“Heinrich Schacht 3” echoes in the wind. It whispers tales of coal and community. This place was once the heart of the Zeche Heinrich mine. The Zeche Heinrich was a major player in Essen’s coal mining history. Imagine the scene in 1958. Heinrich Schacht 3 has just started taking over the entire production. Before that, shafts 1 and 2 were in operation. Shaft 1 was used for moving people. Shaft 2 was used for ventilation.
Heinrich Schacht 3 stretches 409 meters into the earth. Work was started in 1957. For over a century, coal was extracted here. It fueled the industries of the Ruhr region. The Gewerkschaft Heinrich was founded in 1809. It brought together smaller mines.
Did you know that Zeche Heinrich had a unique problem? The Rellinghauser Observanz meant landowners owned the coal. Disputes were common. Zeche Heinrich even had a legal fight with the Nachbarzeche Hoffnung. In 1847, they finally got permission for deep mining.
Heinrich 1 was sunk and went into production in 1852. Over time, Zeche Heinrich expanded. It acquired more mining fields. By 1884, Heinrich 1 had a German trestle frame. Production hit 100,000 tons of anthracite per year. Around 300 people were employed.
Between 1916 and 1918, Heinrich 2 was constructed. It had a brick winding tower and a steam winding engine. By then, production had risen. 210,000 tons of coal were produced each year. 1,000 workers were employed. A briquette factory opened in 1926. In 1929, Zeche Heinrich bought the Adler Bergbau-AG. By intensifying operations, production rose. It rose to 500,000 tons of coal annually. 1,400 people were employed.
After the war, in 1951, the Holthuser Tal ventilation shaft was sunk. In 1952, the Gewerkschaft Heinrich became Heinrich Bergbau-AG. In 1964, a mining association with Zeche Theodor was established.
Heinrich Schacht 3 took over all production in 1960. Shaft 1 remained a shaft for moving people. Shaft 2 was only used for ventilation. The Zeche Heinrich closed in 1968 due to the coal crisis. The shafts were filled. But Heinrich Schacht 3 was kept open for water management.
Today, Heinrich Schacht 3 still serves this function. The winding tower remains standing. It is a landmark on the Route der Industriekultur. The area around the mine has been redeveloped. Now it is a residential area.
But there is more to the story. The water pumped from Heinrich Schacht 3 serves as a drinking water reserve for Essen. It also protects Oberhausen from flooding. This is because Überruhr-Holthausen is higher than Oberhausen.
Heinrich Schacht 3 is a monument to Essen’s industrial past. But it is also a vital part of the city’s present. Next time you drink a glass of water in Essen, remember this place. Remember the miners who toiled below. Remember the story of Zeche Heinrich.