Bergbaumuseum des Kreises Altenkirchen

About the museum

For around 2,500 years, mining and ironworking shaped the Siegerland and the adjoining areas. Mainly iron ores were mined, along with silver, lead, copper, zinc and cobalt. Around 1900 about 15,000 miners worked in the region; in 1965 the last mines in the Siegerland-Wied district closed. To preserve the memory of this working world, the district of Altenkirchen set up its own mining museum in 1986 in the Herdorf district of Sassenroth.

The permanent exhibition explains the history of regional mining with over 200 exhibits, large-format photographs, texts and media stations. Beneath the museum lies a show mine fitted out by experienced miners with original parts: the tour leads from the loading station at the shaft past workings from around 1850 and 1930 to a shaft with a trolley-wire locomotive, loading machine and scraper. Outside stand a 15-metre-high winding tower, an engine house and large equipment from the steelworks of the Charlottenhütte.

A mineral cabinet, now expanded with finds from the Dr. Reichenbach Foundation, displays crystals from Siegerland mines; in a children's room they can be examined under stereo microscopes. The museum is the geo-information centre of the Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus Geopark and regularly offers special exhibitions, excursions and lectures.

Highlights

• Show mine beneath the museum with workings from 1850 and 1930
• 15-metre-high winding tower and engine house
• Mineral cabinet with specimens from Siegerland mines
• Stereo microscopes in the children's room
• Large equipment from the steelworks of the Charlottenhütte

Permanent exhibitions

• Bergbau und Hüttenwesen im Siegerland – Exhibits, large-format photographs and media stations on 2,500 years of ore mining in the region up to the closure of the last mines in 1965.
• Schaubergwerk – Underground tour through reconstructed galleries and workings with original technology from several eras.
• Mineralienkabinett – Crystals and ore specimens from Siegerland mines, supplemented by finds from the Dr. Reichenbach Foundation.

Founded

1986

Operated by

Landkreis Altenkirchen

Director

Achim Heinz

Admission & discounts

School classes from the district of Altenkirchen have free admission.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Only the ground floor is accessible; there is an accessible toilet there.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children's room with stereo microscopes, activities such as ForscherCamp, ForscherTag and “Kinder malen Bergbau” (children paint mining). Children's birthdays (ages 8 to 12, 1.5–2 hours) with a treasure hunt through the museum and show mine by registration.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit