking the end of more than 150 years of coal mining. Dortmund has since adapted, with its century-long steel and coal industries having been replaced by high-technology areas, including biomedical technology, micro systems technology, and services. This has led Dortmund to become a regional centre for hi-tech industry. In 2001 a new era began for the district Hörde in Dortmund, 160 years of industrial history ended with the beginning of the Phoenix See. The development of the Phoenix See area was carried out by a subsidiary of the Stadtwerke AG. In 2005 the first cornerstone was laid on the Phoenix area. The work started with full speed to manage the work with over 2.5 million meters of ground motion and 420.000 cubic meters of ferroconcrete. On 1 October 2010, the largest and most highly anticipated milestone could be celebrated: the launch of the flooding of the Phoenix See. Since 9 May 2011, the fences disappeared and the Phoenix See has been completed. In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a ''Node city'' in the Innovation Cities Index published by 2thinknow and is the most sustainable city in Germany. On 3 November 2013, more than 20,000 people were evacuated after a 4,000-pound bomb from World War II was found. German authorities safely defused the bomb. The bomb was found after analysing old
aerial photograph Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing ai ...
s while searching for unexploded bombs dropped by
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
aircraft over Germany's industrial
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
region.


Geography


Location

Dortmund is an independent city located in the east of the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area, one of the largest urban areas in Europe (see also: megalopolis), comprising eleven
independent cities An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
and four districts with some 5.3million inhabitants. The city limits of Dortmund itself are long and border twelve cities, two independent and ten ''kreisangehörig'' (i.e., belonging to a district), with a total population of approximately 2.4million. The following cities border Dortmund (clockwise starting from west):
Bochum Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous Germany, German federal state o ...
, Castrop-Rauxel,
Waltrop Waltrop is a town in the district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the Datteln-Hamm Canal, approximately 15 km east of Recklinghausen and 15 km north-west of Dortmund. Division of the town The tow ...
, Lünen, Kamen, Unna,
Holzwickede Holzwickede () is a municipality in the district of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is twinned with Weymouth, Louviers and Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Col ...
,
Schwerte Schwerte ( Westphalian: ''Schweierte'') is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Schwerte is situated in the Ruhr valley, at the south-east border of the Ruhr Area. South of Schwerte begins the mountainous ...
,
Hagen Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...
,
Herdecke Herdecke () is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located south of Dortmund in the Ruhr Area. Its location between the two Ruhr reservoirs Hengsteysee and Harkortsee has earned it the nickname ' ...
and Witten. Historically speaking, Dortmund is a part of Westphalia which is situated in the Bundesland North Rhine-Westphalia. Moreover, Dortmund is part of Westphalian Lowland and adjoins with the Ardey Hills in the south of the city to the
Sauerland The Sauerland () is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited. The Sauerland is the largest tourist region in ...
. The
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
forms the reservoir on the Hengsteysee next to the borough of Syburg in the south of Dortmund between the cities of
Hagen Hagen () is the Largest cities in Germany, 41st-largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany. The municipality is located in the States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the R ...
and
Herdecke Herdecke () is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located south of Dortmund in the Ruhr Area. Its location between the two Ruhr reservoirs Hengsteysee and Harkortsee has earned it the nickname ' ...
, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The Klusenberg, a hill that is part of the Ardey range, is located just north of the Hengsteysee and the highest point of Dortmund . There is also a pumped-storage plant on this reservoir, named Koepchenwerk. The lowest point can be found in the northern borough of Brechten at . The Emscher is a small river and has its wellspring in
Holzwickede Holzwickede () is a municipality in the district of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is twinned with Weymouth, Louviers and Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Col ...
, east of the city of Dortmund, and flows west through Dortmund. Towns along the Emscher take in Dortmund, Castrop-Rauxel, Herne,
Recklinghausen Recklinghausen (; Westphalian: ''Riäkelhusen'') is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and indus ...
,
Gelsenkirchen Gelsenkirchen (, , ; wep, Gelsenkiärken) is the 25th most populous city of Germany and the 11th most populous in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with 262,528 (2016) inhabitants. On the Emscher River (a tributary of the Rhine), it lies ...
,
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
, Bottrop,
Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...
and Dinslaken, where it flows into the Rhine.


Boroughs

Dortmund comprises 62 neighbourhoods which in turn are grouped into twelve boroughs (called ''Stadtbezirke''), often named after the most important neighbourhood. Three boroughs cover the area of the inner city (Innenstadt-West (City centre West), Innenstadt-Nord (City centre North), Innenstadt-Ost (City centre East)) and the remaining nine boroughs make up the surrounding area (
Eving Eving is a ''Stadtteil'' (''quarter'') in the eponymous '' Stadtbezirk'' ("city borough") in the north of the city of Dortmund, Germany. It was incorporated into Dortmund in 1914. With a population of about 20,000 Eving is one of the most popu ...
,
Scharnhorst Gerhard Johann David von Scharnhorst (12 November 1755 – 28 June 1813) was a Hanoverian-born general in Prussian service from 1801. As the first Chief of the Prussian General Staff, he was noted for his military theories, his reforms of the Pru ...
,
Brackel Brackel () is a municipality in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, ...
,
Aplerbeck Aplerbeck is a borough (''Stadtbezirk'') of the city of Dortmund in the Ruhr district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Since 1929, it has been a suburb of Dortmund, located in the city's south-east. The river Emscher, a tributary of the Ruhr ( ...
, Hörde,
Hombruch Dortmund (; Westphalian language, Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city of Germany, with ...
, Lütgendortmund,
Huckarde Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
, Mengede). Each '' Stadtbezirk'' is assigned a Roman numeral and has a local governing body of nineteen members with limited authority. Most of the boroughs were originally independent municipalities but were gradually annexed from 1905 to 1975. This long-lasting process of annexation has led to a strong identification of the population with "their" boroughs or districts and to a rare peculiarity: The borough of Hörde, located in the south of Dortmund and independent until 1928, has its own coat of arms. The centre can be subdivided into historically evolved city districts whose borders are not always strictly defined, such as *Stadtzentrum ''(City centre)'' *Hafenviertel ''(Harbour Quarter)'' *Nordmarkt ''(Northern market)'' *Borsigplatz *Kaiserviertel ''(Emperor Quarter)'' *Kronenviertel ''(Crown Quarter)'' *Kreuzviertel ''(Cross Quarter)'' *Klinikviertel ''(Clinical Quarter)'' *Saarlandstraßenviertel ''(Saarland street Quarter)'' *Unionviertel ''(Union Quarter)'' *Gartenstadt ''(Garden Town)''


Climate

Dortmund is situated in the temperate climate zone with
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
( Köppen: ''Cfb''). Winters are cool; summers are warm. The average annual temperature lies at approximately , the total average annual amount of precipitation lies at approximately . Precipitation evenly falls throughout the year; steady rain (with some snow), prevails in the wintertime, isolated showers dominate the summer season. Dortmund features characteristics of densely populated areas as for example the occurrence of urban heat islands is typical.


Demographics

Dortmund's population grew rapidly in the time of the 19th century industrialisation when coal mining and steel processing in the city began. 1904 marks the year when Dortmund saw a population of more than 100,000 for the first time in its history. During the 19th century the area around Dortmund called
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
attracted up to 500,000 ethnic
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
, Masurians and Silesians from
East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
and Silesia in a migration known as '' Ostflucht'' (flight from the east). Most of the new inhabitants came from Eastern Europe, but immigrants also came from France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Almost all their descendants today speak German as a mother tongue, and for various reasons they do not identify with their Polish roots and traditions, often only their Polish family names remaining as a sign of their past. Not taking the fluctuation of war years into account, the population figures rose constantly to 657,804 in 1965. As a result of the city's post-industrial decline, the population fell to just under 580,000 in 2011. Today with a population of 601.402 (2017) the City of Dortmund is the eighth largest city in Germany after Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt,
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
and Düsseldorf. It is also the largest city in the
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
agglomeration. Contrary to earlier projections, population figures have been on the rise in recent years due to net migration gains. Dortmund has seen a moderate influx of younger people (18 to 25 years of age) mainly because of its universities. Data of the EU-wide 2011 census revealed massive inaccuracies with regard to German population figures. Consequently, respective figures have been corrected, which resulted in a statistical "loss" of 9,000 inhabitants in Dortmund. In 2016 it was announced that the population was back above 600,000. , Dortmund had a population of 571,403 of whom about 177,000 (roughly 30%) were of non-German origin. The table shows the number of first and second generation immigrants in Dortmund by nationality as of 31 December 2014.http://dev.statistik.dortmund.de/project/assets/template1.jsp?col=2&content=me&smi=10.2.4&tid=66334 As with much of the Ruhr area, Dortmund has sizable Turkish and South European communities (particularly Spanish), and had one of Germany's most visible Slavic populations.


Religion

the largest Christian denominations were Protestantism (49.9%) and Catholicism (27.4% of the population). Furthermore, in Dortmund the Greek Orthodox Church, the
Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...
and the Macedonian Orthodox Church are represented. The Church of the Holy Apostles (gre. I.N. Αγίων Αποστόλων Ντόρτμουντ – I.N. Agíon Apostólon Dortmund) was the first Greek church in Germany to be founded due to the influx of "guest workers". Also Dortmund is home of the
New Apostolic Church The New Apostolic Church (NAC) is a Christian denomination, Christian church that split from the Catholic Apostolic Church during an 1863 schism in Hamburg, Germany. The church has existed since 1863 in Germany and since 1897 in the Ne ...
in North Rhine-Westphalia with more than 84,944 community members. The Jewish community has a history dating back to Medieval times and has always ranked among the largest in Westphalia. Dortmund is home to the National Association of Jewish Communities of Westfalen-Lippe. The synagogues operate there in City center, Hörde and Dorstfeld. Due to the growing immigration of people from Muslim countries beginning in the 1960s. Dortmund has a large Muslim community with more than 30 mosques. In June 2019 Dortmund hosted the 37th Evangelischer Kirchentag –
German Evangelical Church Assembly The German Evangelical Church Assembly (German ''Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag'', DEKT) is an assembly of lay members of the Evangelical Church in Germany, that organises biennial events of faith, culture and political discussion. History ...
.


Government and politics

Dortmund is one of nineteen independent district-free cities (''
kreisfreie Städte In all German states, except for the three city states, the primary administrative subdivision higher than a ''Gemeinde'' (municipality) is the (official term in all but two states) or (official term in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia a ...
'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, which means that it does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity, in this case it is not part of a Landkreis. Since 1975, Dortmund is divided into twelve administrative districts. Each district (''Bezirk'') has its own elected district council (Bezirksvertretung) and its own district mayor (Bezirksbürgermeister). The district councils are advisory only. Dortmund is often called the ''Herzkammer der
SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany (german: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, ; SPD, ) is a centre-left social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the ...
'' (roughly translated as "heartland of the Social democrats") after the politically dominant party in the city. During the Nazi era (1933–1945), mayors were installed by the Nazi Party. After World War II, the military government of the British occupation zone installed a new mayor and a municipal constitution modeled on that of British cities. The first major elected by the population of Dortmund was
Fritz Henßler Fritz Henßler (12 April 1886 – 4 December 1953) was a German Social Democratic politician. Henßler was born in Altensteig. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in 1905. He became managing editor of the ''Westfälische Allgemeine Vo ...
. Since the end of the war, the SPD has held a plurality in the city council, except for the period from 1999 to 2004.


