What whispers from the steel of this sculpture? It is Lore der ehem. Zeche Victoria Mathias. This memorial marks the spot of a once-mighty coal mine. The Zeche Victoria Mathias played a significant role in Essen’s industrial history.
Let’s journey back to 1839. Mathias Stinnes staked his claim on the Mathias and Victoria fields. In 1840, he founded the Gewerkschaft Victoria Mathias. Mining began that same year at the Mathias shaft near Essen’s old town.
By 1845, the fields consolidated. They became known as Victoria Mathias. The mine covered three square kilometers. Schacht Mathias reached a depth of over 50 Lachtern. The first level was at 107 meters.
The mine began production in 1845. Work continued and the shaft deepened. A second level was set at 136 meters in the same year. To ventilate the mine, a small shaft was bored next to Mathias. It measured 30 inches across.
In 1847, another ventilation shaft was added with the same dimensions. The Zeche Victoria Mathias opened a coal washing facility in 1849. It was the first in the Ruhr region. Shaft Mathias kept getting deeper in 1850. The third level was set at 183 meters in 1851. In 1856, work continued to deepen Schacht Mathias.
In 1857, work began on the Gustav shaft. It was about 400 meters northeast of Mathias. In 1858, Gustav hit bedrock at 84 meters. It was reinforced with masonry. The fourth level was set at Mathias at 218 meters in the same year. In 1858, the Georg Mathias field was granted. Also in 1858, the Gustav shaft opened.
In 1859, the ventilation level was set in the Gustav shaft. It aligned with the second level of the Mathias shaft. In 1861, the first level was set at 237 meters in the Gustav shaft. The Gustav shaft began production that year. Mining caused significant damage in Essen. The Gewerkschaft paid compensation, hurting the mine’s finances.
By 1862, the mine was the largest in the Düsseldorf region. It employed 1,009 people. They mined 1,177,286 Prussian tons of coal. In 1875, the Mathias shaft stopped hoisting coal. It became a ventilation shaft. From then on, the mine had only one hoisting shaft.
The Gustav shaft reached 336 meters in 1876. The fourth level was set. In 1878, the fifth level was set at 397 meters. In 1884, a connection was made to the Graf Beust and Friedrich Ernestine mines.
Despite damage costs, the mine still made a profit in 1886. In 1887, the ventilation shaft on Hofterberg was filled. In 1890, the coking plant was purchased. It had been built by Mathias Stinnes. The plant had 70 coke ovens.
In 1891, Hugo Stinnes took over management of the family’s mining operations. In 1892, a firedamp explosion killed three miners. In the same year, the Gustav shaft received a new hoisting machine.
In 1893, the Mathias shaft was abandoned due to its small size. It was filled to the seventh level. Also in 1893, a compressor was installed for compressed air.
In 1895, the eighth level was set. In 1896, work began to create Shaft 2. It was 60 meters south of Shaft Gustav. A mine fan was installed for ventilation.
In 1898, the mine decided to sink another hoisting shaft. Before it was finished, Shaft Gustav failed. On August 19, Shaft Gustav collapsed. Seven miners died during repair attempts. Operations stopped immediately. Shaft Gustav was refilled and sunk again.
In 1898, the field was divided into Victoria Mathias and Essen III. Hugo Stinnes built the first RWE power plant on the mine site. In 1900, both Gustav and Victoria Mathias 2 shafts were producing.
In 1965, the Zeche Victoria Mathias closed. Today, the site is redeveloped with housing and businesses. The RWE power plant is now the Essen-Innenstadt district heating plant. In 2012, RWE named an offshore wind turbine installation vessel Victoria Mathias.
This sculpture honors the mine’s history and the people who worked here. It reminds us of Essen’s industrial past.