Remember the year 900. Dorstfeld’s story starts then. It appeared in the Heberegister of Werden Abbey as Dorstidfelde. This listed villages in the Borahtron-Gau. Later, it was called Durstveld.
Dorstfeld’s location was key. It sat where a trade route crossed the Emscher. This was good most times. The Great Dortmund Feud brought trouble though. The Emscher marked the border then. It separated Dortmund from the County of Mark.
In 1388, Count Engelbert III of Mark built a fort in Dorstfeld. He destroyed the Emscher bridge. He also ruined a mill and street paving. He used the materials for his fort. Dortmund’s citizens tore down this fort in January 1390 after the feud.
Dortmund’s troops raided the area. They plundered villages around them. Dorstfeld was attacked twice in 1389. It happened in spring and autumn.
Jewish families lived in Dorstfeld in early modern times. They traded in Dortmund during the day. However, they could not live there. They had to return to Dorstfeld before nightfall. The Dortmund city gates closed then.
The year 1840 was important. Mayor Wegmann moved the administration of Lütgendortmund to Dorstfeld. In 1886, Dorstfeld became independent. It included Dorstfeld, Huckarde, Marten, Rahm, and Wischlingen. The population grew fast due to industry. Yet, Dorstfeld was incorporated into Dortmund on June 10, 1914.
An important event for German unions happened in Dorstfeld. On August 18, 1889, delegates from 66 mines met. They gathered at the Ziegler inn in Dorstfeld. They formed a union to protect miners’ interests in Rhineland and Westphalia. Friedrich Bunte became the first chairman. He had represented workers to Kaiser Wilhelm II during a strike.
Dorstfeld’s streets remind us of its mining past. Zeche Dorstfeld was the biggest employer until it closed in 1963. Today, spoil heaps and miners’ settlements remain. The administration buildings now belong to the Volkshochschule Dortmund. Orenstein & Koppel, a machine factory, was also in Dorstfeld. Since 1967, the DSW21 streetcar depot is north of Dorstfelder Hellweg. It was expanded in 1996.
In the 1970s, people occupied houses in Dorstfeld. Students occupied houses around Wörthstraße. They protested demolition plans. In the 1980s, a new housing estate in Dorstfeld-Süd faced a pollution scandal.
Heavy rains caused floods in 2008. The Emscher and Rossbach rivers overflowed. Dorstfeld and Marten were especially hit. The Emscher reached record levels.
Dorstfeld gained national attention in late 2009. An anti-fascist family faced months of attacks. News reports highlighted the strong neo-Nazi presence. Sven Kahlin, a leader of the banned Nationaler Widerstand Dortmund, demanded: “Dortmund is and remains our city”.
Historically, Dorstfeld can be divided into areas. The Emscher River was Dortmund’s border until the 20th century. Dorstfeld’s center was on Hellweg, west of the Emscher. The churches are there. A market still takes place on Wilhelmsplatz. The Stadtbahn crosses the historic center. The Dortmund-Dorstfeld S-Bahn stop is nearby.
To house mine workers, Oberdorstfeld was built between 1913 and 1919. It lies near the mine. It’s southwest of Dorstfeld. Today, the area is still called Oberdorf. Oberdorstfeld has its own parish.
To distinguish it from Oberdorstfeld, the old center is called Unterdorstfeld. After being incorporated into Dortmund, Dorstfeld expanded east over the Emscher. Zeche Tremonia, an industrial area, and the Dortmunder Feld freight yard were built. Near the Emscher, the Tremonia settlement arose. It’s still called “Negerdorf”. The name comes from “dat nigge Dorp” meaning “the new village”.
East of the Emscher, on Rheinische Straße, more buildings and industry appeared. The Dorstfelder Brücke marks the border to the inner city. The area between Dorstfeld and the bridge is often called Dorstfelder Brücke.
In the late 20th century, another settlement was built. It was between Dortmunder Feld and Oberdorstfeld. The Hannibal building stands out. The settlement connects to the S1 line.
Worth seeing are the Haus Schulte-Witten and the DASA exhibition. Dorstfeld has a swimming pool and sports clubs. The Protestant church is also notable.
Alfred Nobel lived in Dorstfeld between 1860 and 1864. He experimented with explosives at the Zeche Dorstfeld mine. Lothar Emmerich, a famous soccer player, was born in Dorstfeld. Heinz-Werner Meyer, a Dorstfeld resident, was a member of parliament. He later chaired the German Trade Union Confederation.