Christmas Market, Hansaplatz At the end of the year we visited Dortmund for the first time, on a Christmas market Winterreise. I always try and take the opportunity on these brief Christmas flits, to do something more than just shopping. The Germany DK Guide has a lot to cover, and the two columns allocated to Dortmund do not include the Steinwache, a 19th century police station and latterly Gestapo prison, details of which I found on Trip Advisor. It was very near our excellent hotel (NH Dortmund - great breakfasts!), so we checked it out on the first morning of our visit, and spent two hours viewing the superb exhibition, housed in the old cells over four floors and entry free.
I thought I knew something about the domestic resistance to the Nazi regime, but I learnt so much more here, especially the activity in the Dortmund area, which had, with its coal-mining and steel-making history, a strong, established working-class left-wing culture. The exhibits were labelled in German, with no translation, but there was an excellent printed English guide to each room which you could either borrow or buy (half a Euro) from the reception office. It gave us a comprehensive narrative, from the economic crisis of 1929-32, political radicalisation and the collapse of the Weimar Republic, to the hastily-accelerated murders, in 1945, of the remaining prisoners opposed to Nazi ideology. Displays included every aspect of political opponents inclouding gay activists, writers, newspaper editors, left-wing youth movements, unions etc. Even Jehovah’s Witnesses, I learned, were executed for their refusal to accept a higher authority than the Bible.
I thought I knew something about the domestic resistance to the Nazi regime, but I learnt so much more here, especially the activity in the Dortmund area, which had, with its coal-mining and steel-making history, a strong, established working-class left-wing culture. The exhibits were labelled in German, with no translation, but there was an excellent printed English guide to each room which you could either borrow or buy (half a Euro) from the reception office. It gave us a comprehensive narrative, from the economic crisis of 1929-32, political radicalisation and the collapse of the Weimar Republic, to the hastily-accelerated murders, in 1945, of the remaining prisoners opposed to Nazi ideology. Displays included every aspect of political opponents inclouding gay activists, writers, newspaper editors, left-wing youth movements, unions etc. Even Jehovah’s Witnesses, I learned, were executed for their refusal to accept a higher authority than the Bible.
 Main stairs, Steinwache |  Cell in the Steinwache with no corners |
There has often been one picture among many shocking and moving images which has reduced me to tears, eg when I visited Prague, Berlin, Sachsenhausen etc, and here it was the photograph of a child with cerebral palsy shortly before he was killed through the euthanasia programme. All the cells bore witness to tremendous suffering, but there was one I could not bring myself to step into: the cell in the basement where a brick-built ‘bed’ with a wooden top layer and a manacle in the wall beside it had been left as a reminder of the unthinkable tortures to which its prisoners had been subjected.
If you are interested in mankind, and the monstrous blot, in the 1930s and 1940s, on what had in former centuries been celebrated as one of Europe’s most civilised and enlightened nations, or what happens when people stand by while bad things are done around them, then I cannot recommend this exhibition highly enough * (after seeing how a regime had systematically set about dismantling all opposition, when I heard on BBC radio, shortly after returning home, that our current government planned to curb the influence of the House of Lords, after the latter had impeded its ambition to impose tax relief cuts, it did catch my attention).
If you are interested in mankind, and the monstrous blot, in the 1930s and 1940s, on what had in former centuries been celebrated as one of Europe’s most civilised and enlightened nations, or what happens when people stand by while bad things are done around them, then I cannot recommend this exhibition highly enough * (after seeing how a regime had systematically set about dismantling all opposition, when I heard on BBC radio, shortly after returning home, that our current government planned to curb the influence of the House of Lords, after the latter had impeded its ambition to impose tax relief cuts, it did catch my attention).
The Dortmund Christmas markets enabled us to escape the horror of the Nazi past and return to the present reality of a modern, democratic European city. Having anticipated something more commercialised, we were pleasantly surprised. Firstly, it was very friendly (a bit like South Wales, another area with a coal and steel-based history!) and relaxed - a bit less packed with people than Cologne’s Christmas markets. The many varied delights on offer included some excellent local foods (spit-roasted Westphalian ham, smoked eels, and to-die-for fresh salmon - Flammlachs - grilled/smoked over a wood-fire in the open air), a charming real life carousel, where children rode solemnly round on ponies, and beautiful handmade crafts. We bought a lovely mug for our son depicting a Ruhr miner’s lamp. There was an atmosphere of geniality and goodwill, lots of people meeting up with friends for a mulled wine and a wander round. The market is famous for its Christmas tree in the Hansaplatz: it stands 45 metres tall, made of up to 1700 individual fir trees, and is reputed to be the biggest in the world.
  Our coach took us to nearby Hattingen late Saturday afternoon - which has a beautiful medieval town hall, its windows made, each December, into an Advent Calendar. The Grimm Fairy Tales character Frau Holle (who shakes out her pillows to send the snow) appears each evening at 5pm, and unveils one of the decorated windows, as she speaks to the crowd. It was very sweet to see not only children, but also accompanying parents and grandparents, singing along to traditional songs with her. Back in Dortmund, some of our party headed off in the evening for a Bach concert in the Reinoldi Kirche. |    |
We agreed we’d definitely like to come back to Dortmund, perhaps at another time of year, and visit some of the other sights: the Art & History Museum, the German Football Museum and maybe take in a Borussia Dortmund football match. The team’s stadium takes up to 81,359 spectators, and enjoys the largest average home attendance in the football world: its “Gelbe Wand” (Yellow Wall) ranks as one of the most colourful and fervent examples of home fan support anywhere, hailed by opposing players and visiting fans as truly awe-inspiring. Its pricing structure means season tickets can average as little as £10 per match, and the club’s board has refused to hike-up prices on tickets, catering or shirt prices for years in order to preserve the all-inclusive fan experience. We spotted a stall at the Christmas markets selling all kinds of Borussia articles, including baby-gros, plus a Steinway piano emporium boasting a Borussia colourway team-autographed model! (Incidentally, we noted on holiday in the Tyrol last summer a Borussia vending-machine at the ski-lift in Westhofen - manager must be a fan!).
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