The lead mining in Mechernich is described as an important cultural landscape area (KLB) as in the specialist article cultural landscape to the Cologne regional plan. The value-determining features of the historical cultural landscape are briefly summarized and characterized for the scale level of regional planning.
There is evidence of pre-Roman or Roman mining, day labor mining in the Middle Ages and the early modern era, large-scale open-cast mining began in the 19th century (most modern mine in Europe in the mid-19th century), the last mine closed in 1957; Due to the low metal content of the ore, only economic success through mass mining in surface and underground mining; Large parts of the mines were buried, in some cases only the uppermost mining hawser (pit with minerals to be mined) visible on the surface (ground monument).
Malakoffturm: around 1870 over a shaft of the Bleierz colliery Emil erected winding tower, the only remaining one in the Rhineland outside of the Ruhr area; Landmark with a great long-distance effect, lines of sight from Lückerath and Roggendorf. - Reminder of the earlier importance of the Mechernich lead mining.
The cultural landscape and monument conservation goal within the framework of regional planning is a preserving cultural landscape development, in particular
+ Preservation as the dominant feature of the landscape
+ Securing culturally significant soils
+ Preserving and securing archaeological and palaeontological monuments in their context
From: Landschaftsverband Rheinland (Ed.): Specialist contribution cultural landscape to the Cologne regional plan. Preserving cultural landscape development, Cologne 2016.