Zeche M/Heinz is a huge abandoned Bergwerk or coal mine in Germany. The underground pits extend great distances, and above ground the industrial site for processing the hard coal is certainly large-scale. The site has developed over the years so the complex of buildings and machinery are a combination of modern technology alongside older techniques.
A huge 55 meter tall tower houses two electric motors and winding gear for hoisting the miners and equipment into and out of the mineshaft. Each has its own control room to add to the epic look!
There are several rooms for the baskets in which the miners stored their clothing and personal belongings while they were mining. Each basket can the drawn up to the ceiling, out of reach, and locked in place to ensure the security of the items they contain.
The coal processing plant is extensive and contains a network of conveyors for transporting the coal around the site. Some of the machines are clearly older than others and some appear to have been out of commission for a lot longer than the the site has been closed.
Our Visit
This turned out to be quite an epic trip! In the company of Spider Monkey, we got the overnight ferry to Rotterdam, having lots of fun on the crossing, roof-topping the ship and trying to get to the engine rooms! We made the journey to Germany for an early start at the mine, and spent the whole day exploring the massive place. We didn’t venture into the mine itself, above-ground there was so much to see, each area being completely different – it was like several explores in one! The baskets were amazing, and there were so many of them – bringing home just how many people used to work there. The highlight, however, was the green electric motors for hoisting things up and down the mineshaft. This was certainly one of my favourite industrial explores.
A huge 55 meter tall tower houses two electric motors and winding gear for hoisting the miners and equipment into and out of the mineshaft. Each has its own control room to add to the epic look!
There are several rooms for the baskets in which the miners stored their clothing and personal belongings while they were mining. Each basket can the drawn up to the ceiling, out of reach, and locked in place to ensure the security of the items they contain.
The coal processing plant is extensive and contains a network of conveyors for transporting the coal around the site. Some of the machines are clearly older than others and some appear to have been out of commission for a lot longer than the the site has been closed.
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Our Visit
This turned out to be quite an epic trip! In the company of Spider Monkey, we got the overnight ferry to Rotterdam, having lots of fun on the crossing, roof-topping the ship and trying to get to the engine rooms! We made the journey to Germany for an early start at the mine, and spent the whole day exploring the massive place. We didn’t venture into the mine itself, above-ground there was so much to see, each area being completely different – it was like several explores in one! The baskets were amazing, and there were so many of them – bringing home just how many people used to work there. The highlight, however, was the green electric motors for hoisting things up and down the mineshaft. This was certainly one of my favourite industrial explores.
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