Far from the bustling city center, here stands Luftschacht Margarete. This seemingly unassuming structure carries echoes of Dortmund’s rich industrial past.
Luftschacht Margarete, or Margarete Ventilation Shaft, was once part of the Vereinigte Margarethe coal mine. The mine started its life as an older adit mine, which saw activity with many interruptions between 1783 and 1843. In 1856, the Aplerbecker Aktien-Verein für Bergbau mining company took over the mine and started its underground development from 1859. From 1860, the mined material was transported to the station in Dortmund Aplerbeck with a horse-drawn railway.
The Margarethe Luftschacht itself was sunk in 1899. Its purpose was simple yet vital. It served as a ventilation shaft. Fresh air flowed into the depths. Stale air escaped. This ensured the miners below could breathe and work safely.
Imagine the scene. The year is 1900. Miners descend into the earth daily. They rely on this shaft for their very lives. The air down there would be thick with coal dust. The deeper they went, the harder it got.
The Vereinigte Margarethe mine had its ups and downs. It faced initial struggles but eventually prospered. In 1905, modern technology found its way into the mine. Radschrämmaschinen, a type of cutting machine, were introduced. Electric locomotives followed in 1906.
By 1913, the mine reached peak production. It extracted 328,096 tons of coal. On average, it was about 150,000 to 210,000 tons per year.
But the good times did not last. In 1919, the Gebrüder Stumm GmbH acquired the mine. Instead of investing in new equipment, they chose to prioritize profit. They invested well the profits they made. In 1926, the mine closed due to alleged unprofitability. Some say the closure was politically motivated. The owners may have wanted to increase production at their other mine in Lünen.
The closure was a disaster for the local community of Sölde. It led to its incorporation into Dortmund. Protests were futile. Even a court ruling confirming the mine’s profitability could not save it.
The Margarethe Luftschacht was abandoned along with the mine in 1926 and backfilled. In 2003, the Holzwickede working group cleared the shaft for viewing purposes. A derrick was erected over the shaft, which however did not exist here during operation.
Today, the Luftschacht Margarete stands as a memorial. It reminds us of the coal mining era. It also symbolizes the hard work and sacrifices of the miners. The mines at the southern edge of the Ruhr area disappeared during the first major mining crisis in the 1920s. Only a few larger companies survived until the crisis of the 1960s. The last ones were shut down in the 1970s.
Take a moment to appreciate this piece of Dortmund’s industrial heritage. It serves as a reminder of the past. It also symbolizes the resilience of the human spirit.