Beneath our feet lies a story of coal dust. It is a story of the Zeche Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank. This mine in Dortmund-Kruckel and Witten-Rüdinghausen consolidated several independent mines in 1850.
The Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank was a key player in the Rhenish-Westphalian Coal Syndicate. It became one of the most important mines in the Arnsberg region during the 19th century.
Let’s delve into its past. The Zeche Wiendahlsbank merged with Wiendahlsbank No. 4. It also merged with Güldener Mond, Rosalie, and Westermannsbank in 1850. They united under the name Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank. The Gewerkschaft Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank operated the mine. Exploratory work began in 1851. In 1853, they acquired parts of Johannes Erbstollen and Mit Gott gewagt. They started sinking a vertical shaft. This shaft was northwest of Kruckel in the Hamburg basin. It was south of the Bergisch-Märkische Railway.
In 1854, the shaft reached the adit level at 20 meters. The first level was established in 1855 at 50 meters. Preparatory work started on this level. In 1857, the second level was set at 105 meters. Another shaft was sunk 70 meters south of the first in 1858. It was sunk to the first level. This marked the transition to deep mining for the Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank.
Production started in 1858. Preparatory work continued on the exposed seams. Crosscuts were driven north and south on the ventilation level. The mining authority ordered safety pillars. These were to protect the railway line above. By 1861, the crosscuts had advanced further. New seams were accessed. In 1866, work began on a dipping shaft. In 1869, a water pumping machine failed. A plunger pipe burst on the 20-inch pressure pump. The auxiliary pump was also damaged. Divers repaired the machines. Operations halted for three weeks due to the water issue.
In 1870, the fields acquired from Johannes Erbstollen merged with Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank. The Holthausen-Wiendahlsbank field was purchased from Zeche Holthausen. In 1872, sinking began on the Friedrich shaft next to the first Wilhelm shaft. Friedrich was intended as a production shaft. Wilhelm became the water management shaft.
In 1873, Friedrich shaft encountered strong water inflows at 130 meters. Sinking stopped. Production started from the second level. In 1877, work resumed on the Wilhelm shaft. The third level was established at 209 meters. By 1878, the Friedrich shaft was deepened to the third level. A lease secured mining rights in the Holthausen field for 25 years in 1880. Around 1885, Vereinigte Hamburg’s Ardey & Wiendahlsbank I-III fields were acquired. In 1888, the abandoned Zeche Johannes Erbstollen was purchased.
In 1889, Dortmunder Louise Tiefbau AG acquired a majority stake in Gewerkschaft Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank. Under new management, Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank modernized in the 1890s. In 1892, the fourth level was established in the Friedrich shaft at 316 meters. The Wilhelm shaft was deepened. The fifth level was set at 401 meters. A coal washing plant and briquette factory began operating above ground in 1895. By 1897, the northern crosscut reached seams 9, 10, 11, and 12.
The fields Ardey & Wiendahlsbank I-III consolidated into Vereinigte Ardey and Wiendahlsbank. They formed an operating unit with Zeche Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank. The total claim area was 7.9 km2. In 1907, the roles of the Friedrich and Wilhelm shafts switched. Friedrich became a ventilation shaft. Wilhelm became the production shaft. The sixth level was established in the blind shaft at 542 meters.
In 1908, Deutsch-Luxemburgische Bergwerks- und Hütten-AG acquired Louise Tiefbau. This included Zeche Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank. On February 1, 1909, the mining union dissolved. The Wilhelm shaft was deepened again. The sixth level was established at 658 meters. A small field section from the closed Zeche Louise Tiefbau was acquired. This included the Schulte shaft. It reopened as a ventilation shaft.
During World War I, Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank was overexploited. By the 1920s, it was technically outdated. The company decided to close several unprofitable mines. Coal dust explosions killed six miners on April 11, 1924. Another explosion killed six more on June 2. The upper fat coal sections were depleted. The mine increasingly produced steam coal. There was not enough demand. Zeche Vereinigte Wiendahlsbank closed on August 16, 1924. The mine flooded. The shafts were backfilled and surface facilities demolished in later years.
Today, the main administration building remains. It features a distinctive arched entrance. The facade has been cleaned and renovated. The former operational areas now host a sports field, school, shopping center, small businesses, and residences. A RWE transformer station stands on the mine’s spoil heap.