Mayor

The current Mayor of Dortmund is Thomas Westphal of the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD), who was elected in 2020. The most recent mayoral election was held on 13 September 2020, with a runoff held on 27 September, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Thomas Westphal , align=left,
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
, 75,565 , 35.9 , 75,884 , 52.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Andreas Hollstein , align=left, Christian Democratic Union , 54,505 , 25.9 , 69,876 , 47.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Daniela Schneckenburger , align=left,
Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...
, 46,015 , 21.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Utz Kowalewski , align=left, The Left , 9,351 , 4.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Michael Kauch , align=left,
Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...
, 6,538 , 3.1 , - , style="background:#553a26;", , align=left, Bernd Schreyner , align=left, The Right , 6,274 , 3.0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Judith Storb , align=left, Die PARTEI , 5,019 , 2.4 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Carl Hendri Draub , align=left, Independent , 2,552 , 1.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Gebel , align=left, Pirate Party Germany , 1,897 , 0.9 , - , , align=left, Detlef Münch , align=left, Free Citizens' Initiative , 1,512 , 0.7 , - , , align=left, Günther Ziethoff , align=left, Grassroots Democracy Now , 1,016 , 0.5 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Dave Varghese , align=left, German Communist Party , 415 , 0.2 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 210,659 ! 99.1 ! 145,760 ! 99.0 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 1,950 ! 0.9 ! 1,529 ! 1.0 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 212,609 ! 100.0 ! 147,289 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 451,925 ! 47.0 ! 451,710 ! 32.6 , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer


City council

The Dortmund city council (''Dortmunder Stadtrat'') governs the city alongside the Mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 13 September 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD) , 63,096 , 30.0 , 8.2 , 27 , 9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (german: Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, ), often simply referred to as the Greens ( ), is a Green politics, green List of political parties in Germany, political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 as the merger of The Greens ...
(Grüne) , 52,241 , 24.8 , 9.4 , 22 , 7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 47,405 , 22.5 , 4.7 , 20 , 6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 11,825 , 5.6 , 1.2 , 5 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (german: link=no, Alternative für Deutschland, AfD; ) is a right-wing populist * * * * * * * political party in Germany. AfD is known for its opposition to the European Union, as well as immigration to Germany. I ...
(AfD) , 11,547 , 5.5 , 2.1 , 5 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Free Democratic Party Free Democratic Party is the name of several political parties around the world. It usually designates a party ideologically based on liberalism. Current parties with that name include: *Free Democratic Party (Germany), a liberal political party in ...
(FDP) , 7,345 , 3.5 , 1.0 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Die PARTEI (PARTEI) , 5,851 , 2.8 , 2.6 , 3 , 3 , - , style="background:#553a26;", , align=left, The Right (Die Rechte) , 2,369 , 1.1 , 0.1 , 1 , ±0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,
Human Environment Animal Protection The Human Environment Animal Protection Party (german: Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz, short form: Animal Protection Party, german: Tierschutzpartei, links=no) is a political party in Germany, founded in 1993. In 2014 one candidate was elected ...
(Tierschutz) , 1,995 , 0.9 , New , 1 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Pirate Party Germany (Piraten) , 1,848 , 0.9 , 1.5 , 1 , 1 , - , , align=left, Alliance for Diversity and Tolerance (BVT) , 1,737 , 0.8 , New , 1 , New , - , , align=left, Citizens' List (Bürgerliste) , 1,359 , 0.6 , New , 1 , New , - , colspan="7" style="background:lightgrey;", , - , , align=left, Free Citizens' Initiative (FBI) , 1,087 , 0.5 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Grassroots Democracy Now , 560 , 0.3 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Digital Ecological Social (DOS) , 219 , 0.1 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, Heinz Augat – Together , 53 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, We in Dortmund , 39 , 0.0 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, German Communist Party (DKP) , 16 , 0.0 , 0.1 , 0 , ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 210,592 ! 99.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Invalid votes ! 2,047 ! 1.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ! 212,639 ! 100.0 ! ! 90 ! 4 , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 451,925 ! 47.1 ! 2.2 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
State Returning Officer


Twin towns – sister cities

Dortmund is twinned with: * Leeds, United Kingdom (1949) * Amiens, France (1960) *
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
, Russia (1973) * Buffalo, United States (1977) *
Netanya Netanya (also known as Natanya, he, נְתַנְיָה) is a city in the Northern Central District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa, between Poleg stream and Wingate I ...
, Israel (1980) * Novi Sad, Serbia (1981) * Zwickau, Germany (1989) * Xi'an, China (1991) * Trabzon, Turkey (2014)


Cityscape

Dortmund's city centre offers a picture full of contrasts. Historic buildings like Altes Stadthaus or the Krügerpassage rub shoulders with post-war architecture like Gesundheitshaus and concrete constructions with Romanesque churches like the
Reinoldikirche The Lutheran Protestant Church of St. Reinold (german: Reinoldikirche) is, according to its foundation date, the oldest extant church in Dortmund, Germany; it is dedicated to Reinold, also known as Renaud de Montauban, the patron of the city. T ...
and the Marienkirche. The near-complete destruction of Dortmund's city centre during World War II (98%) has resulted in a varied architectural landscape. The reconstruction of the city followed the style of the 1950s, while respecting the old layout and naming of the streets. The downtown of Dortmund still retains the outline of the medieval city. A ring road marks the former city wall, and the Westen-/Ostenhellweg, part of a medieval salt trading route, is still the major (pedestrian) street bisecting the city centre. Thus, the city today is characterized by simple and modest post-war buildings, with a few interspersed pre-war buildings which were reconstructed due to their historical importance. Some buildings of the "Wiederaufbauzeit" (era of reconstruction), for example the opera house are nowadays regarded as classics of modern architecture.


Urban districts

Unlike the Dortmund city centre, much of the inner districts around the old medieval centre escaped damage in the second world war and post war redevelopment.


Kreuzviertel

The
Kreuzviertel Kreuzviertel is a neighbourhood of Dortmund, Germany and it has about 15,885 inhabitants (2015). Along with the Nordstadt in the north and the Kaiserviertel in the east, it is part of Dortmund's dense inner city districts. The Kreuzviertel wit ...
is characterised by old buildings, the majority of which come from the turn of the 20th century (1884 to 1908). Over 80% of all housing in this area was constructed before 1948, with the oldest building the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts still standing being from 1896. In the second World War, relatively few buildings were destroyed in comparison to other areas of the city. Today,
Kreuzviertel Kreuzviertel is a neighbourhood of Dortmund, Germany and it has about 15,885 inhabitants (2015). Along with the Nordstadt in the north and the Kaiserviertel in the east, it is part of Dortmund's dense inner city districts. The Kreuzviertel wit ...
forms a nearly homogeneous historic building area. Over 100 buildings remain protected as historic monuments, like the Kreuzkirche at Kreuzstraße and the first Concrete Church in Germany St.-Nicolai. Nowadays the Kreuzviertel is a trendy district with pubs, restaurants, cafés, galleries and little shops. Moreover, local efforts to beautify and invigorate the neighbourhood have reinforced a budding sense of community and artistic expression. The West park is the green lung of the Kreuzviertel and in the months between May and October a centre of the student urban life. The district has the highest real estate prices in Dortmund. Even today many artists choose Kreuzviertel as their residence: Sascha Schmitz,
Christina Hammer Christina Hammer (born 16 August 1990) is a Kazakhstani-born German boxer. As a professional, she has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO female middleweight title from 2010 to 2019, becoming the youngest ...
and players of Borussia Dortmund.


Nordstadt

The northern downtown part of Dortmund called Nordstadt, situated in a territory of is shaped by a colorful variety of cultures. As the largest homogeneous old building area in
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
the Nordstadt is a melting pot of different people of different countries and habits just a few steps from the city center. The Nordstadt is an industrial urban area that was mainly developed in the 19th Century to serve the
Westfalenhütte The Westfalenhütte is an industrial site in the northeast of Dortmund, Germany. It was established by the steel company Hoesch AG in 1871. At the peak of the so-called Wirtschaftswunder approximately 25,000 people were working there. Follow ...
steelworks, port and rail freight depot. All of the residents live in a densely populated 300 hectare area (the most densely populated residential area in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with steelworks, port and railway lines acting as physical barriers cutting off the area from the city centre and other residential districts). The area has been badly affected by the deindustrialisation of these heavy industries, with the target area developing a role as the home for growing numbers of immigrants and socially disadvantaged groups partly because of the availability of cheaper (although poor quality) accommodation. Nevertheless, two parks – Fredenbaumpark and Hoeschpark – are situated there. There is also much equipment for children to spend their free time. For example, the 35 meters high Big Tipi, which was brought in from the Expo 2000 in Hanover. All of that should attract families to settle in, but low prices of apartments and a variety of renting offers speak for the contrary. This developed into the youngest population of Dortmund is living and created a district with art house cinemas to ethnic stores, from exotic restaurants to student pubs. The Borsigplatz is probably one of the best known squares in Germany. Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund was founded nearby, north-east of the main railway station. The streets radiating outward to form a star shape, the sycamore in the middle of the square and the tramline running diagonally across the square give Borsigplatz its very own flair.


Kaiserviertel

The Kaiserstraßen District is located east of the former ramparts of Dortmund and follows the course of the
Westenhellweg Westenhellweg is the main shopping street in Dortmund, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous ...
. In this district numerous magnificent buildings from the 1900s and new buildings from the 1950s are located next to the heritage-protected State Mining Office Dortmund, several Courts, Consulate and the East Cemetery. The district is characterize by the employee of the Amtsgericht, Landgericht (the first and second instances of ordinary jurisdiction) and the Prison. Today the historical Kaiserbrunnen and the entrance sign for Kaiserstraße are important starting points for a tour to the popular shopping district. The Moltkestreet also known as the Cherry Blossom Avenue, became famous after photographers started posting pictures of blooming trees. Every spring, usually in April, the street in the Kaiserstraßen district is booming with pink blossoms and attracts tourists.


Unionviertel

The Union District is located west of the former ramparts of Dortmund and follows the course of the
Westenhellweg Westenhellweg is the main shopping street in Dortmund, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous ...
. For a long time, the neighbourhood at the Dortmunder U and along the Rheinische Straße was marked by vacancy and social distortion due to structural change. Today it is developing an inspiring young artist scene, with more and more students thanks to cheaper apartments near the university and a vibrant gastronomy. This development benefits strongly from the new, widely visible beacon, the art and creative centre Dortmunder U, opened in 2010. Yet, for a time, it was mainly the Union Gewerbehof activists and other single stakeholders who initiated change.


