History of Dortmund in Timeline
Dortmund is a major city in Germany, the largest in both the Ruhr area and Westphalia. Located in North Rhine-Westphalia, it's the region's third-largest city. It's a significant administrative, commercial, and cultural hub for the eastern Ruhr region and forms part of the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region, a major economic area in the EU. Dortmund's position as the second-largest city within the Low German dialect area further underscores its cultural relevance.
1900: Opening of the Old Synagogue
In 1900, the Old Synagogue opened with a capacity of 1,300 seats.
1904: Population Exceeds 100,000
1904 marks the year when Dortmund saw a population of more than 100,000 for the first time in its history.
1904: First Opera House Built
In 1904, the first opera house was built in Dortmund.
1905: Annexation of Municipalities Begins
From 1905, independent municipalities were gradually annexed to Dortmund.
1905: Population Growth in Dortmund
In 1905, the population of Dortmund rose to 379,950 as the town expanded into a city.
1908: Majority of Kreuzviertel Buildings Constructed
By 1908, the majority of buildings in Kreuzviertel were constructed.
1920: Resistance to the Kapp Putsch
In 1920, Dortmund was one of the centres for resistance to the Kapp Putsch, a right-wing military coup.
January 1923: French and Belgian Occupation of the Ruhr
On 11 January 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr in response to Germany's failure to comply with the Treaty of Versailles.
August 1925: End of Ruhr Occupation
In August 1925, the occupation of the Ruhr by French and Belgian troops ended.
1927: Rombergpark Acquired by the City
In 1927, the city acquired the park.
1928: Hörde Annexed
In 1928, the borough of Hörde, located in the south of Dortmund, was annexed.
1929: Hörde Became Part of Dortmund
In 1929, Hörde, originally a separate town, became part of Dortmund.
1929: Rombergpark Acquired by the City
In 1929, the city acquired the park.
1933: Nazi Party Installed Mayors
During the Nazi era, starting 1933, mayors were installed by the Nazi Party.
1933: Start of Imprisonment in the Steinwache Prison
In 1933, the Steinwache prison began imprisoning people under National Socialism; it would imprison over 66,000 people by 1945.
1938: Destruction of the Old Synagogue
In 1938, the Old Synagogue was destroyed under Nazi Germany.
1941: Transfer of Children to "Children's Specialist Department"
In 1941, an additional 229 children were murdered in the "Children's Specialist Department", which was transferred from Marburg.
September 1943: Mass Execution of Polish POWs
In September 1943, the local Gestapo carried out a mass execution of 17 Polish POWs who had escaped.
March 1945: Devastating Bombing Raids
On 12 March 1945, devastating bombing raids destroyed 98% of buildings in the inner city center, with 4,851 tonnes of bombs dropped.
April 1945: Allied Ground Advance into Dortmund
In April 1945, the Allied ground advance reached Dortmund, with the US 95th Infantry Division attacking the city.
1945: Post-War Reorganization
After World War II in 1945, the military government installed a new mayor and a municipal constitution.
1945: End of Imprisonment in the Steinwache Prison
By 1945, the Steinwache prison had imprisoned over 66,000 people between 1933 and 1945.
1945: Westfälische Rundschau First Published
In 1945, the Westfälische Rundschau was first published.
1946: Dortmund Part of North Rhine-Westphalia
In 1946, Dortmund became part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
1948: Most Kreuzviertel Housing Constructed
Over 80% of all housing in Kreuzviertel was constructed before 1948.
1949: Ruhr Nachrichten Founded
In 1949, the Ruhr Nachrichten, a conservative daily newspaper, was founded.
1950: Rombergpark Rebuilt as Arboretum
Starting in 1950, Rombergpark director Gerd Krüssmann rebuilt it as an arboretum.
1959: Westfalenpark First Opened
In 1959, the Westfalenpark was first opened as the second Bundesgartenschau in North Rhine-Westphalia.
1966: Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
In 1966, Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
1966: Opernhaus Dortmund Reopened
In 1966, the Opernhaus Dortmund reopened after being destroyed in World War II.
1968: TU Dortmund Founded
In 1968, TU Dortmund (Technical University of Dortmund) was founded.
1969: Founding of the LWL-Industriemuseum
In 1969, the LWL-Industriemuseum was founded.
1971: Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts Merger
In 1971, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts was created by a merger of several institutions of higher learning.
1974: Westfalenstadion Built for FIFA World Cup
In 1974, Westfalenstadion was built for the FIFA World Cup.
1975: Division into Administrative Districts
Since 1975, Dortmund is divided into twelve administrative districts.
May 1980: Establishment of the Dortmund Giants
On May 22, 1980, the Dortmund Giants American football team was established.
1982: First Sparkassen Chess-Meeting hosted in Dortmund
Since 1982, the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting has been hosted in Dortmund.
1987: Closure of the Minister Stein Pit
In 1987, the Minister Stein pit closed, marking the end of coal mining after more than 150 years.
1994: Dortmund Giants in 2. Bundesliga
In 1994, the Dortmund Giants played in the 2. Bundesliga.
1997: Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup
In 1997, Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup.
1997: Dortmund Giants in 2. Bundesliga again
In 1997, the Dortmund Giants played in the 2. Bundesliga again until 2001.
1999: SPD Loses Plurality in City Council
From 1999, the SPD lost the plurality in the city council.
2000: Big Tipi Brought from Expo
In 2000, the 35 meters high Big Tipi was brought in from the Expo 2000 in Hanover.
2001: Final 2. Bundesliga Season for Dortmund Giants
2001 was the final 2. Bundesliga season for the Dortmund Giants, playing in a combined team as the Dortmund B1 Giants.
