History of Dortmund in Timeline

Dortmund is a major city in Germany, ranking third in North Rhine-Westphalia and ninth nationwide. With over 614,000 residents, it's the largest city in both the Ruhr area and Westphalia. Situated in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region, a significant economic hub in the EU, Dortmund serves as the administrative, commercial, and cultural center of the eastern Ruhr. It is also the second-largest city in the Low German dialect area.

1900: Opening of the Old Synagogue

In 1900, the Old Synagogue opened in Dortmund. It was one of the largest Jewish houses of worship in Germany, with a capacity of 1,300 seats.

1904: Dortmund 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 in Dortmund was built. It was later destroyed in World War II and reopened in 1966.

1905: Annexation of Municipalities

From 1905, originally independent municipalities were gradually annexed into Dortmund.

1905: Population Growth

In 1905, Dortmund's population significantly increased to 379,950 as the town expanded into a city during the industrialization of Prussia.

1908: Building Construction

In the Kreuzviertel area, the majority of buildings were constructed before 1908.

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. Radical workers formed the 50,000-man Ruhr Red Army in the Ruhr uprising, but were defeated by government and Freikorps units.

January 1923: French and Belgian Occupation of the Ruhr

On 11 January 1923, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region, including Dortmund, due to Germany's failure to meet the reparations demanded by the Treaty of Versailles.

August 1925: End of Ruhr Occupation

In August 1925, the occupation of the Ruhr region by French and Belgian troops, which had started in January 1923, came to an end.

1927: Acquisition of the Rombergpark by the city of Dortmund

In 1927, the city acquired the Rombergpark and began enhancing it with a small herb garden in 1927-1929 under city planning director Richard Nose.

1928: Hörde Annexation

The borough of Hörde, located in the south of Dortmund and independent until 1928, was annexed.

1929: Hörde becomes part of Dortmund

In 1929, Hörde, which was originally a separate town, became a borough in the south of the city of Dortmund.

1929: Acquisition of the Rombergpark by the city of Dortmund

In 1929, the city acquired the Rombergpark and began enhancing it with a small herb garden in 1927-1929 under city planning director Richard Nose.

1933: Nazi Era Mayors

During the Nazi era starting in 1933, mayors of Dortmund were installed by the Nazi Party.

1933: Start of Persecution

In 1933, the Steinwache prison began imprisoning more than 66,000 people between 1933 and 1945 under National Socialism.

1938: Destruction of the Old Synagogue

In 1938, under Nazi Germany, the Old Synagogue in Dortmund was destroyed.

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 to the Aplerbeck Hospital in Dortmund.

September 1943: Mass Execution of Polish POWs

In September 1943, the local Gestapo carried out a mass execution of 17 Polish POWs, who escaped the Oflag VI-B POW camp, but were soon captured, in Dortmund.

March 1945: Devastating Bombing Raids on Dortmund

On 12 March 1945, Dortmund experienced devastating bombing raids involving 1,108 aircraft that destroyed 98% of the buildings in the inner city centre. 4,851 tonnes of bombs were dropped on Dortmund city centre and the south of the city.

April 1945: Allied Ground Advance Reached Dortmund

In April 1945, the Allied ground advance reached Dortmund. On 12 April 1945, the US 95th Infantry Division attacked the city, completing its capture on 13 April 1945.

1945: Post-War Government

After World War II in 1945, the military government of the British occupation zone installed a new mayor and a municipal constitution modeled on that of British cities in Dortmund.

1945: End of Persecution

In 1945, the Steinwache prison was still in use as a prison where more than 66,000 people were imprisoned between 1933 and 1945 under National Socialism.

1945: First publication of Westfälische Rundschau

In 1945, the Westfälische Rundschau newspaper was first published. It has a daily circulation of over 181,000 and is published by Funke Mediengruppe.

