Author(s)

S. Niederhagemann

Abstract

Headframes take a special part among the industrial plants of the mining industry. Positioned at a central point of the production flow and often visible from far away, they were already the representatives of the mining company at the time of their erection. At present, the shutdown of all coal mines in Germany is politically aimed and production has reduced to fewer and fewer locations. A lot of closed mines are already demolished and the former mining areas have been transferred to a new use. Often only the headframes are preserved. They are maintained to remind people of the industrial history and the development of the region. Some headframes were added to the monument list. Some monument operators decided to bring the construction into a new use. The headframes differ in type of building, material, condition, construction and building method. The differences are regionally and historically conditioned. It is necessary to understand the construction method and the technology if a new concept of use has to be carried out. To keep the characteristics of a monument, the original function of the construction must be cognisable. Nevertheless, structural adjustments are sometimes necessary. This paper shows some examples of newly used headframes and demonstrates the conflict between preservation and new use. Keywords: mining, headframe, rehabilitation.

Keywords

mining, headframe, rehabilitation