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Dortmund is a fascinating city with a rich background and an essential industrial heritage. It was first heard of in the twelfth century, during the reign of the famous Emperor Barbarossa. At that time, the settlement was nothing more than a small village, with nothing much going on.
In the middle of the twelfth century it was burned down to the ground in a big fire. Nobody knows if the fire was natural or intentional, but what we do know is that Emperor Barbarossa decided to rebuild it and make it his official residence. He and his whole court lived there for about 2 years. In the year 1220 the town was declared “imperial free”, which meant no more taxes and no more civilian recruiting for the armies of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. By the way, this term, the Holy Roman Empire, should not mislead you into thinking that the Romans were still there within the thirteenth century. This name was adopted just simply because it symbolized the religious importance of the Empire and its ruler.
From that moment on, the city (which had started to appear in scholars’ notes as “Dorpmunde”) begun to be very essential for the trading guilds of the Hanseatic League, which was an alliance of traders who had a trade monopoly on a big part of Germany, and some areas in the Netherlands. Closer to our days, during the industrial revolution, Dortmund became a mining town, due to the rich coal and metal deposits within the surrounding region.
They produced lots of coal and steel from that point on, and this helped the town grow rapidly. Nowadays there are more than six hundred thousand people living in Dortmund, placing it number seven in Germany in terms of population, and number thirty four in Europe. There are lots of things to see in Dortmund, and it would seem to me that one of the most essential is the incredible Westphalian Industrial Museum Zollern Colliery, which will take you on a grand journey in the history of human technology. They have everything there, including a full-sized steam locomotive that was cut in half to show all the parts that made it work.
Of course, this museum is for technology lovers, but Dortmund has other attractions, for other kinds of tourists. For example, you will find 3 fully restored, moated castles to tour in this town. The very first one is Haus Bodelschwingh, originally built within the thirteenth century, and restored in the nineteenth century.
Also built in the thirteenth century, Hous Delwig, the most essential of the three, keeping more original pieces like the whole front side, two towers and two nearby buildings. The 3rd is Haus Rodenberg, a splendid moated castle. The old buildings, the old churches and also the old town hall building are in contrast with the modern town center, suspended transportation systems and other futuristic designs you can discover in Dortmund. The parks are peaceful and quiet, the bars are loud and lively.