The church was built on the Hellweg, a main Medieval road connecting the free imperial town Dortmund with others. Historians suspect that the visits of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa and his son Henry VI to the Imperial Palace in Dortmund led to the construction of the Marienkirche.

It was erected between 1170 and 1200 to serve the town's council and jurisdiction. It is the oldest extant church in Dortmund's inner city. Around 1350, a choir in Gothic architecture was built. It served as a model for the Reinoldikirche, which was built opposite of the road.

The church was destroyed in World War II, but rebuilt.


The Berswordt Altar

The paintings on the winged altarpiece date from before 1390 and depict the Annunciation to Mary on the exterior, while the interior depicts a Passion of Christ concentrated in three scenes. The name of the altarpiece goes back to the Berswordt family, whose coat of arms can be found in the corners.

The left panel of the aktar depicts Jesus Carrying the Cross. Simon of Cyrene is forced to help him. While the soldiers' servants beat him forward, several women mourn him.

The middle panel summarizes various episodes of Christ's crucifixion. It shows the collapse of Mary, supported by John. At the foot of the cross, demonic figures haggle over Jesus' robe. At the center of the middle panel is the cross with the dying Jesus, also depicting the lance thrust into his side. To the right and left of Jesus hang the thieves crucified with him. The soul of the repentant one is taken by an angel, that of the hardened one by a devil.

The right panel depicts the Deposition from the Cross. The action is limited to a few people, unlike the abundance of scenes in the central image. Joseph of Arimathea holds the body of Jesus in his arms, while others remove the nails from his feet with pliers and detach his left arm from the cross.

The painter unknown by name; he is referred to by the name "Master of the Berswordt Retable". It has been suggested that the altarpiece is an early work by Conrad von Soest, however, this is disputed.