History of Dortmund in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 12, 2026

Dortmund is a major city in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region, historically renowned as a powerhouse of the coal and steel industries. Once part of the industrial heartland of the Ruhr area, the city has successfully transitioned into a modern hub for technology, science, and logistics. It is perhaps best globally recognized for its vibrant sports culture, serving as the home of the world-famous football club Borussia Dortmund, which plays at the iconic Signal Iduna Park. The city boasts a rich cultural landscape, featuring landmarks like the Dortmund U-Tower, which serves as a center for contemporary arts. With its blend of industrial heritage, expansive green spaces, and a strong emphasis on education and innovation, Dortmund stands as a significant urban center that bridges Germany's historical industrial roots with a forward-looking, service-oriented economy.

1900: Opening of the Old Synagogue

In 1900, the Old Synagogue in Dortmund officially opened its doors, serving as one of the largest Jewish houses of worship in Germany with a capacity of 1,300 seats.

1904: Dortmund population milestone

In 1904, the city of Dortmund officially reached a population exceeding 100,000 people for the first time in its history due to industrial growth.

1905: Dortmund Population Surge

By 1905, the city of Dortmund experienced massive growth during the industrial era, reaching a population of 379,950 residents as urban expansion transformed the area.

1905: Beginning of Borough Annexation

In 1905, the city of Dortmund began a long-lasting administrative process of annexing various independent municipalities to consolidate the urban area.

1920: Ruhr Uprising and Kapp Putsch Resistance

In 1920, Dortmund served as a hub for resisting the Kapp Putsch, where radical workers organized the 50,000-strong Ruhr Red Army to challenge the government, ultimately facing a violent defeat by state forces.

January 1923: Occupation of the Ruhr

On 11 January 1923, French and Belgian military forces occupied the Ruhr region following Germany's failure to meet reparation requirements mandated by the Treaty of Versailles.

August 1925: End of the Ruhr Occupation

The occupation of the Ruhr by French and Belgian troops, which had been ongoing since 1923, officially concluded in August 1925.

1928: Hörde Annexation

The borough of Hörde, which maintains a unique identity and its own coat of arms, was officially annexed into Dortmund in 1928 after previously serving as an independent municipality.

1933: Installation of Nazi Mayors

Beginning in 1933, the Nazi Party assumed control over local governance in Dortmund, installing their own appointed mayors throughout the duration of the Nazi era.

1938: Destruction of the Old Synagogue

In 1938, during the era of Nazi Germany, the Old Synagogue in Dortmund was destroyed.

1941: Transfer of the Children's Specialist Department

In 1941, the "Children's Specialist Department" was transferred from Marburg to the Aplerbeck Hospital in Dortmund, where 229 children were subsequently murdered.

September 1943: Mass execution of Polish POWs by the Gestapo

In September 1943, local Gestapo forces carried out a mass execution of 17 Polish prisoners of war in Dortmund. These individuals had previously escaped from the Oflag VI-B POW camp but were apprehended shortly thereafter.

March 1945: Record-Breaking Bombing of Dortmund

On 12 March 1945, Dortmund suffered the most intense aerial bombardment directed at a single target during World War II, involving 1,108 aircraft that dropped 4,851 tonnes of bombs and destroyed 98% of the inner city's buildings.

March 1945: Devastating Bombing Raids on Dortmund

On March 12, 1945, Dortmund suffered the largest single-city bombing raid of World War II, involving over 1,110 aircraft. This massive aerial assault resulted in the destruction of 98% of the buildings located in the city's inner district.

April 1945: Allied Capture of Dortmund

During the month of April 1945, the Allied forces advanced into Germany and reached Dortmund. The U.S. 95th Infantry Division launched an assault against entrenched German defenses on April 12, 1945, and successfully completed the capture of the city by April 13, 1945, following intense urban combat supported by air operations.

1945: End of Nazi Era and British Occupation

Following the conclusion of World War II in 1945, the British occupation zone military government took control of Dortmund and established a new municipal constitution based on British city models.

1946: Dortmund joins North Rhine-Westphalia

In 1946, following the post-war partition of Germany, Dortmund was incorporated into the newly established state of North Rhine-Westphalia while situated in the British zone of occupation.

