Zeche Hugo
by Mike Falkner
Work began on the Zeche Hugo 1 shaft in 1873. By 1875 the shaft was sunk and the mine went into operation. The Zeche Hugo 2 shaft was sunk between 1881 and 1885 and was equipped with a Tomson Bock headframe for high volume production. Over the years the Colliary grew and eventually reached a 1200 meter depth, had 8 working shafts and 2 vent shafts. There was also an onsite Washery and Mine Gas production wells. At its peak of operation, the mine employeed 5000 workers and hauled up over 3.5 million tonnes of coal. Operations ended in 1997 after the massive coal seams finally played out. The facility was closed in April 2000 and mostly demolished.
Hugo 2 was the only headframe to be preserved, as it was intended to be used as a museum until funding fell through in 2001. Only the headframe, administration and several smaller remnants remain to be seen today. The site is somewhat famous for its great hall of 'Kaue' (birdcages) which were used for hanging the miners' clothes and belongings while working down below.
