History of Dortmund in Timeline

Dortmund is a major city in Germany, ranking as the third-largest in North Rhine-Westphalia and ninth-largest nationally. With over 614,000 residents, it stands as the most populous city within both the Ruhr area and the Westphalia region. Situated at the confluence of the Emscher and Ruhr rivers, Dortmund is a key administrative, commercial, and cultural hub for the eastern Ruhr. Furthermore, it holds the distinction of being the second-largest city within the Low German dialect area, following Hamburg.

1904: First opera house built

In 1904, the first opera house was built in Dortmund.

1905: Annexation

From 1905 onward, Dortmund began annexing surrounding municipalities, integrating them into the growing city.

January 1923: French and Belgian Troops Occupied the Ruhr

On January 11, 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region in response to Germany's failure to meet the reparations demands outlined in the Treaty of Versailles. This occupation aimed to enforce compliance with the treaty's terms.

August 1925: End of Ruhr Occupation

In August 1925, the occupation of the Ruhr region by French and Belgian troops came to an end. The occupation had begun in January 1923 due to Germany's failure to comply with the Treaty of Versailles' reparations demands.

1927: City acquires Rombergpark

Between 1927-1929, the city acquired Rombergpark.

1929: City acquires Rombergpark

Between 1927-1929, the city acquired Rombergpark.

1929: Hörde becomes part of Dortmund

In 1929, Hörde, originally a separate town, became part of Dortmund.

1933: Start of Persecution in Steinwache Prison

In 1933, the Steinwache prison began to be used for the persecution under National Socialism, with more than 66,000 people imprisoned there between 1933 and 1945.

1945: End of Persecution in Steinwache Prison

In 1945, the Steinwache prison saw the end of the persecution under National Socialism, after more than 66,000 people had been imprisoned there between 1933 and 1945.

1945: First Publication of Westfälische Rundschau

In 1945, the Westfälische Rundschau was first published.

1949: Foundation of Ruhr Nachrichten (RN)

In 1949, the conservative Ruhr Nachrichten, also known as RN, was founded.

1950: Rebuilding of Rombergpark as an arboretum

Starting in 1950, director Gerd Krüssmann rebuilt Rombergpark as an arboretum, adding some 4,500 species to the park.

1953: Foundation of Dortmund Zoo

In 1953 the Dortmund Zoo was founded next to the Rombergpark.

1959: Westfalenpark Opens

In 1959, the Westfalenpark first opened as the second Bundesgartenschau (BUGA) in North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, in 1959 the chair lift opened, which runs on Sundays between a "Mountain" and "Valley" station 500 metres apart.

1966: Borussia Dortmund Wins UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

In 1966, Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

1966: Opernhaus Dortmund opens again

In 1966, the Opernhaus Dortmund opened again after being destroyed in World War II.

1968: Foundation of TU Dortmund

In 1968, TU Dortmund (Technical University of Dortmund) was founded.

1971: Creation of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts

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, the Westfalenstadion was built for the FIFA World Cup.

1975: Annexation

By 1975, Dortmund continued annexing surrounding municipalities, a process that led to a strong sense of identity within the boroughs.

1975: Division into administrative districts

Since 1975, Dortmund has been divided into twelve administrative districts, each with its own elected district council.

1982: Sparkassen Chess-Meeting Hosted

Since 1982, the Sparkassen Chess-Meeting has been hosted in Dortmund.

1994: Dortmund Giants in 2. Bundesliga

In 1994, the Dortmund Giants spent the season in the 2. Bundesliga before dropping for two seasons to the third tier Regionalliga West.

1997: Borussia Dortmund Wins UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup

In 1997, Borussia Dortmund won the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup.

1997: Dortmund Giants Return to 2. Bundesliga

In 1997, the Dortmund Giants returned to the 2. Bundesliga for five more seasons.

2000: Expo 2000 Big Tipi

In 2000, the 35 meters high Big Tipi was brought in from the Expo 2000 in Hanover to attract families to settle in the area.

2001: Dortmund Giants as Dortmund B1 Giants

In 2001, the Dortmund Giants played their final season in the 2. Bundesliga as part of a combined team with the Bochum Cadets, known as the Dortmund B1 Giants.

2002: Konzerthaus Dortmund operated by Theater Dortmund

Since 2002, the Konzerthaus Dortmund has been operated by Theater Dortmund.

2006: Westfalenstadion Hosts FIFA World Cup Matches

In 2006, Westfalenstadion hosted some matches of the FIFA World Cup.

