Coal, celebrated once as a source of energy, today, is unprofitable. At the coal mine Prosper-Haniel in Bottrop, the last layer is moved. An exhibition in the Ruhr area shows where it is worth to remember.
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On the trail of the coal – What remains when the last mine closes?
Seven tons, the biggest stone coal that was ever promoted. Thus, the coal mine Prosper-Haniel in Bottrop is a monument. The end of this year is closed with the Prosper-Haniel mine the last coal mine, at 15. August, the last layer of hazards. “The miners wanted to create a piece of memorabilia,” said Axel Heimsoth, scientists at the Ruhr Museum in Essen, and one of the 10 curators of the exhibition “the age of coal – A European history”. For the exhibition the Ruhr have done Museum in Essen and the German Museum of mining, in order to present in the mixing plant of the coking plant at Zeche Zollverein in Essen, more than 1200 such pieces of memorabilia from across Europe.
Each exhibit has its history
A Shoe with a special history
As such, the Shoe that saved a victim of the miner’s life. In his Shoe, he started the soup, which was poured through a ventilation pipe in the manhole. The only way he could survive. Or the many ink bottles. They are witness to the versatility of the charcoal, which not only served the power generation and steel production, but also in the chemical of importance. Coal-to-synthetic dyes were used to produce. The coined the Slogan “coal is what makes life more colorful”. Synthetically-derived extracts from coal tar, a waste product of coal combustion, were also used for the plastics industry and the production of medicines.
Coal makes the world more colorful with synthetically produced pigments
Never again war with the coal and steel
An important policy document in the joint exhibition of the Ruhr Museum Essen and the Museum of mining in Bochum, the original contract for the coal and steel Union between France, Italy, Germany and the Benelux countries. The signatories agreed that they wanted to lead with coal and steel, the serving device for the production of weapons and war, never war.
Miners searched for in the British mining industry
All Nations were affected by the destruction caused by the war and decided to solve their energy problems at pan-European level. In 1951 the ECSC was founded, the European coal and steel community, in the the joined States signatories to the so-called coal and steel Union. Out of this Alliance arose, in 1957 the European economic community and the beginning of the 1990s the EU.
After the second world war the demand for coal in Europe was great. There had been a “coal famine,” says Axel Heimsoth. Everywhere the miners were searched, also in Germany. Posters from different countries show how to attracted with special rations and better pay, prospective miners. Only from neighboring European countries, also from Turkey and the African countries.
Wave of migration by the mining
“It was important for us to show in the exhibition that 100,000 people have cross settled on Europe, which had to be integrated.” Even if just in the Ruhr area is always the solidarity of the workers underground is summoned, so many would be miners migrated over the decades in everyday life is often rejection and Aggression know, says Heimsoth. Nevertheless, the work in the mining industry have also driven the Integration. “The Ruhr poles were not popular in the Ruhr area for a long time. You have still settled here, and partly also their own clubs founded.”
Strong unions for miners
Since miners were in demand as workers, strengthened their self-confidence. In the case of the founding of the ECSC, the participation of the miners was taken into account. They had, with the support of the unions full participation in decisions. As the end of the 1950s, the coal mines, again, should be dismantled and the mining industry had to be subsidised by the state, resulted in strikes in France and protests in Germany, the parting from the coal, it should last 60 years.
As Gerhard Klammer 1959 started in the mining industry, had begun in the coal mine to die already, “Because it was the first holiday of the layers (short-time working, Anm. the editorial team) and the Reputation of the mining industry declined.” In addition, each had to pay his electricity bill, the so-called “coal penny”, to support the mining industry. “People thought: ‘Why should we support the mining industry. Others will not be supported.”
View into a hopper of the mixing plant, which serves as an exhibition space
Many cities in the Ruhr area are characterised by unemployment. Of the 128 Mines in Germany in the mid-50s, there was the end of the 70s, only 20. That all delivery is to minimise the social impact of the Ruhr coal AG (RAG), which is also involved in the Essen exhibition.
Structural change at the Zollverein coal mine
In many Mines, Gerhard clamp was engaged, first as an apprentice, then as an engineer, and most recently as a reviewer and expert. Today, the pensioners, guests leader on the monument path Zollverein coal mine. The biggest colliery in Europe was laid abandoned in 1986 and has managed the structural transformation of the coal industry to the industrial culture. It is today a world heritage site.
Gerhard Klammer regrets the end of coal in Germany. He was the heart and soul of the miner, even if the work was not always easy. “Working underground is difficult, there are areas where it is very hot and very dusty, although it has done a lot to ensure that the dust is bound by moisture. The white clothes in the Morning was in the evening, always black,” he says.
The culture of remembrance true
For the miners to Prosper-Haniel layer is in August, “in the pit”
Miners tell in the exhibition of their work and life in Interviews and documentaries that are seen on monitors. The curatorial team wants to capture their stories in combination with the objects and bring them to life. “The big Problem will be that you can make films only for the part of the Serious and the Depressing of this work visible,” says curator Axel Heimsoth.
With each colliery, which was closed, the Ruhr Museum Essen, and the Museum of mining in Bochum, the new memory objects for their collections. But to really end the age of coal for a long time. In other countries, will continue to be supported and in Germany imported. The environmental damage in the nature and the climate will still be noticeable for a long time. The RAG has to take care of the mining damage to roads and houses due to sagging floors. The rising toxic mine water in the mines has to be pumped out for all times. Also on Zeche Zollverein, because otherwise the entire world would come to a heritage site, eight meters under the water. Also the lasting memories of the age of coal.
The exhibition “the age of coal – A European story” in the mixing plant of the coking plant of the Zollverein coal mine in Essen goes up to 11. November 2018.