Pörtingsiepen Colliery

The mine Pörtingsiepen, Located on the southern bank of the Baldeneysees in Essen-Kupferdreh, it was a significant coal mine in the Ruhr area. Founded in 1855, it operated until 1973 and was known for its deep shafts and the high quality of the coal it extracted. The mine played an important role in the industrial development of the region and was connected underground to the Zeche Carl Funke connected, which enabled efficient extraction and transport of the coal.

During its operational period, the Pörtingsiepen coal mine contributed significantly to coal production, which was of great importance to the steel industry and the energy supply of the Ruhr region. After its closure in 1973, many of the buildings were demolished, but some remnants are still visible today. The area around the Baldeneysee It has since become a popular recreational area, although the region's industrial past is still noticeable.

The history of the Pörtingsiepen coal mine actually dates back a very long way. Coal mining is documented here as early as 1578, initially in the form of coal digging. The mine's name is said to derive from the word for a small valley (Siepen), which is located near the Pörting farm. There are also reports of the extraction of coal seams lying at the surface around 1704.

As one of the oldest coal mines in the Ruhr area, the Pörtingssiepen mine was originally named. Later, the second "s" was simply dropped. In 1779, the abbot of mine Werden granted the mine a concession, allowing the construction of adits to begin. Over the years, several other coal adits were acquired by Pörtingssiepen, including Schmalscheid (Schmalscheider-Unterstollen-Gewerkschaft), Oberschmalscheid (1860), Kaiserin Augusta (1892), and Stockgesbank & Dodelle (1897). The legal situation in the Werden area was previously unclear, as Prussian mining law was not yet applied there. Following the destruction of an adit by the Schmalscheid mine in 1788, a legal dispute arose, which Pörtingssiepen won.

A first adit, approximately 400 meters long, had already been constructed around 1791, but without any planned mining operations. Systematic coal mining began in 1802 with the driving of the Pörtingssieper adit. In 1806, a wooden railway line was built to the Ruhr River, followed in 1813 by the Gerhardstollen adit, which drained the mine water. The upper adit was operational from 1820, and from 1830, a 400-meter-long horse-drawn railway led to the Ruhr. Annual production there ranged from 13,000 to 20,000 tons.

In 1835/36, Shaft I, also known as the Ruhr Shaft, was sunk in the upper adit and later extended even deeper. Production ranged from 20,000 to 25,000 tons per year. With the decline of shipping on the Ruhr River, mining operations ceased in the shaft, which continued to be used for transport and ventilation until 1890. Afterward, it was filled in. The actual deep mining phase began with the sinking of Shaft II, also called the Railway Shaft, as it connected to the Kupferdreh railway station. The close connection between the railway and mining proved advantageous for both. Next to the inspection opening of the former Ruhr Shaft, an information panel displays the shaft's data.

The Malakoff tower was replaced by a new headframe in 1927, and the entire facility was modernized. With the installation of the Baldeneysee system in 1932, all the tunnels on the south side were sealed off to prevent water ingress during floods. The tunnels on the north side were located above the flood level. In 1959, a tower winding engine was installed, but it remained in operation for less than 15 years, until 1973. The last remaining structure of the mine, the headframe, was demolished in 1982 because its upkeep was too expensive. It was originally intended to be preserved as a monument within a comprehensive landscape design, complete with a viewing platform and recreational park, but funding for this project failed.

All the industrial facilities were demolished and the area renaturalized. The area around the shaft was reforested, and only a few openings and signs remain visible. The spoil heap area was landscaped like a park, and at the southern entrance there is a pulley wheel and an information panel about the history of the mine. Rail service also ended in 1973. Two years later, the Association for the Preservation of the Hespertalbahn the route between the Altpreußen station to Kupferdreh and Haus Scheppen as a museum railway. With "Pörtingsiepen VII", the Hespertalbahn also maintains a Bismarck-type locomotive from 1923, which was formerly used at the Pörtingssiepen coal mine. Even though the buildings no longer exist as historical relics, there are guided hikes that bring the history of the mine to life.