Ten pillars stand tall. They guard the Verwaltungsgebäude Union. This imposing structure whispers tales of Dortmund’s industrial past. It’s more than just bricks and mortar. It’s a monument to ambition and resilience.
The Verwaltungsgebäude Union served as the headquarters for Union AG. This company was a giant in mining iron and steel. Its story begins long before this building. It was built between 1916 and 1921. The profits from wartime arms manufacturing funded its construction. It opened in 1922. Hugo Stinnes himself inaugurated it. He was a powerful industrialist of the time.
Architects Dietrich and Karl Schulze designed the building. It bears a striking resemblance to the Mannesmann administration building in Düsseldorf. That one was designed by Peter Behrens. The Union building boasts three internal light wells. Externally it presents itself as a massive block. Its neo-Renaissance style is unmistakable. The inscription “Es lobt den Mann die Arbeit und die Tat” (Work and deed praise the man) sits proudly above the pillars. It’s a testament to the values of the era.
Inside are motifs from the mining industry. There’s a machine gun. A cornucopia. A laurel wreath. Strange additions to an office. But they reflect the times. This wasn’t just an office. It was a symbol of power. A symbol forged in the fires of industry and war.
The building was technologically advanced for its time. It had an internal telephone system. Centrally controlled clocks. A vacuum tube system. Even a central heating system. It cleverly used waste heat from the rolling mill. This ingenuity is a fascinating detail.
Amazingly the Verwaltungsgebäude Union survived World War II relatively unscathed. Its meeting room hosted Dortmund’s first post-war council meeting. It was then used as a welfare office. From 1995 to 2008. This remarkable building continues to stand. It serves as a reminder of Dortmund’s industrial legacy. It is a listed building. A tangible link to a powerful and transformative past. The Verwaltungsgebäude Union is more than a building. It’s a living testament. A powerful symbol. It’s a story written in stone and steel.