Kolonie Zollverein III

What echoes linger in the rows of Kolonie Zollverein III? This miners’ colony, also known as Schlägel & Eisen, whispers tales of a time when coal dust painted the sky. Right here before us stand the remnants of a community built on the back of industry. Kolonie Zollverein III, the youngest of three colliery colonies in Essen-Katernberg, began its life in 1880. The colony was strategically placed for the workers and officials of Shaft III of the Zollverein colliery, providing easy access to Shafts 1/2 as well. The streets themselves, Schlägel and Eisen, are named after the miners’ tools, hammer and iron. These names also became synonymous with the settlement itself. Kolonie Zollverein III was a place of stark contrasts, where worker and official houses stood distinctly apart. The Schlägelstrasse housed the workers, initially in eight houses. The slightly elevated Ückendorfer Strasse held four houses for the officials, reflecting the social hierarchy of the time. Kolonie Zollverein III offers a glimpse into the lives of these families. The initial worker houses deviated from the traditional cross-shaped floor plan used in other colonies. Four families still shared a roof. However, two apartments had entrances at the front, while the other two retained their entrances on the gable side. Each apartment had two rooms on the ground and upper floors, with a fifth in the attic of the rear annex. This annex, used for small livestock and the privy, now attached directly to the house, presented its own set of challenges. The close proximity led to unpleasant odors, a stark contrast to the previous design where these outbuildings were further away in the garden. Another drawback was the varying apartment sizes due to wasted space for hallways. This difference prompted complaints from the tenants. Consequently, while the first eight houses on Eisenstrasse followed the same layout, those built after 1901 reverted to the proven cross-shaped plan. They also incorporated the detached outbuildings once again. These later houses showcased more varied facades, some with plaster details. The officials’ houses on Ückendorfer Strasse, although built with the same brick construction, boasted larger floor plans, greater comfort, and more elaborate facades. These facades incorporated decorative lentils and various cornices, showcasing their elevated status. Around the turn of the century, additional two-story houses emerged, featuring elaborate roofs and small turrets, further solidifying the distinction between workers and officials. Kolonie Zollverein III remains as a testament to a bygone era. A place where the rhythm of daily life was dictated by the clang of hammers and the glow of the furnaces, a world captured in the bricks and mortar before you.