2001: Beginning of New Era in Hörde
In 2001, a new era began for the district Hörde with the beginning of the Phoenix See project after 160 years of industrial history.
2002: Konzerthaus Dortmund Included
In 2002, the Konzerthaus Dortmund was included in the Theater Dortmund.
2004: SPD Regains Plurality in City Council
To 2004, the SPD regained the plurality in the city council.
2005: Laying of Phoenix Area Cornerstone
In 2005, the first cornerstone was laid on the Phoenix area.
2006: Westfalenstadion hosted matches of the FIFA World Cup
In 2006, Westfalenstadion hosted some matches of the FIFA World Cup.
August 8, 2007: Dortmund AGFS Admission
On August 8, 2007, Dortmund was admitted to the German "Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly Cities and Municipalities in NRW" (AGFS).
2007: Love Parade Moves to Ruhr Area
In 2007, it was announced that the Love Parade would move to the Ruhr Area for five years.
April 2008: East-West Underground Light Rail Line Opened
In April 2008, Dortmund's newly constructed east-west underground light rail line was opened, completing the underground service in the city centre.
2008: Love Parade held on Bundesstraße 1
In 2008, the Love Parade took place on the Bundesstraße 1 under the motto "Highway of Love", with an estimated 1.6 million visitors.
2009: Goethe-Gymnasium Focused on Sports
From 2009, the Goethe-Gymnasium became a NRW Sportschule, focused on sports.
2009: Dortmund Classified as Node City
In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a Node city in the Innovation Cities Index.
October 2010: Launch of Phoenix See Flooding
On 1 October 2010, the flooding of the Phoenix See was launched.
2010: Museum am Ostwall located in the Dortmund U-Tower
In 2010, the Museum am Ostwall, a museum of modern and contemporary art, was located in the Dortmund U-Tower.
2010: RUHR.2010
In 2010, the area around the U-Tower was rooted in the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010.
2010: Dortmunder U Opened
In 2010, the art and creative centre Dortmunder U opened, acting as a beacon for the Union District.
May 2011: Completion of the Phoenix See
Since 9 May 2011, the fences disappeared and the Phoenix See has been completed.
2011: Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga Champions
In 2011, Borussia Dortmund were Bundesliga champions.
2011: Correction of Population Figures
In 2011, data of the EU-wide census revealed inaccuracies, resulting in a statistical loss of 9,000 inhabitants in Dortmund.
2011: Population Decline
In 2011, the population fell to just under 580,000 as a result of post-industrial decline.
2012: End of Love Parade in Ruhr Area
2012 marked the end of the Love Parade being held in the Ruhr area, after a five-year run that started in 2007.
2012: Dortmund Population Statistics
In 2012, Dortmund had a population of 571,403.
2012: Dortmund Ranked Among Most Livable Cities
In a 2012 study, Dortmund ranked tenth among the most livable biggest cities in Germany.
November 2013: Evacuation and Defusal of WWII Bomb
In November 2013, more than 20,000 people were evacuated after a 4,000-pound bomb from World War II was found and safely defused.
2013: Westenhellweg Most Frequented Shopping Street
In 2013, the Westenhellweg was Germany's most frequented shopping street, with nearly 13,000 visitors per hour.
December 2014: Immigrant Population Statistics
As of 31 December 2014, a table shows the number of first and second generation immigrants in Dortmund by nationality.
2014: Dortmund Acclaimed as Most Sustainable City
In 2014, Dortmund was acclaimed as the most sustainable city in Germany.
2014: Dortmund Giants returned to Oberliga
In 2014, the Dortmund Giants finished the season without a win and had to return to the Oberliga.
August 2015: Sony Music Acquired Century Media Records
In August 2015, Century Media Records, headquartered in Dortmund, was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million.
2015: Dortmund Ranked Seventh-Best for Student Life
In a 2015/2016 survey, Dortmund ranked as seventh-best for student life in Germany.
2016: Eisadler Dortmund played in the Oberliga
In 2016, Eisadler Dortmund played in the Oberliga, the third level of ice hockey in Germany.
2016: Population Above 600,000 Again
In 2016, it was announced that the population was back above 600,000.
2016: Dortmund Ranked Seventh-Best for Student Life
In a 2015/2016 survey, Dortmund ranked as seventh-best for student life in Germany.
September 2017: Dortmund Praised by The New York Times
In September 2017, The New York Times praised Dortmund as the hidden star of structural change.
November 2017: Dortmund Ranked Among Most Livable Cities
In November 2017, Dortmund was ranked among the most livable cities in Germany for expats.
2017: Dortmund Overnight Stays Record
In 2017, Dortmund had more than 1,450,528 overnight stays, making it one of the most popular destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia.
2017: City Population
In 2017, the City of Dortmund's population was 601.402.
June 2019: Dortmund Hosts Kirchentag
In June 2019 Dortmund hosted the 37th Evangelischer Kirchentag – German Evangelical Church Assembly.
2019: Dortmund Airport Passenger Count
In 2019, Dortmund Airport served 2,719,563 passengers, mainly for low-cost and leisure charter flights.
September 2020: City Council Election
On 13 September 2020, the most recent city council election was held.
2020: Election of Thomas Westphal as Mayor
In 2020, Thomas Westphal of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was elected as the current mayor of Dortmund.
2020: Emscher River Renaturation Target Date
The Emschergenossenschaft aimed to finish the main work of the Emscher River renaturation project by 2020.
2022: Christian Denominations in Dortmund
As of 2022, the largest Christian denominations were Protestantism (23,7%) and Catholicism (22,6% of the population).