Hörde on Lake Phoenix

Hörde is borough in the south of the city of Dortmund. Originally Hörde was a separate town (until 1929) and was founded by the Counts of Mark in opposition to their principal enemy, the town of Dortmund. In 1388, the "Großen Dortmunder Fehde" (great feud of Dortmund) took place, where the city of Dortmund battled against the alliance of surrounding towns. The struggle ended in 1390, with defeat for Hörde and its allies of
Herdecke Herdecke () is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located south of Dortmund in the Ruhr Area. Its location between the two Ruhr reservoirs Hengsteysee and Harkortsee has earned it the nickname ' ...
, Witten,
Bochum Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous Germany, German federal state o ...
, Castrop, Lünen, Unna und
Schwerte Schwerte ( Westphalian: ''Schweierte'') is a town in the district of Unna, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Schwerte is situated in the Ruhr valley, at the south-east border of the Ruhr Area. South of Schwerte begins the mountainous ...
. Today Hörde is a part of Dortmund with restored old buildings combined with modern architecture. The Hörder Burg (Hörde castle) was built in the 12th century and is located in the east of the town, close to the Emscher and Lake Phoenix. Lake Phoenix was one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in Europe. On the area of the former blast furnace and steel plant site of ThyssenKrupp newly formed and developed a new urban resident and recreational area from the city centre of Dortmund. The development of the Phoenix See area cost €;170 million. The lake is 1.2 km long directed to east–west and 320 meters wide in north–south direction. The water surface area of 24 acres is larger than the Hamburg Alster. Lake Phoenix is a shallow water lake with a depth of 3 to 4 meters and a capacity of around 600,000 cubic meters. Attractive high priced residential areas were thus created on the southern and northern sides of the Lake. On the western lakeside, the existing district centre of Hörde is enlarged by a city port and a mixed functional urban area. Companies with agencies and offices on the lakefront include: *
Zalando Zalando SE is a publicly traded German online retailer of shoes, fashion and beauty. The company was founded in 2008 by David Schneider and Robert Gentz and has more than 50 million active users in 25 European markets. Zalando is active in a vari ...
*
HSBC Trinkaus HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt AG, operating as HSBC Deutschland, is a German financial services company. It traces its history back to 1785 and is one of the longest-established members of the HSBC Group. HSBC in Germany has operations in private, co ...
*
German Handball Association '' , abbrev= DHB , logo= Deutscher Handballbund, Logo, RGB.svg , logosize= 250px , countryflag= Germany , iocnation= Federal Republic of Germany (GER) , url= , sport= Handball , othersport1= Beach Handball , othersport2= Wheelchair Handball , h ...
* Handball-Bundesliga (HBL) *, a training organization of the Sparkassen * Mircosonic The finished sole is primarily fed by groundwater and unpolluted rainwater from the new building sites. The River Emscher flows through an embanked riverbed without direct link to the Lake. Together with the renatured Emscher, the Lake forms a water landscape of 33 hectares, which, as a linking area, is an important element of the Emscher landscape park. The renaturation of the Emscher River is managed by the public water board Emschergenossenschaft. The financial frame is 4.5 billion Euro and the aim is to finish the main work by 2020. Marktplatz Hoerde.jpg, Oldtown Hörde Dortmund - PO-Phoenix-See + Hörde 01 ies.jpg, Lake Phoenix Dortmund - PO-Hafenpromenade+Hafen 01 ies.jpg, Port Promenade Dortmund - PO-Phoenix-See + Kaiserberg (Kulturinsel) 01 ies.jpg, Kaiser Hill


Churches

*
Reinoldikirche The Lutheran Protestant Church of St. Reinold (german: Reinoldikirche) is, according to its foundation date, the oldest extant church in Dortmund, Germany; it is dedicated to Reinold, also known as Renaud de Montauban, the patron of the city. T ...
, a Protestant church (built in 1233–1450) * , a now Protestant church (start of construction 1322). It is famous for the huge carved altar (known as "Golden Miracle of Dortmund"), from 1521. It consists of 633 gilt carved oak figures depicting 30 scenes about Easter. * Marienkirche, a now Protestant church originally built in 1170–1200 but rebuilt after World War II. The altar is from 1420. * Propsteikirche, Monastery of the Dominican Order in the city center (built in 1331–1353) *
St. Georg, Aplerbeck St. Georg is a church and Protestant parish in Aplerbeck, now part of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a Romanesque architecture, Romanesque cross basilica (Kreuzbasilika) from the 12th century. The only building in Dortmund of it ...
, the only Romanesque cross basilica of Dortmund *
Große Kirche Aplerbeck The Große Kirche Aplerbeck is a Protestant church in Aplerbeck, now part of Dortmund, Germany. It was built from 1867 to 1869 in Gothic Revival style, designed by Christian Heyden. A listed monument, it is used by the parish St. Georg, serving mos ...
, a Gothic revival church *
St. Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...
in Syburg suburb, the oldest church building in the city limits * Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, a Protestant church (start of construction 1911) * St.-Margareta Chapel, a Protestant chapel built in 1348 File:Dortmund-100706-15131-Reinoldi.jpg,
Reinoldikirche The Lutheran Protestant Church of St. Reinold (german: Reinoldikirche) is, according to its foundation date, the oldest extant church in Dortmund, Germany; it is dedicated to Reinold, also known as Renaud de Montauban, the patron of the city. T ...
File:NRW, Dortmund, Altstadt - Evangelische Marienkirche 01.jpg, Marienkirche File:Propsteikirche, Dortmund 2006.jpg, St. Johannes Baptist File:St Peter Syburg Seite.jpg, St. Peter in Syburg suburb


Castles

* Haus Bodelschwingh (13th century), a moated castle * Haus Dellwig (13th century), a moated castle partly rebuilt in the 17th century. The façade and the steep tower, and two half-timbered buildings, are original. * Haus Rodenberg (13th century), a moated castle * Altes Stadthaus, built in 1899 by Friedrich Kullrich * Romberg Park Gatehouse (17th century), once a gatehouse to a moated castle. Now it houses an art gallery. * Husen Castle, the tower house of a former castle, in the borough of Syburg. File:Wasserschloss Bodelschwingh Dortmund.jpg, Moated castle Bodelschwingh File:Bodelschwingh Castle.jpg, Bodelschwingh garden File:Schlossbrücke Bodelschwingh.jpg, Bodelschwingh bridge


Industrial buildings

The most industrial building in Dortmund are part of the Industrial Heritage Trail (german: Route der Industriekultur). The trail links tourist attractions related to the industrial heritage in the whole Ruhr area in Germany. It is a part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. * U-Tower, former Dortmunder Union brewery, now a museum * Zollern II/IV Colliery, now part of the Westphalian Industrial Museum and an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) * Hansa Coking Plant File:Zeche_Zollern_Dortmund.jpg, Zollern II/IV Colliery File:Union-Brauerei Dortmund.jpg, U-Tower File:Hochofenwerk Phoenix-West Sommer.jpg, Phoenix-West coking plant File:IMG 7667Hafen-Dortmund-.jpg, Port Authority


Cultural buildings

* Konzerthaus Dortmund *
Opernhaus Dortmund Opernhaus Dortmund is the opera house of Dortmund, Germany, operated by the Theater Dortmund organisation. A new opera house opened in 1966, replacing an earlier facility which opened in 1904 and was destroyed during World War I. It was built on ...
, opera house built in 1966 on the site of the old synagogue which was destroyed by the Nazis in 1938. * The major art museums include the
Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte The Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte or MKK (''Museum of Art and Cultural History'') is a municipal museum in Dortmund, Germany. It is currently located in an Art Deco building which was formerly the Dortmund Savings Bank. The collectio ...
and the more recent
Museum Ostwall The Museum Ostwall (known as Museum am Ostwall until 2010) is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Dortmund, Germany. It was founded in the late 1940s, and has been located in the Dortmund U-Tower since 2010. The collection includes ...
. * DASA, Germany Occupational Health and Safety Exhibition (German: Deutsche Arbeitsschutzausstellung) * Brewery Museum Dortmund * Museum of Art and Cultural History * German Football Museum File:Dortmund-Oper 2269.JPG,
Opernhaus Dortmund Opernhaus Dortmund is the opera house of Dortmund, Germany, operated by the Theater Dortmund organisation. A new opera house opened in 1966, replacing an earlier facility which opened in 1904 and was destroyed during World War I. It was built on ...
File:Dortmund Museum KuKG.jpg,
Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte The Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte or MKK (''Museum of Art and Cultural History'') is a municipal museum in Dortmund, Germany. It is currently located in an Art Deco building which was formerly the Dortmund Savings Bank. The collectio ...
File:Architektur DFB Museum Dortmund.jpg, German Football Museum File:Dasa4.jpg, DASA, Germany Occupational Health and Safety Exhibition


Other important buildings

* Florianturm, (television tower Florian) * Westfalenstadion: Football ground of Borussia Dortmund, licensed until 2021 under the name Signal Iduna Park * Close to Westfalenstadion are the
Westfalenhallen Westfalenhallen (English: Halls of Westphalia) is a commercial complex composed of conference (Kongresszentrum Dortmund) and exhibition centers (Messe Dortmund) with an indoor arena (Westfalenhalle), located in Dortmund, Germany. It is surroun ...
, a large convention centre, the site of several major conventions, trade fairs, ice-skating competitions, concerts and other major events since the 1950s. *Steinwache memorial


High-rise structures

Dortmund tallest structure is the Florianturm telecommunication tower at . Other tall buildings are the churches around the city centre. A selection of the tallest office buildings in Dortmund is listed below. * RWE Tower (100 metre-high skyscraper) * Westnetz Hochhaus Dortmund (100 metre-high skyscraper) * Westfalentower (88 metre-high skyscraper) * Harenberg City-Center (86 metre-high skyscraper) * Sparkassen-Hochhaus (70 metre-high skyscraper) * IWO-Hochhaus(70 metre-high skyscraper) * Ellipson (66 metre-high skyscraper) * Volkswohl Bund Hochhaus (60 metre-high skyscraper) File:RWE -Tower Dortmund.jpg, RWE Tower File:Harenberg City Center IV.jpg, HCC File:Dortmund IWO Hochhaus IMGP8248.jpg, IWO Tower File:Dortmund Ellipson.jpg, Ellipson


Transportation


Road transport

Dortmund also serves as a major European and German crossroads for the Autobahnsystem. The
Ruhrschnellweg , (named A 430 until the early 1990s) is one of the most used Autobahns in Germany. It crosses the Netherlands, Dutch-German border as a continuation of the Dutch A67 motorway (Netherlands), A67 and crosses the Rhine, leads through the Ruhr ...
follows old Hanseatic trade routes to connect the city with the other metropolises of the Ruhr Area. It crosses the Dutch-German border as a continuation of the Dutch A67 and crosses the Rhine, leads through the Ruhr valley toward
Bochum Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous Germany, German federal state o ...
, becoming B 1 ( Bundesstraße 1) at the Kreuz Dortmund West and eventually merging into the A 44 near
Holzwickede Holzwickede () is a municipality in the district of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is twinned with Weymouth, Louviers and Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Col ...
. It has officially been named Ruhrschnellweg (Ruhr Fast Way), but locals usually call it Ruhrschleichweg (Ruhr Crawling Way) or "the Ruhr area's longest parking lot". According to ''Der Spiegel'', it is the most congested motorway in Germany. Connections to more distant parts of Germany are maintained by Autobahn routes A1 and A2, which traverse the north and east city limits and meet at the
Kamener Kreuz The Kamener Kreuz was formerly a full cloverleaf interchange near Dortmund in North Rhine-Westphalia Germany where the Autobahnen A1 and A2 meet. It lies between the towns of Kamen Kamen () is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in t ...
interchange north-east of Dortmund. In combination with the Autobahn A45 to the west these form the
Dortmund Beltway Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
(''Dortmunder Autobahnring'').


