Here, where the Media Markt parking lot now lies, once stood the proud Zeche Anna. Close your eyes briefly. Can you hear the mine?
Zeche Anna was a coal mine in Essen-Altenessen. It represents a significant chapter in the region’s industrial past. Let’s delve into its story.
Several mining fields southwest of Altenessen merged in 1842. They took the name Zeche Anna. A mining company of the same name was founded.
In 1845, the sinking of a shaft named Anna began. It was north of the Altenessen train station. Technical difficulties led to a halt in all work the following year. The company had to liquidate.
The Kölner Bergwerks-Verein acquired the assets of the Anna company in 1847. In the same year, they started sinking a new shaft Anna. This was right on today’s Gladbecker Straße.
The shaft reached the coal deposits in 1849. By 1851, it was ready to begin production. A Malakow tower was constructed above the shaft.
A coking plant for processing the extracted coal was established in 1857. The Kölner Bergwerks-Verein then expanded its mining property. It stretched north toward the Emscher River.
In 1872, the Zeche Emil-Emscher was built. It was originally intended as an addition to Zeche Anna. By 1880, a coking plant replaced the old coke pile next to the Anna shaft. Production increased to 120,000 tons annually.
In 1895, the Malakow tower above the Anna shaft was replaced. It was replaced with a steel headframe. From 1896 to 1901, a ventilation shaft was sunk beside the Anna shaft. This shaft had no hoisting equipment. Production reached 220,000 tons with 900 employees.
After the new Emil 1/2 central conveyor system went into operation in 1905, the Zeche Anna started to decline. A connecting tunnel was built. It linked the Anna mine to the Emil 1/2 shaft system.
The long-term plan was to consolidate production at Emil 1/2. In 1911, coal extraction at Anna ceased. It was completely shifted to Emil.
The Anna 1/2 shafts became the Zeche Emil-Emscher’s rope and ventilation shaft system. The shafts remained in this role until 1952 and 1970.
In 1970, the Anna-Carl mining area was abandoned. The remaining surface facilities were demolished. Today, the former mine site at the intersection of Gladbecker Straße and Krablerstraße is used for commercial buildings.
Protective canopies mark the locations of Shafts 1 and 2. You can find them in the parking lot of the Media Markt. These serve as silent reminders of Zeche Anna’s rich past. They are here for everyone to see.