Sölde

From a sleepy farming village to a bustling suburb, Sölde’s story echoes Dortmund’s own transformation. Sölde, first mentioned around 1150 as “de Sulethe,” whispers tales of a time long past. Imagine farmers tending their fields, their lives intertwined with the rhythms of nature. The Emscher River, flowing through Sölde, witnessed the evolution of this small community. By 1486, Sölde’s 27 taxable farm owners, listed in the treasury records of the County of Mark, paint a picture of a thriving agricultural hub. Some farms were particularly prosperous, paying taxes of 5 or 6 gold guilders. Sölde belonged to the County of Mark, within its own farming community under the Unna office and Aplerbeck parish. Even the name “Sölde,” believed to mean “a place where there is marsh,” connects us to its geographical roots. The village originally clustered around the Haus Sölde manor, a testament to its feudal past. Fast forward to the 1960s, and Sölde blossoms into a Dortmund suburb. Prior to World War II, the Zeche Margarete colliery on Schlagbaumstrasse provided crucial employment. A curious anecdote highlights Sölde’s rapid development. The temporary bell scaffold of the Protestant church on Söldestrasse became a local landmark. Due to financial constraints, the bells hung precariously on this scaffold, intended as a temporary measure until the bell tower’s completion. The delay meant residents of Söldestrasse, Begonienstrasse, and Geranienstrasse endured the close-range chimes multiple times a day. Sölde officially became part of Dortmund on August 1, 1929. Today, Sölde retains its charm, blending its rich history with its modern identity. Its football club, VfR Sölde, enjoyed moments of glory in the 1980s and 1990s, competing in the Oberliga Westfalen. The club now plays its home games in the Bezirksliga, at the “Am Rosengarten” sports field. Sölde, a place where whispers of the past meet the vibrancy of the present.