Beneath this solemn presence lies a tale of bravery and tragedy. This is the Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk. It stands as a memorial to the victims of a mining disaster.
The Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk is a somber reminder. It marks the site of a mass grave. Here lie the remains of miners who perished in a devastating accident. This Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk stands in Dortmund-Kirchlinde.
On May 22 1898 Zeche Zollern I/III was struck by disaster. A deep underground fire claimed lives. Forty-eight miners and twenty-five pit ponies died. The fourth level of the mine collapsed. The Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks AG operated the mine.
The Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk was erected in November 1898. It is a black obelisk. It stands on a two-tiered base. The Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk is located in Olleroh. This is an old section of the Protestant cemetery in Marten.
This Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk is about 3.5 meters tall. The base supports the postament and obelisk. The base measures one meter wide and one meter deep. The postament measures 0.6 meters wide and 0.65 meters high. The obelisk has the following dimensions. It measures 2.15 meters in height. It is 0.45 meters wide and 0.45 meters deep.
The inscription honors the brave miners. Schlegel und Eisen symbols surround the words. A cross frames the inscription. “Den am 22. Mai 1898 auf Zeche Zollern verungl\u00fcckten braven Bergleuten gewidmet von der Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks Actien Gesellschaft”. This translates to “Dedicated by the Gelsenkirchen Mining Company to the brave miners who died on May 22 1898 at Zeche Zollern”. The inscription emphasizes obedience and diligence. Eleven names are listed on the west and east sides. The back remains blank.
Evangelical miners were buried in Marten. They were separated by confession. Twenty other victims rest in Kirchlinde. They are interred in the Catholic cemetery. There stands an identical obelisk. The inscription is the same.
Obelisks have symbolized power for millennia. Since the Napoleonic Wars they mark war memorials. Jürgen Zänker noted this in a 2007 essay. The miners become “soldiers at the work front”. Mining symbols replace oak leaves and swords.
The Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk reminds us of the dangers faced by miners. It also shows the community’s respect. The memorial immortalizes the men who toiled beneath the earth. They gave their lives to fuel industry. This Ehrenmal f\u00fcr die Opfer des Grubenungl\u00fccks am 22.5.1898 Obelisk stands as a monument. It honors sacrifice. It ensures their stories will never be forgotten.