Coal Mine Zollverein

The coal mine and coking facility Zollverein in Essen is a landmark of the Ruhr region. It was in service from 1851 to 1986, producing coal as the allegedly largest and most productive mine worldwide. During its service, it produced a total of 240 million tons of coal, up to 8,000 miners worked above and below the ground in changing shifts. Today it is a monument for architecture and industry. Since 2001, it is a UNESCO World Heritage. Since the decommission of the mine in 1986 and the cokery in 1993, the facilities have been continually renovated and formedinto a lively centre for culture and economy. Maintaining the historic building´s composure according to their heritage while creating an attractive location for the future is one of the main tasks of the Zollverein Foundation. About 1.5 million guests form all over the world visit the facility annually to experience the remarkable industrial architecture, take part in guided tours, visit exhibitions, make celebrations or simply relax in the Zollverein park.

Within the cokery, there was a destinction between the "black side" and the "white side". While the black side housed the coke production, the white side was used for the further treatment of any secondary products such as gases and liquids. On the black side, there are four conveyor bridges to the coke oven plant that have been renovated being an important heritage-protected structure. They used to serve as a means of transport between the buildings and plants. In order to be able to carry these works out, Lindner Gerüstbau GmbH constructed a total of 60,000 m³ of exterior scaffolds with enclosure.