Cycling

Cycling in Dortmund is supported by urban planners – an extensive network of cycle paths exists which had its beginnings in the 1980s. Dortmund was admitted to the German "Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly Cities and Municipalities in NRW" (AGFS) on August 8, 2007. Dortumund is connected to a number of long-distance cycle paths and a Bike freeway called the ''Radschnellweg Ruhr'' (Ruhr Area Fast Cycle Path).


Rail transport

As with most communes in the Ruhr area, local transport is carried out by a local, publicly owned company for transport within the city, the
DB Regio DB Regio AG is a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn which operates regional and commuter train services in Germany. DB Regio AG, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn Group and there part of the DB Regio bus ...
subsidiary of
Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...
for regional transport and Deutsche Bahn itself for long-distance journeys. The local carrier,
Dortmunder Stadtwerke DSW21 customer center in Kampstraße, in front of Petri church.Dortmunder Stadtwerke AG is a municipal services and public transport company in Dortmund, wholly owned by the city of Dortmund. It is operating under the brand DSW21 since 2005. T ...
(DSW21), is a member of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) association of public transport companies in the Ruhr area, which provides a uniform fare structure in the whole region. Within the VRR region, tickets are valid on lines of all members as well as DB's railway lines (except the high-speed InterCity and Intercity-Express networks) and can be bought at ticket machines and service centres of DSW21, all other members of VRR, and DB. The central train station (
Dortmund Hauptbahnhof Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centr ...
) is the third largest long-distance traffic junction in Germany. Dortmund has a railway service with
Deutsche Bahn The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder. describes itself as the se ...
InterCity and ICE-trains stopping at ''
Dortmund Hauptbahnhof Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centr ...
'' (Dortmund Main Station). ICE and TGV Thalys high-speed trains link Dortmund with Amsterdam, Brussels (in 2h 30) and Paris (in 3h 50). There are frequent ICE trains to other German cities, including Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and other cities in the Rhein-Ruhr Region.


Public transportation

For public transportation, the city has an extensive Stadtbahn and bus system. The Stadtbahn has eight lines (U41 to U47 and U49) serving Dortmund and the large suburb of Lünen in the north. The trains that run on the line are in fact lightrails as many lines travel along a track in the middle of the street instead of underground further from the city centre. The minimum service interval is 2.5 minutes, although the usual pattern is that each line runs at 5 to 10 minute intervals. On Sundays the trains run at a 15 minute interval. In April 2008, the newly constructed east–west underground light rail line was opened, completing the underground service in the city centre and replacing the last trams on the surface. A number of bus lines complete the Dortmund public transport system.
Night buses Night service, sometimes also known as owl service, refers to the public transport services operated during the night hours. These services are operated, mainly using buses but in certain cases using trams (or streetcars), not including inter ...
replace Stadtbahn services between 1:30 am and 7:30 am on weekends and public holidays. The central junction for the night bus service is Reinoldikirche in the city centre, where all night bus lines start and end. The
H-Bahn The H-Bahn (abbreviation for , German for 'hanging railway') in Dortmund and Düsseldorf (there known as "Sky train") is a driverless passenger suspension railway system. The system was developed by Siemens, who call the project SIPEM (SIemens ...
at
Dortmund University of Technology TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's and ...
is a hanging monorail built specifically to shuttle passengers between the university's two campuses, which are now also flanked by research laboratories and other high-tech corporations and startups. A nearly identical monorail system transfers passengers at Düsseldorf Airport.


Air transport

Dortmund Airport Dortmund Airport is a minor international airport located east of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves the eastern Rhine-Ruhr area, the largest urban agglomeration in Germany, and is mainly used for low-cost and leisure charter flight ...
is a medium-sized, but fast growing airport east of the city centre at the city limit to
Holzwickede Holzwickede () is a municipality in the district of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is twinned with Weymouth, Louviers and Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Col ...
. The airport serves the area of the Ruhrgebiet,
Sauerland The Sauerland () is a rural, hilly area spreading across most of the south-eastern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, in parts heavily forested and, apart from the major valleys, sparsely inhabited. The Sauerland is the largest tourist region in ...
, Westphalia and parts of the Netherlands and features flights to Munich, London, Vienna, Porto and a lot of eastern European city and leisure destinations. The airport is served by an express bus to Dortmund main station, a shuttle bus to the nearby railway station ''
Holzwickede Holzwickede () is a municipality in the district of Unna in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is twinned with Weymouth, Louviers and Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Col ...
/Dortmund Flughafen'', a bus to the city's metro line ''U47'', as well as a bus to the city of Unna. In 2019, the airport served 2,719,563 passengers mainly used for low-cost and leisure charter flights. The closest intercontinental airport is Düsseldorf Airport.


Water transport

Dortmund Harbour Construction on Dortmund's port which terminates the Dortmund-Ems Canal connecting Dortmund to the North Sea started in 1895. It was opened 1899 by Kaiser Wilhelm. At the beginning of the 20th century it was mainly used for the import and export ...
(''Hafen'') is the largest canal harbour in Europe and the 11th fluvial harbour in Germany. File:Dortmund Möllerbrücke HDR.jpg, Interchange station Möllerbrücke File:DB 403 01 Dortmund Hbf.jpg, ICE 3 on the
Dortmund Hauptbahnhof Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centr ...
Einfahrt Stadtbahn U46 in U-Bahnhof Saarlandstraße.JPG,
Stadtbahnwagen B The Stadtbahnwagen Typ B (translation ''Type "B" Light Rail Vehicle'', short form B-Wagen) is a light rail vehicle used by several Stadtbahn networks in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was mainly developed by Düsseldorf-based Duew ...
Light Rail Vehicle File:DSW21 nr 8 U44 Dortmund-Dorstfeld Betriebshof.jpg,
Bombardier Flexity Classic The Bombardier Flexity Classic is a model of light-rail tram manufactured by Bombardier Transportation. Although it is marketed as the most traditionally designed member of the Flexity family, it is still a modern bi-directional articulated t ...
tram File:Metropolrad.jpg, Metropolrad Ruhr, City Bike File:062 Blick von der Hörder Brückenstraße auf die Hörder Bahnhofstraße (Panorama).jpg, Hörde Bahnhof – second biggest in Dortmund File:West side of dortmund airport terminal.jpg,
Dortmund Airport Dortmund Airport is a minor international airport located east of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves the eastern Rhine-Ruhr area, the largest urban agglomeration in Germany, and is mainly used for low-cost and leisure charter flight ...
– Main Terminal (T2)


Economy

Dortmund has adapted since the collapse of its century long steel, coal and beer industries. The region has shifted to high technology, robotics, biomedical technology, micro systems technology, engineering, tourism, finance, education, services and is thus one of the most dynamic new-economy cities in Germany. In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a ''Node city'' in the ''Innovation Cities Index'' published by 2thinknow. Hundreds of
SMEs Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems store energy in the magnetic field created by the flow of direct current in a Superconductivity, superconducting coil which has been Cryogenics, cryogenically cooled to a temperature below ...
are still based in and around Dortmund (often termed ''
Mittelstand commonly refers to a group of stable business enterprises in Germany, Austria and Switzerland that have proved successful in enduring economic change and turbulence. The term is difficult to translate and may cause confusion for non-Germans. It ...
''). Dortmund is also home to a number of medium-sized information technology companies, many linked to the local university
TU Dortmund TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's and ...
at the first technology center in Germany named "Technologiepark Dortmund" opened in the 1980s. With around 280 companies like
Boehringer Ingelheim C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co. is the parent company of the Boehringer Ingelheim group, which was founded in 1885 by Albert Boehringer in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical ...
and Verizon Communications and more than 8,500 employees, TechnologiePark Dortmund is one of the most successful technology parks in Europe. The city works closely with research institutes, private universities, and companies to collaborate on the commercialisation of science initiatives. Furthermore, 680 IT and software companies with 12,000 employees are based in Dortmund, making the city one of Germany's biggest software locations. Two of the top 10 IT service provider in Germany are based in Dortmund – adesso SE and Materna Group. Dortmund is home to many insurance companies e.g.
Signal Iduna The SIGNAL IDUNA Group offers insurance and financial services. The group was created through the merger of the Dortmund-based Signal Versicherungen and the Hamburg-based Iduna Nova Group on 1 July 1999. The companies of these two groups have ...
, Continentale Krankenversicherung, Bundesinnungskrankenkasse Gesundheit (BIG direkt) and Volkswohl Bund. In recent years a service sector and high-tech industry have grown up. Some of its most prominent companies of these sectors include
Amprion Amprion GmbH (formerly ''RWE Transportnetz Strom GmbH'') is one of the four transmission system operators for electricity in Germany with approx. 950 employees. It is a member of European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity ...
and RWE-Westnetz (Electricity), Rhenus Logistics (Logistics),
Wilo Wilo SE is a European manufacturer of pumps and pump systems for the building technology, water and industrial sectors with headquarters in Dortmund, Germany. Founded in 1872 as copper and brass factory by Louis Opländer, the company has over 60 ...
,
KHS GmbH KHS GmbH is a supplier of filling and packaging systems based in Dortmund, Germany. The company offers filling lines for glass and PET bottles, kegs, and cans for the beverage, food, and non-food industries, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sa ...
,
Elmos Semiconductor Elmos Semiconductor SE is a German manufacturer of semiconductor products headquartered in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Elmos supplies automotive application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Processes Elmos has four high vo ...
,
ABP Induction Systems ABP Induction Systems is a global industrial firm that develops and integrates induction-related equipment and services for foundries, forges, tube and pipe producers, general manufacturers using heating equipment, and manufacturers of microele ...
, Nordwest Handel AG – all of whom have their headquarters here. Companies with operations in or around Dortmund include
Zalando Zalando SE is a publicly traded German online retailer of shoes, fashion and beauty. The company was founded in 2008 by David Schneider and Robert Gentz and has more than 50 million active users in 25 European markets. Zalando is active in a vari ...
, Daimler AG: EvoBus, RapidMiner, Gap Inc. and ThyssenKrupp. Dortmund is also the headquarter of
Century Media Records Century Media Records is a heavy metal record label with offices in the United States, Germany and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million. Background Century Media was founded by Robert Kampf and Oli ...
, a heavy metal record label with offices in the United States and London. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million.


