Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
Once the largest coal mine in Europe, the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex has been inscribed into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The industrial complex is a symbol of the transformation of the Ruhr area from an industrial region to a cultural landscape.
The form of the architecture of the Zollverein Coal Mine follows the function within the meaning of the Bauhaus style. The formal language, which was decisive for modern industrial architecture, consists of cubic buildings and red brick facades of monumental size.
On the site, which is open to the public, mines and shaft towers can be found among restaurants and cafes. After the last labourer worked in the mine in the 1980s, the Zollverein was discovered by the cultural sector. The Ruhr museum, which opened in 2010, is a reminder of the original utilisation of the Zollverein, as the rest of the architecture. Visitors get an insight in the natural and cultural history of the Ruhr area in the museum.
The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex has its origins in the 19th century. It produced 12.000 tons of coal annually. After the construction of a new industrial complex in 1932, this amount of coal could be produced per day. Thus, the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex initiated the transformation of an entire region. The Ruhr became one of Europe’s largest metropolitan areas and the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, today symbol of the transformation of the Ruhr, a monument of efficiency.
