Happy TravellerWelcome to Dorsten, a charming town located in the district of Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of about 75,000, Dorsten is situated on the western rim of Westphalia bordering the Rhineland. Its historical old town lies on the south bank of the river Lippe and the Wesel–Datteln Canal and was granted city rights in 1251. During the twentieth century, the town was enlarged in its north by the villages of the former Herrlichkeit Lembeck. While Dorstens northern districts are thus shaped by the rural Münsterland with its many historical castles, just south of the town the Ruhr region begins, Germanys largest urban agglomeration with more than seven million inhabitants.
History:
Archaeological findings show that the area was already populated during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, from about 4000 BC onwards. The Romans established a military camp in Dorsten-Holsterhausen in 11 BC and Varus passed through it in 9 BC on his way to the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. From around 700 AD onwards, the Archbishopric of Cologne began to evangelise the area around Dorsten. Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden, together with the Count of Cleves, granted Dorsten the city rights in 1251. Due to its economically favourable position on the river Lippe, the town became a member of the Hanseatic League of international trading cities and turned into the richest town in the Vest Recklinghausen. In 1488, Franciscan friars established a friary which continues to exist today as the world’s oldest permanently existing cloister of this order. The monks founded Gymnasium Petrinum in 1642 and in 1699 the Ursulines set up a cloister including a boarding school for girls. However, the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48), the Hessian War and the continuous occupation by various forces badly derogated Dorsten’s medieval wealth. On 9 February 1633, Hesse-Cassel captured the town of Dorsten without resistance from the Electorate of Cologne and the Vest of Recklinghausen and, in the years that followed, it was turned into the strongest fortress in the region. As a result, attempts were made to recapture it. The first siege in 1636 was unsuccessful, but in 1641, a second Siege of Dorsten resulted in considerable destruction of the town and the eventual surrender of the garrison. It was only during the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century that Dorsten returned to its former prosperity. Spinning, weaving and metal casting industries found their way into town and in 1912, the first coal mine opened. Between 1929 and 1975, surrounding villages became districts of the gradually enlarging town of Dorsten. Only a few days before the end of the Second World War, the historical old town was almost completely destroyed in an Allied air raid. 319 people died in the air raids on Dorsten and 700 families were made homeless. However, after 1945, the town’s centre was rebuilt on its historical foundations and thus still resembles its medieval shape today. Dorsten is widely known today for its Jewish Museum of Westphalia which was established in 1987. In 2001, the last coal mine closed and the town celebrated its 750th jubilee with a festival in the old town.
Main sights:
Dorsten has a rich history and boasts several interesting sights. Schloss Lembeck is a beautiful castle located in the northern part of the town. It was built in the 17th century and is surrounded by a moat and a park. The castle is open to the public and houses a museum of hunting and forestry. The Historical Town Hall is another interesting sight in Dorsten. It was built in the 16th century and is located in the heart of the old town. The building is now used as a cultural centre and hosts various events throughout the year. The Jewish Museum of Westphalia is also worth a visit. It is located in a former synagogue and tells the story of the Jewish community in Westphalia. Finally, the Historical Tüshaus Mill is a beautiful windmill located on the outskirts of the town. It was built in the 18th century and is still in operation today.
Transport:
Dorsten is easily accessible by train. Dorsten station is on the Duisburg–Quakenbrück and the Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck–Winterswijk railways and is served by regional services to Gladbeck, Bottrop, Essen, Dortmund, Borken (Westf) and Coesfeld (Westf). The town also has its own airfield with a grass strip and a runway of 800 metres (2,600 feet). The airfield is used by the local gliding club.
Notable people:
Dorsten has produced several notable people over the years. Cornelia Funke is a childrens and young peoples book author who was born in Dorsten in 1958. Winfried Nachtwei is a politician (The Greens) and Member of Bundestag 1994–2009 who was also born in Dorsten. Other notable people include Franz Bronstert (engineer and painter), Agnes Hürland-Büning (controversial politician), Julia Lohmann (painter and sculptor), and Kevin Vennemann (writer).
Twin towns – sister cities:
Dorsten is twinned with several cities around the world, including Saint-Amand-les-Eaux in France, Lębork in Poland, and Waltham Forest in the United Kingdom.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Dorsten and that you will consider visiting this charming town on your next trip to Germany!
