Dortmund

Dortmund
Düörpm (Westphalian)
City
Clockwise from top left: Bodelschwingh Castle; Opera House; Altes Stadthaus; old market square with St. Reinold's Church; Zollern II/IV Colliery; Dortmund U-Tower; and city centre
Flag of Dortmund
Flag
Coat of arms of Dortmund
Coat of arms
Location of Dortmund within North Rhine-Westphalia
Dortmund is located in Germany
Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is located in North Rhine-Westphalia
Dortmund
Dortmund
Coordinates: 51°30′50″N 7°27′55″E / 51.51389°N 7.46528°E / 51.51389; 7.46528
CountryGermany
StateNorth Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. regionArnsberg
DistrictUrban district
Founded882; 1142 years ago (882)
Government
 • Lord mayor (2020–25) Thomas Westphal[1] (SPD)
 • Governing partiesSPD
Area
 • City
280.71 km2 (108.38 sq mi)
 • Metro
7,268 km2 (2,806 sq mi)
Elevation
86 m (282 ft)
Population
 (2023-12-31)[2]
 • City
595,471
 • Density2,100/km2 (5,500/sq mi)
 • Urban
5,302,179 (Ruhr)
 • Metro
11,300,000 (Rhine-Ruhr)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal codes
44001-44388
Dialling codes0231, 02304
Vehicle registrationDO
Websitewww.dortmund.de

Dortmund (German: [ˈdɔʁtmʊnt] ⓘ; Westphalian: Düörpm [ˈdyːœɐ̯pm̩]; Latin: Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the ninth-largest city in Germany. With a population of 612,065 inhabitants,[3] it is the largest city (by area and population) of the Ruhr as well as the largest city of Westphalia.[a] It lies on the Emscher and Ruhr rivers (tributaries of the Rhine) in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region, the second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union, and is considered the administrative, commercial, and cultural centre of the eastern Ruhr. Dortmund is the second-largest city in the Low German dialect area, after Hamburg.

Founded around 882,[4] 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. 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; as a consequence, it 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 centre. The raids, with more than 1,110 aircraft, were the largest for a single target in World War II.[5] Today around 30 % of the city consists of buildings from before World War II.[6]

Since the collapse of its century-long steel and coal industries, the region has adapted and shifted to high-technology biomedical technology, micro systems technology, and also services. Other key sectors include retail,[7] leisure and the visitor economy,[8] creative industries,[9] and logistics.[10] Dortmund was classified as a "Node city" in the Innovation Cities Index,[11] ranked among the twelve innovation cities in European Union,[12] and is the most sustainable[clarification needed] and digital city[clarification needed] in Germany.[13][14] With its central station and airport, the third-busiest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Dortmund is an important transport junction for the surrounding Ruhr area as well as the Benelux countries, and with the largest canal port in Europe it has a connection to important seaports on the North Sea.[15]

Dortmund is home to many cultural and educational institutions. It is the location of the Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the International School of Management, and other educational, cultural and administrative facilities, with over 49,000 students. It has many museums, such as Museum Ostwall, Museum of Art and Cultural History, and 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. This stands in a stark contrast with nearly a hundred years of extensive coal mining and steel milling in the past, which created a rich Gründerzeit architectural heritage.[16] Borussia Dortmund is one of the most successful German football clubs.

  1. ^ Wahlergebnisse in NRW Kommunalwahlen 2020, Land Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed 19 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Bevölkerung der Gemeinden Nordrhein-Westfalens am 31. Dezember 2023 – Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes auf Basis des Zensus vom 9. Mai 2011" (in German). Landesbetrieb Information und Technik NRW. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Bevölkerung in Zahlen 2023". statistikportal.dortmund.de. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. ^ Wikimedia Commons: First documentary reference to Dortmund-Bövinghausen from 882, contribution-list of the Werden Abbey (near Essen), North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
  5. ^ "Support – Main Menu". Backtonormandy.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  6. ^ "Zensus 2011 - Gebäude- und Wohnungsbestand in Deutschland" (PDF). Statistische Ämter Des Bundes Und Der Länder.
  7. ^ "Tourismus: Über 860.000 Tourist*innen besuchten Dortmund in 2019 – Erneuter Zuwachs bei Übernachtungszahlen – Alle Nachrichten – Nachrichtenportal – Leben in Dortmund – Stadtportal dortmund.de". Dortmund.de.
  8. ^ Schmidt, Dirk (18 February 2020). "Tourismus: +4,5 % mehr Übernachtungen im Ruhrgebiet". Ruhr.today.
  9. ^ "Smart City Index 2019" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Dortmund | Create Your Future Digital Business". Digitalhublogistics.com. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  11. ^ "2thinknow Innovation Cities Global 256 Index". 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  12. ^ "Icapitel Europe 2019, Finalist". Ec.europa.eu. 20 February 2019.
  13. ^ "Die Stadt Dortmund ist Sieger in der Kategorie "Deutschlands nachhaltigste Großstädte 2014"". Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Die Stadt Dortmund ist Sieger in der Kategorie "Digitalste Stadt Deutschlands 2018"". Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Flughafen Dortmund stellt 2019 deutlichen Passagierrekord auf". Airliners.de.
  16. ^ "1850 – 1876: Die "Dortmunder Gründerjahre" – Historischer Verein".


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