During test drilling in the mid-19th century, hard coal was discovered in the south of Recklinghausen. As a result, the union "Vereinigte Henriettenglück" (United Henriettenglück) was founded in 1871, which adopted the name of the Bavarian King Ludwig II a year later. The surface facilities for the first shaft were to be built on a plot of land in the city of Recklinghausen. Since they could not agree on the purchase price, the union purchased a site in the then independent municipality of Suderwich. On this site at Stillbrink, the sinking of Shaft 1 began on April 27, 1872. Constant water ingress halted work on the shaft construction in 1874. Even during subsequent construction, water management remained a problem, which was only resolved with the use of powerful pumps and segments (segments for the watertight casing of the shaft) starting in 1883. Only now, after 11 years of construction, did Shaft 1 reach the coal-bearing strata at a depth of 307 m. It would take another three years before continuous coal mining began. In 1886, the first year of production, the workforce consisted of 144 men, who mined almost 25,000 tons of coal. Mining police regulations required the construction of a ventilation shaft. Thus, in 1889, the sinking of Shaft 2 began, which was converted into a winding shaft just a few years later.
In 1958, coal mining at Shafts 1 and 2 ended with the connection to the central winding system König Ludwig 4/5; seven years later, the shaft was shut down.
Translated by Google •
In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!