Große Kirche

Große Kirche Aplerbeck stands in Dortmund as a Protestant church shaped by nineteenth-century industrial growth. Christian Heyden designed the building in Gothic Revival style between 1867 and 1869. Its 60.9-metre steeple rises above Aplerbeck with a square base, an octagonal upper section, a pointed helmet, and a weathercock.

Inside, three naves form a hall beneath a high rib vault, while slender columns carry leaf capitals around the prominent choir. Schulze & Söhne built the organ, which has received several improvements since its inauguration in 1869. The growing population needed more space because the medieval Georgskirche had become too small. Dark ceiling paint once earned the church the local nickname Black Church.

Since 1999, the building has served mainly as a concert venue, drawing on its acoustics and spacious interior. Its rare stylistic unity led to recognition as a historic monument in 1967. Wheelchair access makes the listed neo-Gothic church easier to experience. Above the roof, the weathercock completes a landmark visible across the surrounding area.