Somborn

Journey back to 1217. Witness the Archbishop of Cologne, Engelbert I, as he presides over a significant event. Here in Somborn, the nobleman Jonathas de Ardeia transfers ownership of the local court to Count Hermann von Ravensberg. This act, recorded in historical documents, marks the first official mention of Somborn. Somborn sits within the Lütgendortmund district in western Dortmund. It holds a unique distinction. It’s divided into two parts. The western portion belongs to Bochum’s Langendreer district. The Dortmund side of Somborn retains its rural charm. It has resisted the encroachment of industrial development. Somborn’s history is rich with intriguing details. In 1384, Pastor Ernst von Westhausen documented his purchase of a farm in Somborn. Throughout the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period, Somborn boasted its own farming community within the Oberamt Bochum, historically part of the County of Mark. The Thirty Years’ War brought turmoil to Somborn. The local farms suffered repeated burnings. While the surrounding villages industrialized, Somborn held onto its agricultural roots. Even with the nearby Lütgendortmund growing into a small town and collieries popping up in neighboring villages like Düren, Somborn remained largely untouched by industry. Only parts of the Siebenplaneten colliery extended into Somborn’s territory. In 1891, the sports club Westfalia Somborn was founded here. They rose to the highest league in field handball in 1936. Somborn, along with the villages of Stockum, Düren, Werne, and the municipality of Langendreer, formed the Amt Langendreer in 1850. This administrative unit was dissolved during the municipal reform of August 1, 1929. Düren and Stockum became part of Witten. Langendreer and Werne joined Bochum. Somborn, however, was split between Dortmund and Bochum, with Dortmund receiving 129 hectares and Bochum receiving 78 hectares. The precise reason for this division remains a mystery. The surviving records offer no definitive explanation. Somborn’s unique story reminds us that even within larger urban areas, pockets of history and rural life can endure, preserving a connection to a simpler past.