What secrets does this solemn figure hold? Here we stand before the Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935. It stands as a stark reminder of a tragic event. This memorial honors seventeen miners who perished. They died in a coal dust explosion. The explosion followed a firedamp incident. It happened at the Adolf von Hansemann mine. The mine was in Mengede.
The Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935 is more than just a statue. It is a testament to the dangers faced by miners. It also honors their resilience. The Gelsenkirchen Mining Corporation commissioned the memorial. They tasked sculptor Wilhelm Wulff with its creation. Architect Fritz Schupp handled the overall design. He had previously designed Shaft 12 of the Zollverein Coal Mine. He worked with Martin Kremmer.
Wilhelm Wulff completed the Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935 in 1936. The bronze figure stands on a stone base. It is approximately 2.4 meters tall. The Bergmann is shown with his head lowered. His hair is neatly combed. He holds his hat. It rests in front of his broad muscular upper body. An accumulator-powered mine lamp is in his right hand. This symbolizes his work as a miner. It also represents the modern workplace of the time.
The Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935 has a heroic quality. It is emphasized by the miner’s physicality. His legs are wide. This stance creates a powerful image.
On July 19, 1936, the memorial was unveiled. Dr. Ernst Brandi was the mine director. He revealed the Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935. Family members attended. Fellow miners were there. Higher mining officials and members of the SS were present. The Hitler Youth and leaders of the German Labour Front also attended.
Newspapers of the time used phrases like “heroes of labor”. They also wrote of a “battlefield of work”. The term “fallen” was used too. These phrases linked miners to soldiers. Jürgen Zänker highlighted this connection in “Heimat Dortmund”.
The Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935 stands on the Mengede cemetery. Fifteen simple sandstone slabs lie on the grass. They mark the graves. Two other miners were buried elsewhere.
The Grab- und Gedenkmal für die Opfer eines Grubenunglücks von 1935 serves as a poignant symbol. It represents loss and remembrance. It also recognizes the contribution of miners. They risked their lives daily.