Maschinenhalle Zweckel

About the museum

After the Prussian state took over the mining field in 1902, shaft sinking for the Zweckel colliery in Gladbeck began in 1908; the first coal was mined in 1911. During the sinking, the miners struck a warm brine spring, which fed a bathhouse from 1928 until 1950. The colliery changed owners several times and at times worked jointly with the Scholven plant, where extraction was concentrated. In 1963 Zweckel and Scholven were shut down, but the shafts continued to serve for dewatering neighboring collieries until 1995.

The machine hall, built in 1909, is a 126-meter-long brick building in the Historicist style with Art Nouveau elements. It was the electrical center of the colliery: compressors, generators, and converters produced compressed air and electricity here, and the mine fans were also housed in this building. Preserved are Ilgner converters in the main building and two electric winding engines from 1908 in the wing buildings, built with electrics from AEG and mechanics from Thyssen. Two single-story headframes from 1910 to 1912, among the oldest of their kind in the Ruhr area, also stand on the grounds.

The site has been a listed monument since 1988 and has belonged to the Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur (foundation for industrial heritage and historical culture) since 1997. After the facade and roof were restored, the hall was converted into a venue for the Ruhrtriennale from 2002 to 2004. In 2005 two axes of the stencil paintings were reconstructed, and later machines and tiles were conserved. The traces of time are meant to remain visible on purpose.

Highlights

• Machine hall of about 126 meters from 1909, with Art Nouveau elements
• Two electric winding engines from 1908 (AEG/Thyssen) and Ilgner converters
• Partly reconstructed stencil paintings and the gallery of the former switchboards
• Two headframes over shafts 1 and 2 from 1910 to 1912
• Venue for the Ruhrtriennale

Operated by

Stiftung Industriedenkmalpflege und Geschichtskultur

Admission & discounts

Price for the public guided tour (per person); outside of events, the hall is not accessible without a tour.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• 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

At events: accessible restroom in the foyer, marked parking spaces in the visitor parking lot, mobile induction loops available to borrow. For information on accessibility during tours, please ask the foundation's info point.

Kids & families

Children and young people under 18 pay nothing for the public guided tour; offerings for kindergarten groups and school classes are available on request.

Getting there & parking

Navigation address: Frentroper Straße 74, 45966 Gladbeck. From the A2, take the Gladbeck-Ellinghorst exit; from the A31, take the Gladbeck exit; in both cases follow the signs for "Maschinenhalle Zweckel".

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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