From this very spot, Kamin 5 towers. It rises sixty meters into the sky. This chimney stands as a testament to Essen’s industrial might. Do you feel its history?
Kamin 5 is part of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex. This complex was once a giant of European industry. The Zollverein Coal Mine was founded in 1847. Duisburg-born industrialist Franz Haniel needed coke for steel production. Test drilling revealed a rich coal seam in Katernberg. Haniel named his company after the German Customs Union.
Mining started in 1851. By 1890, Zollverein was Germany’s most productive mine. It produced one million tons of coal. The coal, iron, and steel industries flourished. The mine expanded significantly.
Ventilation problems caused firedamp which led to many accidents. To resolve this, additional ventilation shafts were opened. Years of renovation and expansion followed. By World War I, Zollverein produced about 2.5 million tons yearly.
In 1920, the Haniel family cooperated with Phönix AG. Later, Phönix merged into Vereinigte Stahlwerke. Zollverein then came under the control of Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-AG.
In 1928, a new central mining facility was constructed. Shaft 12 opened in 1932. It combined the output of eleven shafts. Its daily output was up to 12,000 tons. Architects Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer designed it. The Bauhaus design gained notice quickly. The Doppelbock winding tower became an archetype. It symbolized German heavy industry and the Ruhr area’s structural change.
By 1937, Zollverein employed 6,900 people. Its output was 3.6 million tons. Zollverein survived World War II with minor damage. In 1953, it was again Germany’s top mine. Its output reached 2.4 million tons. Renovations occurred until 1967. Then, eleven shafts closed, leaving Shaft 12 open.
Shaft 12 became the main supplier to the new central coking plant. This plant was also designed by Fritz Schupp. After expansion in the early 1970s, Zollverein was among the most productive coking plants. It had around 1,000 workers. Its output was up to 8,600 tons of coke daily.
In 1968, Zollverein was handed over to Ruhrkohle AG. RAG began further mechanization. In 1974, Zollverein joined nearby coal mines. The Flöz Sonnenschein coal layer was the last mined. In 1983, a complete closure was voted.
Zollverein was the last active coal mine in Essen when it closed. Mining stopped on December 23, 1986. The coking plant remained open until June 30, 1993. Although the central shaft of the Cultural Heritage site, Shaft 12 cannot be visited. It continues to drain water for the central Ruhr area, along with Shaft 2.
In late 1986, North Rhine-Westphalia bought the coal mine territory. They declared Shaft 12 a heritage site. In 2001, UNESCO declared the sites of Shafts 12 and 1/2 and the cokery a World Heritage Site.
Today, Kamin 5 stands tall. It is a symbol of Essen’s transformation. It is a reminder of its industrial past.