Untertage – Leben und Arbeit rund um den Heinrichstollen
Stolberg
Under your feet, the workday used to begin: The Heinrichstollen is part of the "Altwerk" mine, a once significant iron ore operation in the Vichttal valley. For a long time, ore was extracted there – using simple tools and a lot of physical labor.
At that time, iron ore was primarily needed for the production of weapons, tools, and agricultural implements like plows. Many were involved in the work: While miners in the tunnel extracted the ore using hammers and iron wedges, women and children sorted materials outside and took care of supplies. The ore was then transported outside in small carts, often pulled by horses. Their paths can still be partially recognized in the landscape as hollow forms.
With declining demand for the once-popular rock, the mine was shut down in 1866. The tunnels fell into disrepair and gradually faded from memory. Today, especially the sealed entrance in the forest serves as a reminder of the time when ore mining and underground work shaped the valley.
