The central shaft system, which went into service in 1932 after being built by Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer in the style of the new objectivity, was the largest and most productive hard coal mine in Europe until it was closed down in 1986. Zollverein Shaft XII has been renovated by stages since 1990, and in 2001 both it and the coking plant were declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage site, together with shaft system 1/2/8.

Varied cultural activities provide a range of attractions around the "Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr", drawing 1,500,000 visitors a year to the site. Visitors of all ages can not just choose between numerous exhibitions, concerts and dance performances every day - they can even explore the "story of coal" between gigantic machines on the ZOLLVEREIN heritage route, discover the impressive architecture from the past to the present day and listen to the mining stories of the pit foremen.

The Ruhr Museum offers an insight into the region’s history. It is the first museum that covers the entire Ruhr area and was opened in 2010 in the former coal washing facilities of the Zollverein Coalmine. Zollverein is more than a cultural attraction and an impressive remnant of the region’s heavy industrial past. The World Heritage Site is growing into a centre for practising, teaching and researching design: the presence of the renowned red dot design museum, and many other companies from the creative industries, make Zollverein a symbol of the region’s structural transformation.

Further information:

RUHR.VISITORCENTER Essen / Besucherzentrum Ruhr:
Areal A [Schacht XII], Kohlenwäsche [A14]
Fritz-Schupp-Allee 14, 45309 Essen
Daily opening hours 10 am – 6 pm
24.12., 25.12., 31.12. closed
Tel.: +49 201 24 68 10
E-Mail: RUHR.VISITORCENTER@zollverein.de
Internet: www.zollverein.de