DASA is Germany’s largest exhibition on the world of work, located in Dortmund. Spanning an area nearly the size of two soccer fields, it showcases how work has evolved in the past, present, and future across ten themed sections—ranging from factory work and construction to media and energy, and on to healthcare professions and new work environments. The focus is on workplace safety and human-centered work design, with the topics presented in a vivid way through numerous interactive stations, exhibits, and multimedia elements.

For more information, please visit the website https://www.dasa-dortmund.de/en/

The Zollern Coal Mine is a decommissioned coal mine in western Dortmund (in the Bövinghausen district) that is now used as a museum and is part of the decentralized LWL Industrial Museum, which is also headquartered here. The complex is famous above all for its magnificent Art Nouveau architecture, particularly the machine hall with its colorful stained-glass Art Nouveau portal, which is why it is also known as the “Castle of Labor.” Built around 1900, this model mine still stands today as a symbol of the coal industry’s heyday, and its designation as a protected historic site in 1969 marked the beginning of industrial heritage preservation in Germany. The museum showcases the history of the mine and the lives of the miners and their families, complemented by rotating special exhibitions and guided tours.

Guided tours are offered in German only.

For more information, please visit the website https://zeche-zollern.lwl.org/en/

Phoenix des Lumières is a digital art center in Dortmund that has been operated since 2023 by the French company Culturespaces in the Phoenixhalle—a former gas blower hall of the former Phoenix West blast furnace plant. Monumental, immersive exhibitions dedicated to renowned artists from art history and the contemporary art scene are displayed on the walls and floor of this historic industrial hall. The concept combines moving images, light, and music into a room-filling art experience and is located within the larger Phoenix West complex, a former steel mill site in Dortmund-Hörde that has been transformed into a hub for technology and culture.

For more information, please visit the website https://www.phoenix-lumieres.com/en

The German Soccer Museum in Dortmund is located directly across from the main train station. It features an interactive permanent exhibition showcasing the history of German soccer—from the national teams to the Bundesliga to club culture. The museum features original exhibits, films, a 3D theater, and a treasure chamber where visitors can see, among other things, original World Cup trophies. The museum also features a German Soccer Hall of Fame, rotating special exhibitions (currently, for example, “SUPERHEROES”), and a cultural program called “ANSTOSS.”

For more information, please visit the website https://www.fussballmuseum.de/en/start

The Dortmunder U is a tower approximately 70 meters high, built in 1926–27 as a fermentation and storage tower for the Dortmunder Union Brewery, located on the western edge of the city center. It owes its name and striking appearance to the four-sided, gilded, and illuminated “U” at the top of the tower—the brewery’s logo, designed by architect Ernst Neufert and installed in 1968. After the brewery relocated in 1994, the historic building stood vacant for years before being renovated as part of the RUHR.2010 Capital of Culture year and converted into the Dortmunder U—Center for Art and Creativity. Today, it houses, among other things, the Ostwall Museum, the Kunsthalle Dortmund, and TU Dortmund University across several floors, thus symbolizing the city’s structural transformation from coal, steel, and beer to creativity and education.

For more information, please visit the website https://dortmunder-u.de/

The Dortmund Chamber of Crafts (HWK) is the legally recognized self-governing organization for the skilled trades in its chamber district, with its headquarters at Ardeystraße 93 in Dortmund. It sees itself as a partner for training, consulting, continuing education, and support for skilled trades businesses—from starting a business through on-the-job training to earning a master craftsman’s certificate. Its range of responsibilities extends from advocating for the interests of the skilled trades in policy-making to securing a skilled workforce, digitalization, and sustainability consulting, as well as operating its own training centers offering master craftsman courses and continuing education seminars. In addition, it provides services such as an apprenticeship exchange, a tradespeople search, and a construction dispute resolution service, and supports the next generation of skilled tradespeople through campaigns like “Always Be Yourself.”

For more information, please visit the website https://www.hwk-do.de/