Das Ende des Bergwerks Anthrazit Ibbenbüren ⚒️

The History of the Ibbenbüren Mining District The Ibbenbüren mining district looks back on a history spanning almost 500 years. The near-surface location of the seams, which "outcrop" at the surface on the southern slope of the Carboniferous Escarpment, led to early mining of coal in hollows. The oldest surviving source on coal mining in the region dates back to 1564 and mentions a "Kohlenstätte" (coal pit) near Ibbenbüren. The advance of mining into the deeper reaches of the Ibbenbüren mining district required sophisticated water management. As early as the end of the 17th century, Walloon miners achieved a technical masterpiece with the construction of the Dickenberger Oberstollen (Dickenberg Upper Tunnel) as a drainage tunnel. They also introduced a new mining technique, pillar mining. In the mid-18th century, the Prussian state took over complete operation of the Ibbenbüren mines. The state expanded and professionalized coal production. At the beginning of the 19th century, another mine was added to the existing Dickenberg, Buchholz, and Schafberg mines: the Glücksburg mine. With the construction of the two-tubular Abendstern shaft in 1822, the first mechanical mining facility was created in the Ibbenbüren coalfield. On the eastern Schafberg, miners began sinking the Morgenstern shaft in 1824. Three years later, the district's second steam engine began operating there to raise the mine water. The Glücksburg colliery increasingly developed into the main mine in the coalfield through additional shafts, the merger with the Buchholz mine in 1846, and the expansion of the surface facilities. Canals as new sales channels The construction of the railway line through Ibbenbüren meant that from the 1850s onward, coal sales were primarily focused on rail transport. With the increasing expansion of waterways, milestones included the opening of the Dortmund-Ems Canal in 1899 and the construction of what is now the Mittelland Canal, which began in 1910, new sales opportunities opened up. The First World War marked a period of stagnation in the modernization of mining operations. In 1924, Preussag AG, founded only a year earlier, took over the Ibbenbüren mine. Subsequently, the mine was modernized with major investments. Technical Innovations In 1942, one of the most significant inventions in the field of mining technology was achieved at the mine: Konrad Grebe, a machine operator from Saarland, developed the so-called standard planer – also known as the Prussian planer – for mining in thin seams. Successor models of the coal planer are still used in coal mining worldwide today. As a result of the economic miracle, the workforce grew to more than 8,000 employees in the 1950s. Mining also reached new heights thanks to increasing mechanization with modern mining equipment, such as the coal plough. During this period, Ibbenbüren became a pioneer in fully mechanized German coal mining. In the 1950s, mining operations continued to expand into deeper depths. In addition to the Oeynhausen, Theodor, and Morgenstern shafts in the eastern field, the area also received a fourth shaft: the North Shaft. In 1952, the newly built Dörenthe waterworks took over the drinking water supply for the Preussag mines and the city of Ibbenbüren. The waterworks remains in operation today. Coal Crisis and Rationalization The coal crisis that began in the late 1950s also forced the Ibbenbüren mine to implement drastic rationalization measures. Given the ongoing sales problems, the end of the entire mining operation was only narrowly averted in 1973 through significant staff reductions and the agreed closure of the Westfeld in 1979. The construction of the new power plant, Block B, which began operations at the end of 1985 after a long political struggle, laid the essential foundation for the mine's continued existence until 2018. Approximately 80 percent of the coal production was used by today's RWE power plant to generate electricity. In January 1999, the Preussag Mine Ibbenbüren was transferred to Deutsche Steinkohle AG (DSK), and nine years later, the company's name was changed to RAG Anthrazit Ibbenbüren. In 2005, exploration work began to develop the Beustfeld, the mining of which was a key prerequisite for mining operations until the phase-out of hard coal mining in Germany. In August 2018, the last Ibbenbüren coal was mined in the Beustfeld region. Please continue to support us with likes and subscriptions. Good luck!