Here stands the Hammerkopfturm Minister Stein Schacht 4 Emil Kirdorf a silent giant. This tower once symbolized the heart of Dortmund’s mining industry. Today it reminds us of the Zeche Minister Stein’s rich past.
The Zeche Minister Stein was founded in 1856. Theodor Sprenger and Heinrich Grimberg were its founders. In 1871 it was named after the Prussian minister Karl Freiherr vom Stein. By 1878 the mine produced over 100000 tons annually.
Friedrich Grillo acquired the mine during the economic crisis of the 1870s. He also owned the neighboring Zeche Fürst Hardenberg. Both mines merged becoming Vereinigte Stein & Hardenberg. The Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-AG became the new owner.
Between 1923 and 1926 Minister Stein expanded. It became a large-scale mine with four shafts. In 1926 the Hammerkopfturm was erected over Shaft 4. This was Germany’s first steel tower designed for two simultaneous mining operations.
In 1925 a firedamp explosion claimed 136 lives. A memorial was erected in 1927 to honor the miners. The Dortmund sculptor Friedrich Bagdons designed it.
The mine reached its peak in 1929. It produced over 1.6 million tons that year. After Shaft 6 opened in 1941 Minister Stein became the largest mine in the Ruhr area. It produced 3.67 million tons annually and employed 6820 people.
World War II severely damaged the mine through bombing. In 1945 Minister Stein and Fürst Hardenberg separated again. Production at Minister Stein resumed in 1946. In 1953 the mine became part of the Dortmunder Bergbau AG. Later it became part of the Ruhrkohle AG.
In 1958 Shaft 7 opened reaching a depth of 730 meters. Zeche Fürst Hardenberg was connected a year later. Post-war production ranged from 2 to 2.7 million tons per year. Minister Stein and Fürst Hardenberg were the first to strike during the wild strikes of 1969.
At the end of the 1960s left-wing groups tried to revive communist traditions. They agitated against the Ruhrkohle AG.
The mine was indirectly affected by the decline of the Ruhr area mines. It absorbed relocated miners. In the early 1980s plans were made for a new level. However geological disturbances made mining unprofitable. The mine’s coal reserves significantly decreased.
In 1985 large amounts of water entered Shaft 6. The pumps struggled to cope with the influx.
The last coal was mined at Minister Stein in 1987. It was the last active mine in Dortmund. Today the Hammerkopfturm serves as a landmark. It reminds us of Eving’s long mining history. It is a listed building in Dortmund.
A plan to convert Minister Stein into an underground landfill failed. Public protests prevented it.
Emil Kirdorf was a significant figure in the mining industry. He supported the Nazi Party.
The Hammerkopfturm Minister Stein Schacht 4 Emil Kirdorf stands as a monument to Dortmund’s industrial heritage. It represents both innovation and the human cost of mining. It reminds us of the past. It shapes our understanding of the present.