1946: Part of North Rhine-Westphalia

In 1946, Dortmund, which was in the British zone of occupation of Germany, became part of the new state (Land) of North Rhine-Westphalia.

1948: Historic Housing

Over 80% of all housing in the Kreuzviertel area of Dortmund was constructed before 1948.

1949: Foundation of Ruhr Nachrichten

In 1949, the conservative Ruhr Nachrichten (RN) newspaper was founded in Dortmund. The RN has a circulation of over 225,000 copies daily.

1950: Rebuilding of Rombergpark as an arboretum

Starting in 1950, after sustaining damage in World War II, director Gerd Krüssmann rebuilt Rombergpark as an arboretum, adding some 4,500 species to the park.

1953: Founding of Dortmund Zoo

In 1953, the Dortmund Zoo was founded as the zoological garden with 28 hectares next to the Rombergpark.

1959: Westfalenpark Opening

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

1965: Peak Population Figure

Not taking the fluctuation of war years into account, the population figures rose constantly to 657,804 in 1965 in Dortmund.

1966: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Win

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

1966: Reopening of Opernhaus Dortmund

In 1966, the Opernhaus Dortmund was reopened after being destroyed in World War II.

1968: Foundation of TU Dortmund

In 1968, TU Dortmund (Technical University of Dortmund) was founded in the southern part of the city.

1969: LWL-Industriemuseum Founded

In 1969, the LWL-Industriemuseum was founded in Dortmund.

1971: Creation of Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts

In 1971, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Fachhochschule) was created by a merger of several institutions of higher learning.

1974: FIFA World Cup Hosting

In 1974, the Westfalenstadion was built for the FIFA World Cup.

1975: Division Into Administrative Districts

Since 1975, Dortmund has been divided into twelve administrative districts.

May 1980: Dortmund Giants Establishment

On May of 1980, the Dortmund Giants, an American football team, was established.

1982: Sparkassen Chess-Meeting Hosted

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

1987: Closure of Pit Minister Stein

In 1987, the pit Minister Stein closed, marking the end of more than 150 years of coal mining in Dortmund.

1994: 2. Bundesliga Season

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

1997: 2. Bundesliga Seasons

From 1997 to 2001, the Dortmund Giants spent five more seasons in the 2. Bundesliga.

1997: UEFA Champions League and Intercontinental Cup Win

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

1999: SPD Loses Plurality

In 1999, the SPD lost its plurality in the Dortmund city council, which lasted until 2004.

2000: Big Tipi from Expo 2000 in Hanover

In 2000, the 35 meters high Big Tipi was brought in from the Expo 2000 in Hanover to Dortmund. It was intended to attract families to settle in the area, however, the low prices of apartments and renting offers suggest otherwise.

2001: Beginning of the Phoenix See Era

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.

2001: End of 2. Bundesliga Seasons

In 2001, the Dortmund Giants spent their final season in the 2. Bundesliga.

2002: Konzerthaus Dortmund part of Theater Dortmund

Since 2002, the Konzerthaus Dortmund is operated by Theater Dortmund together with other locations.

2004: SPD regains plurality

In 2004, the SPD regained its plurality in the Dortmund city council, ending the period where they did not have a majority.

2005: First Cornerstone Laid on the Phoenix Area

In 2005, the first cornerstone was laid on the Phoenix area in Dortmund.

2006: FIFA World Cup Matches Hosted

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

August 8, 2007: Dortmund admitted 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 Move 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), beginning with Essen.

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

In April 2008, the newly constructed east–west underground light rail line was opened in Dortmund, completing the underground service in the city centre and replacing the last trams on the surface.

2008: Highway of Love

In 2008, the Love Parade festival took place on the Bundesstraße 1 under the motto Highway of Love. The Turkish electronic scene was represented by its own float, called "Turkish Delights". The official estimate is that 1.6 million visitors attended.

