Keeping Mining History Alive
Our goal is to preserve and develop the Velsen Mining Experience. We want to keep the historic mining site alive.
We want to save this special technical monument. We want to make it open to the public. We also want to keep the German-French mining history alive. This helps remember history, create peace, and share mining traditions.
On 26 June 2011, RAG Montan Immobilien said they would close the Velsen Mining Experience at the end of the year. This would happen if no new owner was found.
The result would be filling the mine with concrete. This would make the mine forever inaccessible.
To stop this, supporters created the Velsen Mining Experience Association on 31 August 2011. Soon after, on 7 September 2011, we got our temporary non-profit status.
Our association has only non-profit goals. We support:
Monument protection
Mining traditions
We do this through:
Guided tours of the mining site
Teaching about mining knowledge
Mining-related events
Our work is selfless. We use all money only for our goals. Members do not get money payments.
We are registered in the Saarbrücken Court (VR 5258). We can give donation receipts.
On 18 November 2019, we reached an important milestone. The underground area of Velsen Mining Experience got official protection.
This means we are an official technical monument - we are very proud!
Our member numbers grew over the years. In 2020, we had over 400 members.
Since March 2022, we own the whole mining site. We now have the responsibility to keep this special heritage for future generations.
