The coat of arms of the Siegen district of Eiserfeld combines the history of the town with its mining tradition. It shows the entrance to the Reinhold Forster adit and part of the Siegen city coat of arms. It illustrates the great importance of the centre of Eiserfeld for ore mining. The iron ore mined in the region was the basis for the emergence of numerous smelting works and forges.

Source: regioport-siegerland.de/de/siegen/historische-spuren-in-eiserfeld

The Reinhold Forster Adit is probably the most prominent relic of mining history and an impressive monument to industrial culture. It first went into operation on the 21st of March 1805. It was used to develop the Tretenbach tunnels. This included numerous individual mines, including the Eisenzeche, Kirschenbaum, Schlänger & Eichert, Scheuer and Kalteborn. The tunnel owes its name to the naturalist and geologist Johann Reinhold Forster.

From the 4th of October 1839, it was owned by the royal family. On the 5th of November 1842, it was granted the rights as the ‘Royal Reinhold Forster Adit’ to reach mines such as the Eisenzecher, Pfannenberger and Römeler. In 1865, the adit finally became the property of the Eisenzecher mines.

With a total length of 7,597.5 metres (including side passages), the Reinhold Forster Adit is one of the longest adits in North Rhine-Westphalia, measured from the entrance to the Kaiserschacht. Only the Schlebuscher Adit southeast of Bochum is longer. The tunnel ceased operation in 1902. During its construction, several hundred tonnes of iron ore and small quantities of copper ore were extracted.

Like many other tunnels in what is now the Siegen urban area, the Reinhold Forster adit was used as a refuge from air raids during the Second World War in 1944/45. It provided protection for the citizens of Eiserfeld in particular during this difficult time. Today, a residential area stands on the site of the Kaiserschacht, where the conveyor systems once stood.
After its closure, the tunnel served as an explosives depot for commercial purposes until 1977. Today, it is accessible over a length of 470 metres and has been open to the public as a show mine since 1983. The Reinhold Forster Adit is thus a technical monument and an impressive testimony to the mining history of the Siegerland region.

Carl Dresler Tower 
The Carl Dresler Tower is located directly next to the entrance to the Reinhold Forster Adit. It was named after the mine director Carl-Wilhelm Dresler and was part of the old adit.

Source: www.gewerkschaft-eisenzecher-zug.de/besucherbergwerk

Another testament to Eiserfeld's industrial heritage is the Eiserfeld Heritage House. This half-timbered house, which is over 300 years old and located in the old town centre of Eiserfeld, displays exhibits and photographs illustrating the history of mining, the iron industry and agriculture. Opening hours: From February to November, every second Sunday of the month from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment for groups and school classes. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.

Source: www.siegen-wittgenstein.info/de/poi/museum/eiserfelder-heimathaus/6036622

Another remnant of industrial culture is the sand dump in Hubach. The slag heap was first mentioned in 1463 in connection with the Eiserfeld ironworks.

This was one of two ironworks in the local area. In 1847, the ironworks was completely rebuilt and equipped with a modern cylinder blower. A steam blower was purchased as early as 1856. Ten years later, the smelter was completely modernised and expanded. The Güthing & Co. union built a new blast furnace with wind heaters as well as a steam boiler and blower machine. Due to the continuous operation of the smelter, there was soon a lack of space for unloading the slag. The smelter workers therefore leased a large piece of woodland opposite the smelter and transported the slag there. This slag heap is still clearly visible today. After the construction of the Eisern-Siegen railway and the connection of the smelter in 1883, it experienced a strong upswing. 

In 1913, it was converted into a public limited company. On the 1st of July 1918, Kölsch-Flözer-Werke in Siegen acquired the smelter. Between 1923 and 1937, the smelter could not be operated due to a lack of sales. Despite the standstill, investments continued and a turbo blower was installed in 1925/26. In 1935, the smelter was transferred to Gontermann-Peipers AG in Siegen.

Source: www.regioport-siegerland.de/de/siegen/historische-spuren-in-eiserfeld

The Eisenzecher Zug mine was one of the largest and deepest iron ore mines in the Siegerland mining district and was at times even one of the most important in Europe. With over 20 connected individual mines, it formed one of the largest mining associations in the region. In 1789, mining and metallurgical engineer Johann Philipp Becher reverently described it as the ‘queen of iron ore mines’.

The Eisenzecher Gangzug extended for around two kilometres in a north-east to south-west direction. In addition to the mines that later belonged to the associated mine, other companies were also active on this ore vein – above all the later Concordia operating division near Dermbach. In the area of the Eisenzecher tunnel, the vein was 258 metres long and between 8 and 18 metres thick; in the Reinhold-Forster-Erbstollen tunnel, the length was reduced to 124 metres, while the thickness there increased to 16 to 24 metres.

