177 
DORTMUND. 
Dortmund, the largest town of the Prussian Province of Westphalia,, 
situated amid the Hellweg plain in the north-east of the Rhineland-Westphalian 
industrial district, is one of the chief centres of the coal and iron industries, and 
is also famous for its breweries. Its great development began in the middle of 
last century, since when it has progressed in population and prosperity with 
extraordinary rapidity. The following Table shows the rate at which the 
population has increased since 1850, without any great extension of municipal 
territory :— 
Year. 
Population. 
1850 
1860 
1870 
1880 
1885 
1890 
1895 
1900 
1905 
11,216 
21,477 
39,385 
66,544 
78,435 
89,663 
111,232 
142,733 
Decennial 
Increase per cent. 
9149 
83 38 
68 96 
3474 
5919 
175,571 
2301* 
* In five years. 
In 1905 there was an excess of males over females of 5,467, viz., 90,519 
against 85,052. 
This phenomenal increase in the population has been due partly to a high 
birth-rate (the natural rate of increase during the past few years averaging over 
22 per thousand per annum), but chiefly to a steady influx of workmen of 
whom only a small percentage are German, the great majority being Austrians, 
Italians, and especially Poles from the eastern provinces of Prussia and from 
beyond the German borders. Some not altogether satisfactory results of this 
immigration will be noticed subsequently. 
The following were the birth and death rates, with the infant mortality 
rates, for the years 1901-1905 :— 
Year. 
1901 
1902 
1903 
1904 
1905 
Birth-rate 
per 1,000 
of Population. 
42 9 
421 
42 0 
411 
40-7 
Death-rate 
per 1,000 
of Population. 
19 9 
19 5 
19-4 
19-8 
18-2 
Infantile 
Mortality 
per 1,000 Births 
190 
159 
169 
181 
184 
The town retains a number of memorials of its past history. The walls 
were abolished soon after 1860, and replaced by broad promenades, but many 
old buildings still remain, including the ancient Rathaus, now used as a town 
museum, the old Guildhall, which dates from the commencement of the 
fifteenth century, and three large mediaeval churches. A certain number of old 
houses remain in the centre of the town, but they are rapidly giving way before 
the new buildings and improvements. In the outer districts of the town new 
streets of houses are rising swiftly to meet the increased needs ; the number of 
inhabited houses advanced from 7,321 in 1900 to 9,184 in 1905. The result of 
these changes in the centre, and of developments elsewheie, is that the whole 
town presents a curiously unfinished and transitional appearance. Ihe municipal 
authorities have taken the utmost trouble to control this development as much 
as possible ; they haVe marked out large areas, chiefly in the centre and south, 
in which factories are not permitted at all, and in the new industrial districts, 
which are mainly in the north and west, they have shown praiseworthy activitv 
in the acquisition of land and the planning of streets, often radiating from 
squares or 11 circuses, ' so as to secure sufficient width and open spaces, and to 
facilitate the provision of means of transit. 
z 
29088