2009: Goethe-Gymnasium becomes a NRW Sportschule

From 2009, the Goethe-Gymnasium, which was founded in 1867, has been a NRW Sportschule, focusing 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 and is the most sustainable city in Germany.

2009: Dortmund classified as a Node city in the Innovation Cities Index

In 2009, Dortmund was classified as a Node city in the Innovation Cities Index published by 2thinknow, reflecting the city's shift to high technology and new-economy sectors.

October 2010: Launch of the Flooding of the Phoenix See

On 1 October 2010, the launch of the flooding of the Phoenix See was celebrated in Dortmund.

2010: RUHR.2010 - The Dortmund U-Tower area is part of the European Capital of Culture

In 2010, as part of RUHR.2010, the Dortmund U-Tower area called "Union Viertel" became part of the Creative.Quarters Ruhr as a part of the European Capital of Culture.

2010: Opening of the Dortmunder U

In 2010, the art and creative centre Dortmunder U opened, becoming a widely visible beacon in the Union District. This event supported the development of a young artist scene in the area.

May 2011: Completion of the Phoenix See

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

2011: Population Decline

As a result of the city's post-industrial decline, the population fell to just under 580,000 in 2011 in Dortmund.

2011: Bundesliga Champions

In 2011, Borussia Dortmund were Bundesliga champions.

2011: EU Census Inaccuracies

In 2011, data from the EU-wide census revealed massive inaccuracies regarding German population figures, resulting in a statistical "loss" of 9,000 inhabitants in Dortmund.

2012: End of Love Parade in Ruhr Area

2012 marked the end of the five-year period (2007-2012) that the Love Parade was scheduled to take place in the Ruhr area after negotiations with several German cities.

2012: Dortmund Population

In 2012, Dortmund had a population of 571,403.

2012: Dortmund ranked on position ten of the most livable biggest cities in Germany

In 2012, Dortmund ranked on position ten in a study of the most livable biggest cities in Germany, and first of all large cities in Germany due to sport, gastronomy, and shopping opportunities.

November 2013: Evacuation Due to WWII Bomb

On 3 November 2013, more than 20,000 people were evacuated in Dortmund after a 4,000-pound bomb from World War II was found and safely defused.

2013: Westenhellweg most frequented shopping street in Germany

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

December 2014: Immigrant Population

As of 31 December 2014, Dortmund had a significant number of first and second-generation immigrants by nationality.

2014: Dortmund acclaimed as the most sustainable city in Germany

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

2014: Return to Oberliga

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

August 2015: Sony Music acquires Century Media Records

In August 2015, Century Media Records, a heavy metal record label headquartered in Dortmund, was acquired by Sony Music for US$17 million.

2015: Dortmund ranks as seventh-best in survey centred on student life in Germany

In a 2015/2016 survey centred on student life in Germany, Dortmund ranked as seventh-best.

2016: Oberliga Play

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

2016: Population Back Above 600,000

In 2016, it was announced that the population of Dortmund was back above 600,000.

2016: Dortmund ranks as seventh-best in survey centred on student life in Germany

In a 2015/2016 survey centred on student life in Germany, Dortmund ranked as seventh-best.

September 2017: The New York Times praises Dortmund

In September 2017, The New York Times praised Dortmund as the hidden star of structural change, highlighting its good quality of life and shift to high-tech industries.

November 2017: Dortmund ranked as a top 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 based on data from various sources.

2017: Dortmund Population

In 2017, Dortmund had a population of 601,402, making it the eighth-largest city in Germany.

2017: Dortmund tourism overnight stays in 2017

In 2017, Dortmund recorded more than 1,450,528 overnight stays, becoming one of the most popular destinations in North Rhine-Westphalia.

June 2019: Evangelischer Kirchentag Hosted

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

2019: Dortmund Airport passenger statistics for 2019

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

September 2020: City Council Election

In September 2020, the most recent city council election was held on the 13th in Dortmund.

2020: Expected finish of the Emscher River renaturation

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