From 1900 onwards, a phase of continuous modernisation began: in 1910, new winding towers were built, a twin winding machine was purchased for the Kaiserschacht and Shaft II, and ore transport was henceforth carried out using traction locomotives. Electrically powered centrifugal pumps kept the mine water at bay, and pneumatic hammers made mining easier. A simple processing plant and 32 roasting furnaces were built, supplemented in 1912 by an electromagnetic processing plant. The workforce grew from 780 miners in 1901 to 920 in 1905, 700 of whom worked in underground mining. Ore production increased steadily: between 1901 and 1910, 2.1 million tonnes were extracted, and in 1914, annual production peaked at 313,106 tonnes.

In 1914, Hoesch AG from Dortmund took over the mine. Despite a record workforce of 1,100 workers, operations had to be suspended on 18 November 1923 as a result of the economic crisis. A brief resumption of production ended in 1932 with another closure. Since 1 May 1930, the mine had been under the administration of Storch & Schöneberg. In 1934, 600 miners were working here again, and by 1939 the number had risen to 654. In 1943, there were 820, but just one year later, operations were shut down.
After the end of the war, the mine resumed operations in 1945. The main shaft, which had been flooded with water down to the 970-metre level, was pumped dry. In June 1946, the processing plant also started up again. With 355 employees, 18,584 tonnes of iron ore, 39 tonnes of copper ore and 81 tonnes of pyrite were mined that year – modest quantities compared to earlier times.

In 1953, the mine was incorporated into Erzbergbau Siegerland AG. A year later, the Kaiserschacht shaft, which had been in use until then, reached a total depth of 1,343.33 metres, setting a record as the deepest mine in Europe. In 1957, it was transferred to the Pfannenberger Einigkeit mine in Salchendorf.

A decisive event was the fire on the night of 16 to 17 September 1953, which completely destroyed the wet mechanical raw spate processing plant. It was not rebuilt, which led to a temporary shutdown in 1954. From 1 July 1957, ore processing took place in the central processing plant of Pfannenberger Einigkeit. This was made possible by a 2.5-kilometre-long underground connection linking the 670-metre level of the Eisenzeche mine with the 800-metre level of the Pfannenberg mine. From then on, the shafts of the Eisenzeche mine were used to transport materials and personnel.

Despite this economic consolidation, the mine ultimately had to be abandoned. On 29 February 1960, the mine was shut down with a final workforce of 150 employees. During its last nine years of operation (1951–1960), 378,230 tonnes of ore were extracted. In total, the mine, including its ancillary operations, produced 14.6 million tonnes of spathic iron ore, 11,065,879 tonnes of which came from the Eisenzecher Zug alone.

Today, the site is used for industrial purposes. The name ‘Kaiserschacht’ is still well known – and even marked on maps.

Sources:
www.gewerkschaft-eisenzecher-zug.de/gewerkschaft-eisenzecher-zug
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenzecher_Zug

If you want to experience industrial history up close, visit Eiserfeld and immerse yourself in the past. In 2010, as part of the ‘Gemeinnützig handeln’ (Acting for the Common Good) project, the Eiserfeld Comprehensive School created a circular trail that highlights the remains of various mines in the Eiserfeld area.

The approximately 8-kilometre circular trail starts at the market square in Eiserfeld and initially leads up Helsbachstraße. After about 100 metres, you will reach the first stop: the former washhouse of the ‘Bau auf Gott’ mine. At the information board located at what is now a residential building, hikers can not only learn about the history of the mine, but also gain exciting insights into the everyday life of the miners at that time.

From there, the trail continues towards the Eiserfeld outdoor swimming pool. But what do its changing rooms have to do with the former Otto Herbert mine? The trail continues via the Menage am Kaiserschacht to the ‘Wilder Bär’ and ‘Grüner Jäger’ mines.
If you wish, you can make a short detour to visit the historic La Tène oven on the left side of the path. The route then continues via the ‘Drei Hohlwege’ to the fifth stop, the ‘Grauebach’ pit. From there, the path leads back to Eiserfeld.

Once you arrive at the market square, you will have not only circumnavigated the Kaiserschacht mine, but also climbed about 170 metres in altitude. The circular trail is marked with a yellow sign showing crossed mining tools – a hammer and a pickaxe – and the letters ‘EGW’.

Source:
www.gesamtschule-eiserfeld.de/Konzepte/GH/Grubenweg/10/SZ

Getting there:
Take the bus (C100 or R22) from Siegen bus station/ZOB to the ‘Eiserfeld Ortsmitte’ stop. From there, it is a 5-10 minute walk to the individual industrial monuments.