In 2021, the Friedrich Heinrich Colliery was added to the Route of Industrial Heritage as the 27th anchor point. As the only industrial monument west of the Rhine, it impressively blends nature with industrial heritage to create a unique experience space. The Friedrich Heinrich Colliery, the third major colliery founded on the left bank of the Rhine, has a fascinating history. Acquired in 1906 by a French banking group to secure raw materials for domestic ironworks, a double shaft with a coking plant was built from 1907 onwards, a uniquely spacious and prestigious design in the Ruhr mining industry. In 1924, the Lorraine-based De Wendel Group took over the colliery, before it was incorporated into Ruhrkohle AG in 1970.
Interesting milestones such as fully mechanized mining in August 1958, the world's first open-pit control station in the 1980s, and a world record in 1998 with a daily output of 20.262 tons bring the history of this mine to life. The merger of the Friedrich Heinrich/Rheinland and Niederberg mines to form the West Mine in 2002 was short-lived: On December 31, 2012, mining in the Lower Rhine region ended with the closure of the West Mine.
Since then, the area has been reinvented. For the 2020 State Garden Show, green spaces were redesigned and a zoo was integrated. The former mine buildings now house residential units, artists' studios, and a university. Visitors can explore the impressive winding tower, the authentic training tunnel, the miner's house, and the information center for the city and mining. The Friedrich Heinrich Mine Park is an innovative place that respects the past while simultaneously being an inspiring space for new ideas.
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