Considering a journey back to the year 1220? That’s when Bodelschwingh, now a part of Dortmund, was first documented. The name Bodelschwingh comes from the words “Boddal” or “Boddan” and “-wang”. Wang means “Aue”, “Flur”, or “Wiesengrund”. So, Bodelschwingh could mean “Flur/Wiese eines Boddal/Boddan”.
Bodelschwingh is Statistical District 91. It is also a district in Dortmund’s northwest. This area is part of the Mengede district. About 6,710 people live here. The area spans 3.32 square kilometers. Bodelschwingh sits about eight kilometers northwest of Dortmund’s city center.
In the late 13th century, the Speke family laid the foundation for Haus Bodelschwingh. This moated castle was first documented in 1302. Westhusen Castle in Westerfilde also belonged to the family. Later, the family called themselves von Bodelschwingh. Friedrich von Bodelschwingh the Elder also came from this noble family. He founded the von Bodelschwingh Institutions Bethel.
The industrial age in Bodelschwingh began with the sinking of the Westhausen mine. It was located between Westerfilde and Bodelschwingh. The formerly agricultural village grew to its present size because of immigration. The remaining buildings of the Westhausen mine are architecturally significant. They are an important part of the Route of Industrial Culture.
The traditional fair in Bodelschwingh has been held since 1322. The event started as a church consecration festival. Gisbert Specke, lord of Bodelschwingh Castle, founded the church. It was named “Maria zu Ehren.” At the same time as the church festival, the lord of the castle organized a fair. Jugglers entertained the citizens. It is one of Dortmund’s oldest fairs. The fair takes place annually on a weekend in June or July. It runs from Saturday to Monday. The “Kirmesmontag” is always on the first Monday in July. The three-day event starts with a beer tapping. It ends with fireworks. The last day traditionally opens with a Krammarkt.
Bodelschwingh has had a volunteer fire brigade since 1820. Today, it is located at Bodelschwingher Dorfplatz. Bodelschwingh was incorporated into Dortmund on April 1, 1928.
The town is mainly made up of single-family and small multi-family houses. In the town center, you can still find many half-timbered houses. These are on Richterstrasse, Deininghauser Strasse, and around the Protestant church.
The population structure shows that 15.0% are under 18. 21.3% are at least 65 years old. The proportion of foreigners is 14.4%. The unemployment rate is 9.7%. The average income in Bodelschwingh is about the same as in Dortmund.
Sports are important in Bodelschwingh. Rot-Weiss Bodelschwingh is a football club founded in 1967. The first team has been playing in the Bezirksliga again since 2017. Other important sports clubs are the Shooting Club Bodelschwingh. It was founded in 1962. Also, the gymnastics and athletics club TV Eintracht Bodelschwingh was founded in 1885.