Listen closely as we explore Haus Schulte-Witten. It is more than just a building. It is a testament to time family and the changing face of Dortmund.
Haus Schulte-Witten is a manor house built in 1880 in Dortmund’s Dorstfeld district. The Schulte-Witten family’s roots go way back to 1394. They owned vast lands in Dorstfeld. As industrialization boomed they sold land to mining companies. One such venture was the Dorstfeld Zeche mine.
Pause for a moment and imagine this place over a century ago. Erich Schulte-Witten commissioned a significant renovation between 1913 and 1915. Architects Gröpler Feldmann and Müller transformed it into a blend of Neobarock and Neoclassical styles.
Archaeological finds suggest a building existed here as far back as the Thirty Years’ War. This spot has seen generations come and go. The house stands as a silent witness to history. Today Haus Schulte-Witten is leased to the city of Dortmund but remains property of the Schulte-Witten family. It serves as a public library and a venue for special civil wedding ceremonies. For many years the Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation Dortmund was located here. The city recognizes its importance as a listed building.
Now listen closely. At 10:05 AM 12:05 PM 3:05 PM and 7:05 PM the clock tower chimes. An electronic carillon installed in 1989 fills the air with music. The Dorstfeld Development Association gifted the carillon. It was originally intended to honor Dorstfeld’s mining history with the Steigerlied. The carillon was renovated in the early 2000s. Its repertoire expanded to include the folk song Wenn alle Brünnlein fließen and the Westminster chime which sounds every quarter hour between 9 AM and 6 PM. The carillon has twelve bells.
Behind Haus Schulte-Witten lies a park with old trees. Adjacent to the Wittener Straße once stood the estate’s former economic and pension building now a commercial building.
Across from Haus Schulte-Witten a memorial sculpture stands. It commemorates the Dorstfeld Synagogue desecrated and demolished in 1938.
Haus Schulte-Witten is more than bricks and mortar. It is a place where history architecture and community converge. It is a library a wedding venue and a monument. Its walls echo with stories of the past while embracing the present. It is a unique blend of heritage and modern life. Take a moment to appreciate this blend.