Around 1220 Barop was mentioned for the first time. It was called Badorp then. Barop a southwestern district of Dortmund has a rich history. Archaeological finds prove a Germanic settlement around 500 AD. The name’s meaning remains unclear. It might refer to a swampy area. In 1229 Albertus de Badorp was recorded living at a knight’s estate in Badorpe. Other members of this ministerial family followed. In 1343 Johan Grasekamp van Badorpe is mentioned. The church in Barop appeared in documents from 1366. The local magistrate de sculte van Badorpe was named in 1368.
The oldest surviving building is the Margarethenkapelle. This 14th-century chapel was originally a branch of St Reinoldi in Dortmund. Dedicated to St Margaret it’s a Westphalian hall church. It’s mentioned in documents from 1348. Barop became an independent Protestant parish in 1655. The original nave was demolished in 1829. The choir was preserved and a new nave built. Some weathered gravestones from around 1800 remain.
A devastating fire almost completely destroyed Barop in 1647. After the Elberfeld-Dortmund railway line opened in 1848 a settlement developed around the station. Urban structures emerged. Barop was part of the Horde mayoralty. Then it became part of the Horde district within the Dortmund district. In 1874 the Amt Barop was formed. It included Barop and eleven surrounding communities. In 1888 new districts were created. Eichlinghofen Menglinghausen Persebeck and Salingen were incorporated into Barop in 1921. Barop was incorporated into Dortmund on August 1 1929. In 1975 it became part of the newly formed Hombruch district. Since 2001 the previously independent district of Schönau belongs to Barop.
Coal was mined in the area of present-day Hombruch which includes Barop. The existing station was built near the Vereinigte Louise Tiefbau colliery. Several heavy industry companies settled nearby. Coal mining in the Barop area ceased between 1885 and 1910. The Barop machine factory closed in 1932. Hoesch AG also operated steel and rolling mills in the south of Barop. The Barop pipe works the last Hoesch company in the district closed in 1989. Today medium-sized companies are located on the former Hoesch site. They focus on metalworking energy technology. A shopping center is also there. Until the end of 2013 a points factory was located further north.
Barop’s population was 7880 on December 31 2023. The proportion of residents under 18 is lower than the Dortmund average. The proportion of those 65 and over is slightly higher. The percentage of foreigners is lower than the Dortmund average. The unemployment rate is significantly lower than the Dortmund average. Barop is a vibrant place with a fascinating blend of rural and urban character. It showcases a rich history and a thriving community. It’s worth exploring.