August 8, 2007: Admission to AGFS

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, after negotiations with several German cities, it was announced that the Love Parade would move to the Ruhr Area for five years (2007–2012); Essen hosted the parade in 2007.

April 2008: Opening of east-west underground light rail line

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.

2008: Love Parade "Highway of Love"

In 2008, the Love Parade took place on the Bundesstraße 1 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". The official estimate is that 1.6 million visitors attended, making it the largest parade to date.

2009: Goethe-Gymnasium becomes a NRW Sportschule

From 2009, the Goethe-Gymnasium has been a NRW Sportschule, focused on sports.

2009: Dortmund classified as a Node city

In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a Node city in the Innovation Cities Index published by 2thinknow.

October 2010: Launch of the flooding of the Phoenix See

On October 1, 2010, the highly anticipated flooding of the Phoenix See commenced, marking a significant milestone in the area's development.

2010: Museum am Ostwall Relocates

In 2010, the Museum am Ostwall, a museum of modern and contemporary art, relocated to the Dortmund U-Tower.

2010: Union Viertel is part of RUHR.2010

In 2010, 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.

2010: Opening of Dortmunder U

In 2010, the art and creative centre Dortmunder U opened, becoming a widely visible beacon and contributing to the development of an inspiring young artist scene.

May 2011: Completion of the Phoenix See

Since May 9, 2011, the Phoenix See has been completed, and the fences disappeared.

2011: Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga Champions

In 2011, Borussia Dortmund were Bundesliga champions.

2012: Ranking of Dortmund as livable city

In 2012, Dortmund ranked on position ten in a study of the most livable biggest cities in Germany.

2012: End of Love Parade in Ruhr Area

In 2012, the five-year period for which the Love Parade was scheduled to be held in the Ruhr Area concluded.

November 2013: Evacuation and Bomb Defusal

In November 2013, more than 20,000 people in Dortmund were evacuated after a 4,000-pound bomb from World War II was discovered. German authorities successfully defused the bomb, which was found during a search for unexploded ordnance in the Ruhr region.

2013: Westenhellweg Visitor Count

In 2013, the Westenhellweg was Germany's most frequented shopping street with nearly 13,000 visitors per hour.

2014: Dortmund acclaimed as the most sustainable city in Germany

In 2014, Dortmund was acclaimed as the most sustainable city in Germany.

2014: Dortmund Giants Return to Oberliga

In 2014, the Dortmund Giants finished the season without a win and had to return to the Oberliga once more.

August 2015: Sony Music acquires Century Media

In August 2015, Century Media Records was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million.

2015: Dortmund ranked as seventh-best city for student life

In a 2015 survey centered on student life in Germany, Dortmund ranked as seventh-best.

2016: Eisadler Dortmund Plays in Oberliga

In 2016, Eisadler Dortmund played in the Oberliga, the third level of ice hockey in Germany.

2016: Dortmund ranked as seventh-best city for student life

In a 2016 survey centered on student life in Germany, Dortmund ranked as seventh-best.

September 2017: Praise from The New York Times

In September 2017, The New York Times praised the city of Dortmund as the hidden star of structural change.

November 2017: Ranking of Dortmund as livable city for expats

In November 2017, Dortmund was ranked on position seven of the most livable cities in Germany for expats, according to a study by data of the German National Statistics Office, the National Employment Agency, Mercer, Handelsblatt, Numbeo, and Immowelt.

2017: Overnight Stays

In 2017, Dortmund had more than 1.450.528 overnight stays, making it one of the most popular destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia.

June 2019: Evangelischer Kirchentag

In June 2019, Dortmund hosted the 37th Evangelischer Kirchentag, which is the German Evangelical Church Assembly.

2019: Airport Passengers

In 2019, Dortmund Airport served 2,719,563 passengers, mainly used for low-cost and leisure charter flights.

September 2020: City Council Election

The most recent city council election in Dortmund was held on September 13, 2020, which determined the composition of the Dortmunder Stadtrat.

2020: Emscher River Renaturation

By 2020, the aim is to finish the main work of the renaturation of the Emscher River, managed by the public water board Emschergenossenschaft, with a financial frame of 4.5 billion Euro.

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.

2022: Religious Denominations in Dortmund

As of 2022, the largest Christian denominations in Dortmund were Protestantism, accounting for 23.7% of the population, and Catholicism, representing 22.6%.