Tourism

Tourism in Dortmund is a fast-growing economic factor every year: new overnight records can be announced, new hotels open and new visitor magnets are added. Starting in the mid-1990s, Dortmund, formerly an industrial centre, saw rapid development that expanded its cultural and tourism possibilities, and transformed it into a newly vibrant city. An important strategic step was the start of construction the new
Konzerthaus Dortmund Theater Dortmund is a theatrical organization that produces operas, musicals, ballets, plays, and concerts in Dortmund, Germany. It was founded as the Stadttheater Dortmund in 1904. Supported by the German Government, the organization owns and o ...
, the reuse of vacant old industrial buildings like the Zollern II/IV Colliery, Kokerei Hansa, Dortmund U-Tower and the strategic reorientation of the Dortmund Christmas market with over 300 stalls packed around a gigantic Christmas tree creation that stands 45 metres tall – reputed to be the biggest in the world. A new Tourist Information center right next to the U-Tower, gives visitors a quick overview of the tourist attractions in the City and Ruhr Area. Today Dortmund is with more than 1.450.528 (2017) overnight stays one of the most popular destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia. The majority of tourists are domestic visitors, coming from Germany. International travellers arrive from the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Austria and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Dortmund also draws
business tourism Business tourism or business travel is a more limited and focused subset of regular tourism. During business tourism (traveling), individuals are still working and being paid, but are doing so away from both their workplace and home. Some definiti ...
, having been equipped with facilities like WILO, Amprion next to
Westfalenhallen Westfalenhallen (English: Halls of Westphalia) is a commercial complex composed of conference (Kongresszentrum Dortmund) and exhibition centers (Messe Dortmund) with an indoor arena (Westfalenhalle), located in Dortmund, Germany. It is surroun ...
and football tourism with Fans of Borussia Dortmund. The top 5 most visited attractions were the Christmas market, with more than three and a half million visitors, Signal Iduna Park,
Deutsches Fußballmuseum The German Football Museum (german: Deutsches Fußballmuseum) aka DFB-Museum is the national museum for German football Football (or "soccer") is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association (german: Deutscher Fußb ...
, Dortmund U-Tower, Zollern II/IV Colliery and Westfalenpark.


Shopping

The Westenhellweg is a popular shopping destination and with nearly 13,000 visitors per hour it was Germany's most frequented shopping street in 2013. During the Middle Ages, Dortmund was the only free imperial city in Westphalia, having already been regarded as an important centre of trade. Today some of the most reputed shops, department stores have stores here. It is a pedestrian-only area and is bordered by the
Reinoldikirche The Lutheran Protestant Church of St. Reinold (german: Reinoldikirche) is, according to its foundation date, the oldest extant church in Dortmund, Germany; it is dedicated to Reinold, also known as Renaud de Montauban, the patron of the city. T ...
in the east and U-Tower in the west. The Westenhellweg has one of the highest rents for retail and office space in North Rhine-Westphalia. 85 percent of the shops are retail chains such as H&M,
Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
,
Esprit Esprit or L'Esprit may refer to: * the French for Spirit; as a loanword: ** Enthusiasm, intense interest or motivation ** Morale, motivation and readiness ** Geist "mind/spirit; intellect" * Esprit (name), a given name and surname * ''Esprit'' (m ...
, Zara or NewYorker. In 2009 a new shopping mall named Thier-Galerie opened, with nearly 100 stores and chains, including; Armani,
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
,
Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
and Hollister. Three more shopping malls occupy the Thier-Galerie; Galeria Kaufhof and Karstadt, as well as large fashion retail clothing stores from Peek & Cloppenburg and C&A. During the month before Christmas, the extended pedestrian-only zone is host to Dortmund Christmas Market, one of the largest and oldest Christmas markets in Germany. With more than 3.5 million visitors and 300 stalls around a gigantic Christmas tree that stands 45 metres tall, it is one of the most visited and popular market in the world. In close proximity to the Dortmund concert hall lies the Brückstraßenviertel – a quarter hub especially for young people. The "Rue de Pommes Frites", which is what the Dortmund citizens have called the Brückstraße, has turned into a modern shopping promenade, geared towards a younger market. For a long time, the Kampstraße had a shadowy existence as a parallel street to the Westenhellweg and Ostenhellweg, but it has become a grand boulevard containing specialist stores. Right next to the Kampstraße is the Kleppingstraße – a shopping street with a high concentration of gastronomy and expensive, prestigious shops like van Laack, Lindner Fashion, Marc Cain. It is located between the Ostenhellweg and Neutor to Wallring.


Port and logistics

Dortmund is one of the most important logistic hubs in Germany, more than 900 companies working in logistics, as well as nationally and internationally recognised scientific institutes. Dortmund Port which terminates the Dortmund-Ems Canal connecting Dortmund to the North Sea is the biggest European canal port with 10 docks and a pier length of 11 km. The variety of different activities taking place at the Fraunhofer Institute Material Flow and Logistics ( Fraunhofer Society) has, over the past few years, led to a bundling of skills in the areas of logistics and digitalisation in the city. Industry-based initiatives and pilot projects, such as the Hybrid Services in Logistics innovation lab, the efficiency cluster LogistikRuhr, Industrial Data Space, the Dortmund Mittelstand 4.0 Centre of Excellence, and the enterprise labs. The Digital Hub for Logistics of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is based in Dortmund and twinned with Hamburg. Companies with big logistic hubs for Germany and Europe in Dortmund include: * Amazon *
IKEA IKEA (; ) is a Dutch multinational conglomerate based in the Netherlands that designs and sells , kitchen appliances, decoration, home accessories, and various other goods and home services. Started in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA has been t ...
*
Decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...
* Rhenus Logistics * Schenker AG * TEDi GmbH & Co. KG


Fairs

Dortmund is home to Germany's twelve biggest exhibition centre, Halls of Westphalia which lies near the city center next to
Dortmund Airport Dortmund Airport is a minor international airport located east of Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It serves the eastern Rhine-Ruhr area, the largest urban agglomeration in Germany, and is mainly used for low-cost and leisure charter flight ...
. With around 77.000 visitors each year, Jagd & Hund is by far the largest event held there. Other important fairs open to consumers include "Intermodelbau", the world's biggest consumer fair for model making, and one of the leading fairs for youth culture "YOU". Important fairs restricted to professionals include "D.I.M" (Deutsche Immobilienmesse, German property fair), Creativa (Hobby) and InterTabac (Tabaco). Westfalenhallen Dortmund logo.svg, Messe-Dortmund-Logo Westfalenhalle-Dortmu 2213.JPG, Main Hall Westfalenhalle-Rosenterassen-0008.JPG, Rosenterassen south entrance Westfalenhalle-Verwaltung-0004.JPG, Headquarter


Federal Agency and public organisations

Dortmund is home of the
Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The Federal Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (German: ''Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin'', BAuA) is a German federal agency within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, with responsibi ...
, the National Material Testing Office of North Rhine-Westphalia material and the main customs office.


Consulates

As a profoundly international city, Dortmund hosts diplomatic missions ( consulates and consulates-general) of Italy, Greece, Bangladesh, Ghana, South Africa, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia.


Courts

Several courts are located in Dortmund, including: * Landgericht Dortmund (Regional Court Dortmund) * Amtsgericht Dortmund (Local Court Dortmund) * Sozialgericht Dortmund (Social Court Dortmund) * Arbeitsgericht Dortmund (Employment Court Dortmund)


Media


Newspapers

Two important daily newspapers are published in and around Dortmund. The conservative ''
Ruhr Nachrichten ''Ruhr Nachrichten'' is a daily newspaper that has been published in Dortmund, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after R ...
'', also known as ''RN'', was founded in 1949. The RN has a circulation of over 225,000 copies daily. The other important newspaper, the '' Westfälische Rundschau'', was first published in 1945 and has a daily circulation of over 181,000. The WR is published by Germany's third largest newspaper and magazine publisher ''
Funke Mediengruppe Funke Mediengruppe (formerly ''WAZ-Mediengruppe'') is Germany's third largest newspaper and magazine publisher with a total of over 500 publications in eight countries. WAZ-Mediengruppe is privately held by the Funke family and is headquartered i ...
''.


Magazines

Several magazines also originate from Dortmund. The Rock '' Rock hard (magazine)'' is a metal and
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
magazine, with subsidiaries in various countries worldwide, including France, Spain, Brazil/ Portugal, Italy and Greece.''Visions'' is a German music magazine with a circulation of approximately 35,000.


Radio and TV

The Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR, West German Broadcasting Cologne has a big studio in Dortmund, which is responsible for the east
Ruhr The Ruhr ( ; german: Ruhrgebiet , also ''Ruhrpott'' ), also referred to as the Ruhr area, sometimes Ruhr district, Ruhr region, or Ruhr valley, is a polycentric urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population density of 2,800/km ...
area. Each day, it produces a 30-minute regional evening news magazine (called ''Lokalzeit Ruhr''), a 5-minute afternoon news programme, and several radio news programmes. A local broadcasting station called Radio 91.2 went "on-the-air" in the early 1990s.
Sat.1 Sat.1 is a German free-to-air television channel that is a part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group. It is considered the first privately owned television network in Germany, having been launched in January 1984 as ''PKS'' ''(Programmgesellschaf ...
have a regional studio in Dortmund. The City stands alongside London and Paris as one of the three head offices of Global Tamil Vision and GTV-Deutschland. Two big Radio Channels of Westdeutscher Rundfunk are sending from Dortmund. *
WDR 2 WDR 2 is a radio station owned and operated by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) public broadcasting organization in Germany. It focuses on contemporary pop and rock music for an adult audience and on information. It is also WDR's broadcast sport ev ...
, featuring adult-oriented popular music, focuses strongly on national and regional news, current affairs, and sport. * WDR 4 (motto: ''Meine Lieblingshits'', "my favourite hits") is a channel aimed chiefly towards an older audience. Its focus is on tuneful music – in particular, oldies and classic hits: popular music of the 1960s to the 1980s or later – with more specialized programming (operetta, country, folk) in the evenings. Around 30–40% of WDR 4's musical output is made up of German-language songs. Other radio broadcasters include Radio NRW and eldoradio*.


