Imagine miners returning home after a long day. They are heading towards the Alte Kolonie Eving. This is no ordinary housing. It is a piece of Dortmund’s history. The Alte Kolonie Eving was built between 1898 and 1899. The Vereinigte Stein und Hardenberg mine constructed it. It was for the many foreign workers they hired.
The mine needed more workers during this booming time. The Alte Kolonie Eving offered these workers good living. Originally, it had 76 houses with 270 apartments. Nollendorfplatz is the heart of the settlement. Here stands the welfare building Kolonie Eving.
Each apartment had running water and its own heating. Imagine that luxury for the time. Each also included a private entrance, a stall, and garden space. This was very important for integration. Many miners came from rural Eastern Europe. They needed help adjusting to city life. The gardenland allowed them to maintain a connection to their agricultural roots.
The Alte Kolonie Eving almost disappeared in the 1970s. A citizens’ initiative stepped in. They prevented the demolition. Most of the settlement was saved. It became a protected industrial heritage site. Some buildings are now listed as historic monuments.
The welfare building played a central role. Architect Paul Knobbe designed it. It was built between 1903 and 1906. It served the Minister Stein and Fürst Hardenberg mines. It was a place for company social services. The miners’ houses did not have baths at first. So, the welfare building included bathing facilities for men and women. There was also a Kinderverwahrschule. This was a place to care for the children of miners.
The welfare building housed other services too. There was a housekeeping school. Locals jokingly called it the pudding academy. There was also an industry and cooking school for the miners’ daughters. Other amenities included a bachelor’s home and a casino for mine employees. A library with a reading room was available. The building also featured a laundry and hot mangle. A store for the company’s consumer cooperative was also there.
After World War I, the focus shifted. Healthcare and mother-child counseling became priorities. In 1926, the kindergarten and daycare areas expanded. Later, a school for children with learning disabilities used the welfare building.
The Minister Stein mine closed. The building was carefully renovated. It housed the German Academy for Radio. Also, the Open Channel Dortmund was located here. The welfare building is a listed historical monument.
Today, the Alte Kolonie Eving stands as a testament. It shows the lives of the miners. It reflects the social concerns of the time. When you stroll through its streets, remember the people. Remember their struggles and their triumphs. The Alte Kolonie Eving is more than just buildings. It is a living piece of Dortmund’s past. It is a reminder of the importance of community.