Feel the cool damp air on your skin. You stand before Graf Wittekind Stollen Nr 4. This unassuming entrance belies a rich history. Graf Wittekind Stollen Nr 4 is one of several tunnels of the Graf Wittekind mine. This mine operated from 1868 to 1900. It was a small operation. No more than ten miners worked there at any given time. They extracted the Sengsbank coal seam. This seam is about 50 centimeters thick.
The Graf Wittekind mine wasn’t the first to exploit this coal seam. Mining in Syburg dates back to 1582. Early miners used simple methods. They dug shallow pits near the surface. These were called Pingen. This early mining yielded only small quantities of coal.
Later mining moved underground. The Graf Wittekind mine used existing tunnels from the Schleifmühle mine. They expanded the tunnels further into the hillside. Miners used hand tools like pickaxes. They extracted coal from narrow passages.
The Graf Wittekind Stollen Nr 4 played a crucial role. It was one of the main access points to the mine. The coal extracted from other tunnels was brought here for transport to the surface. The tunnel also served as an air shaft. Interestingly it even served as an air raid shelter during World War II.
After the mine closed the entrance to Stollen Nr 4 was sealed. The reason was liability. The fear was people entering the unstable mine. It remained closed for many years.
Then in 1986 things changed. Members of a local mining history association discovered the Stollen Nr 4. They began painstaking work to clear the debris. They opened this Stollen and others to the public. Today Graf Wittekind Stollen Nr 4 is part of a visitor mine. You can explore a 500-meter section of the old mine. You can even try mining with pickaxes. The experience is a fascinating glimpse into the world of pre-industrial coal mining in the Ruhr region. It’s a reminder of the hard work of these early miners. Graf Wittekind Stollen Nr 4 stands as a testament to their enduring legacy.