The Cultural Heart of the Ruhr Area
Zollverein – UNESCO World Heritage Site and symbol of change
A Place of Change
Hundreds of mines in the Ruhr region produced coal, but UNESCO designated only one as a World Heritage Site: the huge industrial complex of the Zollverein coal mine and coking plant is a technical and aesthetic masterpiece of mining architecture, but also a place of modernity and of transformation.
Unique Industrial Architecture
Bauhaus, New Objectivity, symmetry ̶ Zollverein architects Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer created “the most beautiful colliery in the world”.
World Heritage Site Undergoing Change
Always discover something new at Zollverein
Favorite places
A walk across the World Heritage Site with Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Noll, Chairman of the Board of Zollverein Foundation
How Art Can Transform a Place
Lasting Impressions
Slag Heap or Swimming Pool? How Art Works at Zollverein
The World Heritage Site is a place of inspiration
How tall is the Twin Pithead of Zeche Zollverein?
55 meters
The 55 meters tall Twin Pithead Frame of Zeche Zollverein
Is the Ruhr Area Grey?
Experience the transformation of an entire region at Zollverein
Everything is so colourful here
Art and culture at Zollverein
Just get out – enjoy nature and leisure time
No one will expect this at a coal mine
Experience Industrial History
The original facilities at the coal mine and coking plant take you back to another time
The Zollverein Monument Path
Guided tours of the coal mine and coking plant
The Ruhr Museum
Time travel through the history of the Ruhr area
Favourite Pieces
Prof. Heinrich Theodor Grütter, Director of the Ruhr Museum, shows special exhibits from the permanent exhibition.
Memory and Showcase of the Ruhr Metropolis
The large collections of the Ruhr Museum
Immerse yourself in the fascinating natural and cultural history of the Ruhr region
6,000 exhibits in a spectacular industrial setting
Place of Remembrance
Zollverein stages exhibitions at special locations
Preserving the World Heritage and Shaping the Future
Zollverein is a place of change
When did Zeche Zollverein become a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
2001
On 14th December 2001, Zollverein was unanimously inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the "Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex" in the context of the 25th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Helsinki.