Alte Kolonie Eving

Alte Kolonie Eving stands in Dortmund as a preserved workers’ settlement shaped by the city’s mining history. The Vereinigte Stein und Hardenberg colliery built it. Construction followed the recruitment of foreign miners during the economic boom of the late nineteenth century. Running water and stove heating marked the homes. Private entrances, stables, and gardens accompanied the houses. Tree-lined streets frame the settlement’s varied house designs.

This layout reflects a shift from uniform workers’ rows towards a more integrated community. Nollendorfplatz anchors the settlement’s social and communal history. The welfare building once provided services and social space for miners and their families. It remains a defining building within Alte Kolonie Eving. During the 1970s, grassroots efforts helped preserve most of the settlement from demolition. The settlement is protected as a cultural heritage site. Since 2013, the welfare building has housed the Archive for Popular Music in the Ruhr area. Information boards explain the settlement’s industrial history. Preserved architecture connects Dortmund’s mining past with the homes, streets, and community spaces that remain.