Film

The films '' Trains'n'Roses'', ''
Bang Boom Bang ''Bang Boom Bang – A Sure Thing'' (german: Bang Boom Bang – Ein todsicheres Ding) is a German comedy film from 1999. The movie is set in Unna, Westphalia. It was filmed in Unna as well as in Dortmund. Plot The part-time criminal Keek has lo ...
'', ''
Oi! Warning ''Oi! Warning'' is a 2000 German movie about a 17-year-old boy who runs away from home to become an Oi! skinhead. The movie was the directorial debut of twin brothers Benjamin and Dominik Reding. It took them about five years to film, mostly due ...
'', '' Do Fish Do It?'', ''
If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer ''If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer'' (german: Was nicht passt, wird passend gemacht) is a 2002 German comedy film directed by . Plot Kümmel, Kalle and Horst work for the contractor Werner Wiesenkamp, who runs a small construction company ...
'', '' Guys and Balls'', ''
Goldene Zeiten ''Goldene Zeiten'' (''Out of Bounds'') is a German film released in 2006. It is the last film in director trilogy of films set in his hometown Unna, and was preceded by '' Bang Boom Bang'' (1999) and ''If It Don't Fit, Use a Bigger Hammer ''I ...
'', ''
Marija Marija is a feminine given name, a variation of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Depending on phonological rules concerning consecutiv ...
'' and television series '' Tatort'', ''
Balko ''Balko'' is a German prime time television series broadcast on the private TV channel RTL. It is a police detective story with comical twists featuring two inspectors of the Dortmund police, Balko (played by Jochen Horst until episode 48, the ...
'', ''
Helden der Kreisklasse ''Helden der Kreisklasse'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series External links

* 2004 German television series debuts 2006 German television series endings German-language television shows German spo ...
'' and more German movies like ', ''Die Libelle und das Nashorn'', ''Ein Schnitzel für alle'', ' and ''Radio Heimat'' were filmed in the city.


Education

Dortmund has 160 schools and 17 business, technical colleges teach more than 85,000 pupils. The city has a 4-year primary education program. After completing primary school, students continue to the Hauptschule, Realschule, Gesamtschule or Gymnasium (college preparatory school). The Stadtgymnasium Dortmund which was founded in 1543 as Archigymnasium is one of the oldest schools in Europe.Rostra, ''Sonderausgabe vom 27. Oktober 1979'' The Leibniz Gymnasium, a bilingual public school located in the Kreuzviertel district, is particularly popular with children of the English-speaking expatriate community. The school is an International Baccalaureate school. The Goethe-Gymnasium was founded in 1867 as the first school offering higher education to girls in the city. It has been a NRW Sportschule, focused on sports, from 2009.


Higher education

TU Dortmund TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's and ...
(Technical University of Dortmund) is founded in 1968 and located in the southern part of the city. It has about 30,000 students and a wide range of subjects in of physics,
electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
,
chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
, spatial planning and economics. The university has its own train station at the campus's main gate which is only seven minutes away from the city center. The university is highly ranked in terms of its research performance in the areas of physics,
electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
,
chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
and economics. The university's most noticeable landmark is the
H-Bahn The H-Bahn (abbreviation for , German for 'hanging railway') in Dortmund and Düsseldorf (there known as "Sky train") is a driverless passenger suspension railway system. The system was developed by Siemens, who call the project SIPEM (SIemens ...
, a monorail train which connects the north and south campuses.
Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts (german: Fachhochschule Dortmund) is a university of applied sciences (German: ''Fachhochschule'') in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with 14,057 students, and 894 staff, ...
is a
Fachhochschule A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
with 12,300 students, and 669 staff, 232 of which are professors. The Fachhochschule was created by a merger of several institutions of higher learning in 1971. Owing to its history as separate institutions, it consists of three campuses in different parts of Dortmund. The departments of mechanical and electrical engineering are located at Sonnenstraße near the city center. The department of design has its own campus at Max-Ophüls-Platz while the departments of social work, economics, computer science and architecture are housed in several buildings next to the
Technical University of Dortmund TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's an ...
campus in the suburb of Eichlinghofen. Additional offices in the city centre are used for administrative purposes. The city is the site of several other universities, colleges and academies, which attract about 45,000 students. Among them there are: * ''FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management, Standort Dortmund'': Academy for management, founded in 1993. * ''Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung Nordrhein-Westfalen'': Academy for public administration. * ''International School of Management'': Private academy focussing on management and economics, founded in 1990. * ''IT-Center Dortmund'': Private college founded in 2000. * ''International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef – Bonn'': is a private, state-recognised university of business and management TU-Dortmund-Mathetower-Mensa-Emil-Figge-50-2013.jpg,
TU Dortmund TU Dortmund University (german: Technische Universität Dortmund) is a technical university in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with over 35,000 students, and over 6,000 staff including 300 professors, offering around 80 Bachelor's and ...
Fachhochschule Dortmund historische Ansicht.jpg,
Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts (german: Fachhochschule Dortmund) is a university of applied sciences (German: ''Fachhochschule'') in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with 14,057 students, and 894 staff, ...
FH-Design-Dortmu 2190.JPG, Department of at Design Max-Ophüls-Platz Fachbereich Architektur Fachhochschule Dortmund.jpg, Department of Architecture


Research

The city has a high density of internationally renowned research institutions, such as the Fraunhofer Society, the Leibniz Association and the
Max Planck Society The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (german: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. ...
, which are independent of, or only loosely connected to its universities.


Livability and quality of life

In November 2017, according to a study by data of the German National Statistics Office, the National Employment Agency,
Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...
, Handelsblatt, Numbeo and Immowelt, Dortmund was ranked on position seven of the ''most livable cities in Germany for expats''. In September 2017, '' The New York Times'' praised the city of Dortmund, which has been adapting since the collapse of its century-old steel and coal industries and has shifted to high technology biomedical technology, micro systems technology and other services, as the ''hidden star of structural change'' providing a good quality of life for employees. According to ''the 2017 Global Least & Most Stressful Cities Ranking'' Dortmund is one of the least stressful cities in the world. It's ranked 27th out of 150, between Copenhagen and Vancouver, and is highly ranked in the categories traffic & public transport, gender equality and debt per capital. ''Like a Phoenix Rising from the Ashes'' and exemplary for structural transformation – This was the title of an article in the online version on ''
Neue Zürcher Zeitung The ''Neue Zürcher Zeitung'' (''NZZ''; "New Journal of Zürich") is a Swiss, German-language daily newspaper, published by NZZ Mediengruppe in Zürich. The paper was founded in 1780. It was described as having a reputation as a high-quality ne ...
'' of the urban livability and new exceptional architecture in Dortmund. In a 2015/2016 survey centred on ''student life in Germany'', Dortmund ranked as seventh-best. In a 2012 study of the ''most livable biggest cities in Germany'', Dortmund ranked on position ten between Nuremberg and
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
and first of all large cities in Germany due to sport, gastronomy and shopping opportunities. In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a ''Node city'' in the Innovation Cities Index published by 2thinknow and in 2014 acclaimed as the most sustainable city in Germany.


Culture

The city has a long tradition of music and theatre. The orchestra was founded in 1887 and is now called
Dortmunder Philharmoniker The Dortmunder Philharmoniker (Dortmund Philharmonic) are a German symphony orchestra based in Dortmund. The orchestra of the Theater Dortmund performs opera in the Opernhaus Dortmund and concert in the Konzerthaus Dortmund. The orchestra was fou ...
. The first opera house was built in 1904, destroyed in World War II and opened again in 1966 as
Opernhaus Dortmund Opernhaus Dortmund is the opera house of Dortmund, Germany, operated by the Theater Dortmund organisation. A new opera house opened in 1966, replacing an earlier facility which opened in 1904 and was destroyed during World War I. It was built on ...
. It is operated by Theater Dortmund together with other locations, including (since 2002) the Konzerthaus Dortmund. The Konzerthaus Dortmund is listed in the ECHO list as one of the 21 most outstanding concert halls in Europe. The Domicil Jazz Club is one of the "100 best jazz venues world wide" according to the American jazz magazine ''
DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
''. The Dortmund U-Tower, which was once a brewery, is now European centre for creative economy and the Museum am Ostwall. The area around the U-Tower called "Union Viertel" is part of the Creative.Quarters Ruhr and are rooted in the European Capital of Culture
RUHR.2010 Ruhr.2010 – Kulturhauptstadt Europas was the name of the campaign in Germany's Ruhr region that earned it recognition as a European Capital of Culture in 2010. This was the first time a region was considered, as Essen represented all 53 towns ...
. Dortmund leading cabaret-stage is the Cabaret Queue, which is located next to Lake phoenix. Some other famous cabaret-stages are the
Fletch Bizzel Fletch Bizzel is a theatre in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Theatres in North Rhine-Westphalia {{NorthRhineWestphalia-struct-stub ...
and the theatre Olpktetal. The most important cabaret event is the RuhrHOCHdeutsch, which is one of the most successful cabaret festivals in Germany. It features artists from around the world. Dortmund is also famous for its Christmas market, which draws well over three and a half million visitors to its 300 stalls around a gigantic Christmas tree creation that stands 45 metres tall. The market is famous for its handmade ornaments and delicacies.


Recreation

The Botanischer Garten Rombergpark, or informally Rombergpark, is an extensive municipal
arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...
and botanical garden located in the south of the city center of Dortmund. With its total area of 65 hectares the Rombergpark is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world. The garden was established in 1822 as the Romberg family's English landscape park. In 1927–1929 it was acquired by the city and under city planning director Richard Nose enhanced by a small herb garden. The park and castle were badly damaged in World War II, but starting in 1950 director Gerd Krüssmann rebuilt it as an
arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...
, adding some 4,500 species to the park. Today the garden contains a historic English landscape park with monuments; an arboretum containing thousands of species of woody plants, including some of the largest trees in North Rhine-Westphalia; a terrace with palm trees; and four
greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
s (1,000 m2 total area) for cactus and
succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...
s, ferns, tropical plants, and camellias,
jasmine Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultiva ...
, and lemons. The
Dortmund Zoo The Dortmund Zoo is the zoological garden of Dortmund, Germany. It is specialized in the keeping and breeding of South American species and is leading in the breeding of the giant anteater, the tamandua and the giant otter. The zoo is situated i ...
is the zoological garden with 28 hectares next to the Rombergpark and was founded 1953. With 1,800 animals belonging to 250 species, the Dortmund Zoo is the second largest in the Ruhr Valley. It is specialized in the keeping and breeding of South American species and is leading in the breeding of the giant anteater, the tamandua and the giant otter. The Westfalenpark is Dortmunds's most popular inner-city park. The park is 72 hectares in size and is one of the largest urban gardens of Germany. It was first opened in 1959 as the second
Bundesgartenschau The Bundesgartenschau BUGA is a biennial federal horticulture show in Germany. It also covers topics like landscaping. Taking place in different cities, the location changes in a two-year cycle. BUGA cities *1951 – Hannover *1953 – Hamburg ...
(
abbr. An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
BUGA) in North Rhine-Westphalia. With the National Rosarium with 3,000 different rose varieties, theme gardens, an environmental protection centre, the German Cookbook Museum, a geological garden, cafés and recreation areas, it provides numerous opportunities for a day of diverse activities. Dortmund's Westfalenpark is also a popular location for events in the Ruhr area- with parties, festivals, events, theatre, music, and flea and garden markets. One of the best views across the whole Ruhr valley is offered by the visitors platform and the revolving restaurant in the 209-metre-high
Florian tower Florian may refer to: People * Florian (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Florian, Roman emperor in 276 AD * Saint Florian (250 – c. 304 AD), patron saint of Poland and Upper Austria, ...
. Another summer attraction is the chair lift, which opened in 1959 and runs on Sundays between a "Mountain" and "Valley" station 500 metres apart.