1965: Peak population of the 20th century

Excluding the fluctuations caused by the war years, Dortmund experienced consistent growth throughout the post-war period, reaching a population of 657,804 in 1965.

1969: Founding of the LWL-Industriemuseum

The LWL-Industriemuseum was officially established in 1969, marking a significant step in the preservation of the city's industrial heritage.

1975: Administrative Restructuring of Dortmund

In 1975, the city of Dortmund underwent a significant administrative reorganization, resulting in its current division into twelve distinct administrative districts, each governed by its own council and mayor.

1975: Conclusion of Borough Annexation

The gradual process of annexing independent municipalities into the city of Dortmund, which had been ongoing for decades, was finalized in 1975.

1987: Closure of the Minister Stein coal mine

The year 1987 saw the closure of the Minister Stein pit, which brought an end to over 150 years of coal mining history in Dortmund and signaled a shift toward high-technology industries.

1999: SPD Loses Plurality

In 1999, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) lost its long-held plurality in the Dortmund city council for the first time since the end of the war.

2004: SPD Regains Plurality

By 2004, the SPD successfully reclaimed its status as the holder of a plurality in the city council, ending the period of non-SPD dominance that began in 1999.

2005: Phoenix-See Development Begins

In 2005, a new chapter for Dortmund's Hörde district commenced as work began on the artificial lake project known as Phoenix-See, following 160 years of industrial use.

2009: Innovation Cities Index Classification

In 2009, Dortmund was officially recognized as a Node city in the Innovation Cities Index, a list compiled by 2thinknow.

October 2010: Flooding of Phoenix See

On 1 October 2010, the city celebrated the significant milestone of beginning the flooding process for the Phoenix-See, an artificial lake constructed on a former industrial site in the Hörde district.

May 2011: Completion of Phoenix See

Starting 9 May 2011, the construction fences were removed, marking the formal completion of the Phoenix-See development project.

2011: Population decline following post-industrial shift

As a consequence of the city's transition away from its industrial roots, the population of Dortmund decreased to just under 580,000 residents in 2011.

2011: 2011 EU-wide Census Statistical Discrepancy

In 2011, the results of an EU-wide census highlighted a significant disparity between existing population statistics and the new census data, leading to a recorded statistical decrease of 9,000 residents in Dortmund.

2012: Dortmund Population Census

In 2012, the city of Dortmund reached a total population of 571,403 residents, with approximately 177,000 of those individuals being of non-German origin.

November 2013: World War II Bomb Disposal in Dortmund

On 3 November 2013, over 20,000 Dortmund residents were evacuated from their homes following the discovery of a 4,000-pound unexploded World War II bomb. German authorities successfully defused the device, which had been identified through the analysis of historical aerial photographs depicting Allied aerial operations during the war.

December 2014: Dortmund Immigration Demographic Record

As of 31 December 2014, records were established detailing the number of first and second generation immigrants living in Dortmund, categorized by their specific nationalities.

2014: Sustainability Ranking

During a 2014 assessment, Dortmund was distinguished as the most sustainable city within Germany.

2016: Dortmund Population Recovery

During 2016, official reports confirmed that the population of Dortmund had successfully rebounded to surpass the 600,000 inhabitant milestone.

June 2019: 37th Evangelischer Kirchentag

In June 2019, the city of Dortmund served as the host location for the 37th Evangelischer Kirchentag, which is the German Evangelical Church Assembly.

2022: Religious Demographics in Dortmund

As of 2022, data indicated that the primary religious affiliations in Dortmund were Protestantism, representing 23.7% of the population, and Catholicism, representing 22.6% of the population. The city also hosts various Orthodox congregations and serves as a major center for the New Apostolic Church in North Rhine-Westphalia.

2024: 2024 Demographic Status of Dortmund

As of 2024, Dortmund reached a population of 603,462, solidifying its position as the largest city in the Ruhr region and the ninth largest city in Germany.

September 2025: Dortmund Mayoral Election

In September 2025, Dortmund held its most recent mayoral election, which took place on 14 September 2025, followed by a necessary runoff election on 28 September 2025.