Museums

With more than 20 museums, Dortmund has one of the largest variety of museums in the Ruhr Valley. There a some anchor points on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The Museum am Ostwall (known as Museum am Ostwall until 2010) is a museum of
modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...
and contemporary art. It was founded in the late 1940s, and has been located in the Dortmund U-Tower since 2010. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, objects and photographs from the 20th century, plus over 2,500
graphics Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture ...
, spanning
Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
through classic modern art to the present day. At the heart of the collection are works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Otto Mueller,
Emil Nolde Emil Nolde (born Hans Emil Hansen; 7 August 1867 – 13 April 1956) was a German-Danish painter and printmaker. He was one of the first Expressionists, a member of Die Brücke, and was one of the first oil painting and watercolor painters of the ...
and graphics by Pablo Picasso from the 1940s and '50s, plus others by
Joan Miró Joan Miró i Ferrà ( , , ; 20 April 1893 – 25 December 1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor and ceramicist born in Barcelona. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona i ...
,
Marc Chagall Marc Chagall; russian: link=no, Марк Заха́рович Шага́л ; be, Марк Захаравіч Шагал . (born Moishe Shagal; 28 March 1985) was a Russian-French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with se ...
and Salvador Dalí. The German Football Museum (german: Deutsches Fußballmuseum) aka DFB-Museum is the national museum for German football. It is located close to the
Dortmund Hauptbahnhof Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the main railway station in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centr ...
and is part of an art and culture mile between the creative center Dortmund U-Tower and the Theater Dortmund, founded to preserve, conserve and interpret important collections of football memorabilia. In its permanent exhibition, the Museum presents the history of Germany national football team and the Bundesliga. The
Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte The Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte or MKK (''Museum of Art and Cultural History'') is a municipal museum in Dortmund, Germany. It is currently located in an Art Deco building which was formerly the Dortmund Savings Bank. The collectio ...
or MKK (''Museum of Art and Cultural History'') is a municipal museum located in an Art Deco building which was formerly the Dortmund Savings Bank. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, furniture and applied art, illustrating the cultural history of Dortmund from early times to the 20th century. There are regular temporary exhibitions of art and culture, as well as a permanent exhibition on the history of
surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
, with rare geodetic instruments. The
Steinwache The Steinwache is a memorial museum in Dortmund, Germany. The police station Steinwache was established in 1906. Since 1928 a prison next to the station was in use for detention of suspects. In 1933 the Gestapo took over the prison and impris ...
is a memorial museum of the exhibition Widerstand und Verfolgung in Dortmund 1933–1945 ("Resistance and Persecution in Dortmund 1933–1945"), which demonstrates the persecution under National Socialism with many photographs, short texts and sometimes with reports from contemporary witnesses. The museum is located in an old prison and had a reputation as Die Hölle von Westdeutschland ("The hell of western Germany"). Between 1933 and 1945 more than 66,000 people were imprisoned in the Steinwache prison. Other important museums in Dortmund are: * DASA – Arbeitswelt Ausstellung (Germany Occupational Health and Safety Exhibition) * Architecture Archive North Rhine-Westphalia * Borusseum (Museum of Borussia Dortmund) * Zollern II/IV Colliery (Germany's first technical building monument of international importance) * Museum of natural history Dortmund * Brewery museum * HOESCH Museum Not directly located in Dortmund but important for the city history: *
Henrichenburg boat lift The Henrichenburg boat lift facilitates a change in elevation of the Dortmund-Ems-Kanal in Waltrop-Oberwiese. The boat lift is part of the Waltrop Lock Park (Schleusenpark), which includes the old Henrichenburg boat lift built in 1899, a disused ...
(Is a popular destination for cyclists along the canals of the northern Ruhr area.)


Festivals and nightlife

Dortmund offers a variety of restaurants, bars and clubs. Clubs concentrate in and around the city centre (Wallring) and in the Kreuzviertel district. After the Molotov in Hamburg and the Berghain in Berlin, the FZW (Freizeitzentrum West) in the Union district is one of the three best clubs in Germany. With 307 events in 2015, including concerts, parties, festivals, readings and football public viewings have strengthened the FZW's reputation as an "it club" in the Ruhr region. Furthermore, Dortmund is one of the main centres of the Electronic dance music and techno subculture. With the
Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiza ...
and Syndicate festivals, the Westfalenhalle Arena has become one of the most important techno strongholds in Europe. After negotiations with several German cities, it was announced that the Love Parade would move to the Ruhr Area for five years (2007–2012). After
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
in 2007 the festival took 2008 place on the
Bundesstraße 1 The Bundesstraße 1 (abbr. B1) is a German federal highway running in an east-west direction from the Netherlands, Dutch border near Aachen to the Poland, Polish border at Küstrin-Kietz on the Oder River. History The road developed from an anc ...
under the motto ''Highway of Love''. The event was planned as a "Love Weekend", with parties throughout the region. For the first time the Turkish electronic scene was represented by its own float, called "
Turkish Delights Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...
". The official estimate is that 1.6 million visitors attended, making it the largest parade to date. Every year, the Juicy Beats music festival turns the Westfalenpark into a huge festival ground for pop, rap, electro, indie, alternative, reggae and urban beats – most recently with over 50,000 visitors.


Cuisine

Traditional meals in the region are
Pfefferpotthast Pfefferpotthast () is a traditional German stew. It comes from the cuisine of Westphalia. Preparation In a traditional Pfefferpotthast, beef Searing, seared in lard and sautéed Onion, onions are simmered with spices such as Bay leaf, bay leav ...
(A form of Goulash, though containing more beef),
Balkenbrij Balkenbrij (or 'karboet', 'tuet' and 'pannas') is a traditional Dutch food that shares some of the characteristics of American scrapple. Traditionally, its preparation and consumption was an important economizing custom, especially for the rural ...
, Heaven and Earth (Himmel und Äd; black pudding with stewed apples mixed with mashed potatoes),
Currywurst Currywurst () is a fast food dish of German origin consisting of steamed, fried sausage, usually pork (german: Bratwurst), typically cut into bite-sized chunks and seasoned with curry ketchup, a sauce based on spiced ketchup or tomato paste to ...
and
Pumpernickel Pumpernickel (; ) is a typically heavy, slightly sweet rye bread traditionally made with sourdough starter and coarsely ground rye. It is sometimes made with a combination of rye flour and whole rye grains ("rye berries"). At one time it was ...
with Griebenschmalz (German lard with crispy pieces of pork skin). In summer the people like to eat a Dortmunder Salzkuchen (Bread buns with caraway fruits, salt, meat and onions). Also a special meal in the winter is
Reibekuchen Reibekuchen () are German potato pancakes, also known as Kartoffelpuffer (). They are common in many areas of Germany, the name "Reibekuchen" being characteristic to the Rheinland area. Reibekuchen may be served with apple sauce, pumpernickel bre ...
(fried potato pancake served with apple sauce). Dortmund had more than 550 years of brewing tradition, some of the oldest
breweries A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of bee ...
in Westphalia are founded around the Old Market in Dortmund. Dortmund is known for its pale lager beer called
Dortmunder Export Dortmunder Export or Dortmunder is a pale lager originally brewed by Dortmunder Union in Dortmund, Germany, in 1873. It is a soft-textured beer influenced by the Pilsner lager brewed in Pilsen. History After World War II, Export was the most po ...
or Dortmunder, it became popular with industrial workers and was responsible for Dortmunder Union becoming Germany's largest brewery and Dortmund having the highest concentration of breweries in Germany. Popular and traditionally beer brands are
Dortmunder Actien Brauerei Dortmunder Actien Brauerei is a German brewery in the city of Dortmund, founded in 1868 by the businessmen Laurenz Fischer and Heinrich and Friedrich Mauritz together with master brewer Heinrich Herberz. Originally, it was called Herberz & Co ...
, Bergmann Bier,
Kronen Kronen Brauerei, also known as Private Brewery Dortmund Kronen, was one of the oldest brewery, breweries in Westphalia and has its headquarters at the Old Market in Dortmund. The company was able to look back on more than 550 years of brewing ...
, Union, Brinkhoff's, Dortmunder Hansa, Hövels, Ritter, Thier and Stifts. "Stösschen" is a beer in a small glass "Stösschen" 0.2 litres and can be drunk in about two draughts. The idea of a Stößchen came about in the 19th century when people would have to wait at the level crossing to cross the Nordstadt Railway Line that divided the city centre from the Nordstadt district. A local innkeeper saw the potential of serving quick drinks to people waiting, and a Dortmund tradition began. The Dortmunder Tropfen Schnaps is a type of
liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
that is flavored with
herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s or spices and traditionally drunk
neat Neat may refer to: * Neat (bartending), a single, unmixed liquor served in a rocks glass * Neat, an old term for horned oxen * Neat Records, a British record label * Neuroevolution of augmenting topologies (NEAT), a genetic algorithm (GA) for the ...
as a digestif.


Sports

Dortmund calls itself ''Sportstadt'' (City of Sports). The city is the home of the biggest handball association in the world the
German Handball Association '' , abbrev= DHB , logo= Deutscher Handballbund, Logo, RGB.svg , logosize= 250px , countryflag= Germany , iocnation= Federal Republic of Germany (GER) , url= , sport= Handball , othersport1= Beach Handball , othersport2= Wheelchair Handball , h ...
(German: Deutscher Handballbund) (DHB) and the German professional handball league Handball-Bundesliga (HBL). Furthermore, Dortmund is home of the Olympic centre of Westphalia. The city is home of many sports clubs, iconic athletes and annually organises several world-renowned sporting events, such as the Ruhrmarathon and the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting.


Football

Dortmund is home to the sports club Borussia Dortmund, one of the most successful clubs in German
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
history. Borussia Dortmund are former Bundesliga champions most recently in 2011–12. Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup in 1997, as well as the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1966. 'Die Borussen' are eight-time German Champions and have won five
German Cup The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...
s. Borussia Dortmund play at Westfalenstadion, currently known as Signal Iduna Park. It was built for the
1974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the tenth FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in West Germany (and West Berlin) between 13 June and 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the ...
and also hosted some matches of the
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
. It is Germany's largest football stadium with a maximum capacity of 81,359 spectators.


Handball

Borussia Dortmund has a women's handball team playing in the first Bundesliga.


Table tennis

Borussia Dortmund also has a table tennis team, playing in the second Bundesliga.


American football

The
Dortmund Giants The Dortmund Giants are an American football team from Dortmund, Germany. The official name of the club is 1. Dortmunder Footballclub Dortmund 1980 "Giants" e.V.. The club's greatest success has been promotion to the American football Bundeslig ...
, established on 22 May 1980, is an American football team from Dortmund. The official name of the club is 1. Dortmunder Footballclub Dortmund 1980 "Giants" e.V. The club spent the 1994 season in the 2. Bundesliga before dropping for two seasons to the third tier Regionalliga West. Five more 2. Bundesliga seasons followed from 1997 to 2001, the final one in a combined team with the
Bochum Cadets Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous Germany, German federal state o ...
as the Dortmund B1 Giants.Football History
Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 28 September 2015
After a five-season spell in the Regionalliga the club finished the 2014 season without a win and had to return to the Oberliga once more.Oberliga tables & results
football-aktueell.de, accessed: 28 September 2015


Ice hockey

Eisadler Dortmund is the city's ice hockey club that plays in
Eissportzentrum Westfalenhallen Eissportzentrum Westfalenhallen is an indoor sporting arena at the Strobelallee in Dortmund, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of Eisadler Dortmund, and of the figure skating Figure skating is a sport in w ...
an indoor sporting arena at the Strobelallee. They played in 2016/17 in the Oberliga, the third level of ice hockey in Germany.


Basketball

The city's basketball club is SVD 49 Dortmund basketball team plays in its respective second national divisions.


Baseball

The city's baseball club Dortmund Wanderers plays in the first Bundesliga


Other sports

The Sparkassen Chess-Meeting has been hosted in Dortmund since 1982. Besides, Dortmund owns an all-weather racecourse named Galopprennbahn Dortmund.


Twin towns – sister cities

Dortmund is twinned with: * Leeds, United Kingdom (1949) * Amiens, France (1960) *
Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
, Russia (1973) * Buffalo, United States (1979) *
Netanya Netanya (also known as Natanya, he, נְתַנְיָה) is a city in the Northern Central District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa, between Poleg stream and Wingate I ...
, Israel (1980) * Novi Sad, Serbia (1981) * Zwickau, Germany (1989) * Xi'an, China (1991) * Trabzon, Turkey (2014)


Notable people


Born before 1900

* Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus (1772–1823), publisher, founder of the publishing house "F. A. Brockhaus" and editor of '' Brockhaus Encyclopedia'' * William Middendorf (1793–1853), theologian and educator * Emil Anneke (1823–1888), revolutionary and American journalist and lawyer *
Wilhelm Lübke Wilhelm Lübke (17 January 1826 – 5 April 1893) was a German people, German art historian, born in Dortmund. He studied at University of Bonn, Bonn and Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin; was a professor of architecture at the Berlin Bauak ...
(1826–1893), art historian *
Henry C. Berghoff Henry Carl Berghoff (January 6, 1856 – June 28, 1925) was a German-American politician, lawyer, and businessman who cofounded the Herman Berghoff Brewing Company and served as the 19th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana from May 9, 1901 to January ...
(1856–1925), lawyer, businessman, and politician * Adolf Schmal (1872–1919), Austrian sportsman * Wilhelm Canaris (1887–1945), admiral and chief of the military intelligence service *
Richard Drauz Richard Drauz (; 2 April 1894 – 4 December 1946) was a Nazi German politician and ''Kreisleiter'' of Heilbronn, Germany. He was also a member of the '' Reichstag'' from 1933 until the collapse of Nazi Germany after the end of World War II in ...
(1894–1946), executed as a war criminal, headed up the NSDAP in the Heilbronn district *
Friedrich Schubert Friedrich "Fritz" Schubert ( el, Φριτς Σούμπερτ; 21 February 1897, Dortmund – 22 October 1947, Heptapyrgion) was a Greek-speaking German NCO Oberfeldwebel (Sergeant) of the Nazi Wehrmacht. As head of the ''Jagdkommando Schubert'' ...
, (1897–1947), World War II Nazi war criminal; executed


Born 1901–1950

*
Walter Haenisch Walter Haenisch (11 December 1906, Dortmund – 16 June 1938, Butovo) was a Marxist theoretician and the son of German SPD politician Konrad Haenisch. Life Haenisch did his Abitur at the famous Karl-Marx-Schule in Neukölln. He studied En ...
(1905–1938), author, communist, victim of Stalinism * Walter Blume (1906–1974), lawyer and SS officer * Fritz Henle (1909–1993), photographer *
Albrecht Brandi Albrecht Brandi (20 June 1914 – 6 January 1966) was a German U-boat commander in Nazi Germany's ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. Together with Wolfgang Lüth, he was the only ''Kriegsmarine'' sailor who was awarded with the Knight's Cro ...
(1914–1966), naval officer *
Heinz Stahlschmidt Henri Salmide (13 November 1919 – 23 February 2010), named Heinz Stahlschmidt at birth, was a German naval officer who, in August 1944, refused to blow up the port of Bordeaux, France when so ordered by his superiors during World War II. Instea ...
(1919–2010), sergeant and fire fighter *
Dieter Wellershoff Dieter Wellershoff (16 March 1933 – 16 July 2005) was a German admiral and Chief of Federal Armed Forces Staff from 1986 until 1991. External linksBiography on BMVg website {{DEFAULTSORT:Wellershoff, Dieter 1933 births ...
(1933–2005), admiral,
Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
*
Gerhard Cyliax Gerhard Cyliax (23 August 1934 – 17 May 2008) was a German footballer who played as a defender for Borussia Dortmund. Honours Club ;Borussia Dortmund * German football championship: 1963 * DFB-Pokal: 1964–65 * European Cup Winners' Cup ...
(1934–2008), football player * Elga Andersen (1935–1994), actress and singer *
Hans Tilkowski Hans Tilkowski (12 July 1935 – 5 January 2020) was a German footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for West Germany, and was a member of the team that lost the 1966 World Cup final to England. Career Born 1935 in Husen, Dortmund, ...
(1935–2020), football goalkeeper and coach *
Dieter Fenske Dieter Fenske (born 29. September 1942) is a German inorganic chemist. Life Fenske studied chemistry at the University of Münster, received his PhD in 1973 and his Habilitation in 1978. He is Professor for Inorganic chemistry at the Universi ...
(born 1942), inorganic chemist *
Christine Haidegger Christine Haidegger (27 February 1942 – 5 December 2021) was an Austrian poet and writer whose memoir ''Zum Fenster hinaus'' was translated into English as ''Mama Dear''. She was influential in the Salzburg literary scene. Biography Haidegger ...
(1942–2021), Austrian writer *
Annegret Richter Annegret Richter (born 13 October 1950) is a German (former West German) athlete and the 1976 Olympic 100 m champion. Biography Born Annegret Irrgang, she won her first international title at the 1971 European Championships, as a part of ...
(born 1950), sprinter *
Hermann Spieckermann Hermann Spieckermann (born October 28, 1950 in Dortmund) is a German biblical scholar, historian of ancient Near Eastern religion, and Protestant theologian. He currently holds a chair for Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible, in the Faculty of Theolog ...
(born 1950), Protestant theologian


Born after 1950

* Klaus Niedzwiedz (born 1951), racing driver and television presenter *
Beate West-Leuer Beate West-Leuer (born 1951) is a German professor, psychotherapist, consultant and coach. Life West-Leuer was born in Dortmund, Germany. She studied English and American Studies as well as history at the University of Mainz from 1971 to 1976. ...
(born 1951), professor, psychotherapist, consultant and coach *
Eve Stratford Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac language, Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories de ...
(born 1953), Playboy Club Bunny and victim of unsolved murder in London in 1975 *
Ulla Burchardt Ursula "Ulla" Burchardt (born 22 April 1954 in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German politician and member of the SPD. Political career Burchardt was first elected to the German Bundestag in the 1994 elections. Throughout her time in par ...
(born 1954), politician (SPD) *
Klaus Segbers Klaus Segbers (born 1954 in Dortmund, Germany) is a German political scientist and professor for International Relations and East European Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. He is also the founder and director of the Center for Global Politi ...
(born 1954), political scientist and professor * Antony Theodore (born 1954), poet, educator and social worker *
Susanne Kippenberger Susanne Kippenberger (born 29 August 1957 in Dortmund) is a German journalist and author. She grew up in Essen and studied German, English and American studies in Tübingen. She is a former Fulbright scholar. Having worked at various German news o ...
(born 1957), journalist and writer *
Achim Peters Achim Peters (born 1957 in Dortmund) is a German internist and brain researcher. He developed the Selfish Brain Theory. He has been a professor at the University of Lübeck since 2000 and heads the German Research Foundation (DFG)-funded Clinic ...
(born 1957), obesity specialist *
Barbara Havliza Barbara Havliza (born 13 March 1958 in Dortmund):de:Gabriele Andretta, Gabriele Andretta (Hrsg.), Referat für Presse, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Protokoll: ''Landtag Niedersachsen. :de:Handbuch des Niedersächsischen Landtages, Handbuch des Nieders ...
(born 1958), politician (CDU) and judge *
Dietmar Bär Dietmar Bär (born 5 February 1961, in Dortmund) is a German actor. Since 1997 he has starred as ''Freddy Schenk'' in the popular television crime series ''Tatort'' and in ''Ärzte'' (a TV Series in 1994). He has been in several films, including ' ...
(born 1961), actor *
Stefan Heinig Jost-Stefan Heinig (born 1962Tageszeitung Die WeltJetzt spricht der geheimnisvolle Kik-Gründer Interview with Stefan Heinig (14 September 2007) in Dortmund) is CEO of the major German company KiK Textilien und Non-Food GmbH from Bönen. KiK came ...
(born 1962), director and shareholder *
Martin Zawieja Martin Zawieja (born 31 January 1963) is a retired West German weightlifter who was active between 1985 and 1992. He competed at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics in the super heavyweight category and finished in third and ninth place, respectivel ...
(born 1963), weightlifter *
Ralf Husmann Ralf Husmann (born 24 September 1964 in Dortmund) is a German TV producer, screenwriter and author. He is the creator of '' Stromberg'', the German adaption of ''The Office''. Life and work In the 1980s Ralf Husmann had a cabaret-Duo named ''Bu ...
(born 1964), writer, producer and author *
Vincent Mennie Vincent "Vince" Mennie (born 19 May 1964) is a Scottish–German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for 1. FC Köln. He was the first Scot to play in the Bundesliga. He also played for Dundee, Falkirk, Forfar Athletic ...
(born 1964), Scottish footballer *
Matthias Kohring Matthias Kohring (born 1965) is a German professor for Media and Communication studies at the University of Mannheim focusing on the area of Journalism Theory, Science journalism, Public Media, and Trust in Media. Life and career After gradu ...
(born 1965), media and communications scientist * Marco Werner (born 1966), racing driver * André Erkau (born 1968), director and screenwriter *
Florian Schwarthoff Florian Schwarthoff (born May 7, 1968 in Dortmund) is a former German hurdler best known for winning a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Schwarthoff had his best season in 1995 when set a new German record of 13.05 sec. in Bremen. He was ...
(born 1968), hurdler, bronze medallist in 110m hurdles at the 1996 Olympic Games * Yasemin Şamdereli (born 1973), film director and screenwriter *
Kevin Grosskreutz Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...
(born 1988), football player *
Marco Reus Marco Reus (; born 31 May 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or forward. He captains Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and plays for the Germany national team. Reus spent his youth career at Borussia ...
(born 1989), football player


References


Bibliography


External links

* * * {{Authority control Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia Free imperial cities Oil campaign of World War II Members of the Hanseatic League 882 establishments 9th-century establishments in Germany