winding tower of the "Grube Georg" mine in Willroth on the historic Raiffeisenstrasse
Mining in the municipality of Flammersfeld began over 1000 years ago in open-cast mining in the forests of the so-called "Horhauser Gangzug" (Horhausen area). The 56 m high winding tower of the Georg Mine is the symbol of the modern iron ore mining in the region. With the closure of this pit on 31 March 1965 the Siegerland ore mining in the so-called "Wieder-Bezirk" came to an end and 550 miners became unemployed.
During operating hours there were two shafts (Shaft I and II), each with a separately constructed winding tower. The winding tower that still exists today is located directly above shaft II, which has a maximum depth (in mining terms: depth) of about 970 m. The pit was known for its high ore deposits, as there was a high proportion of manganese in addition to the so-called iron spar (also called siderite). A total of about 6.5 million tons of iron ore were mined.
The winding tower of the Georg Mine is a landmark of the region and is visible from afar, directly on the A3 motorway and the ICE Cologne-Frankfurt line. In 1988, the tower was declared an industrial monument and was renovated in 1994/95 with state funding.
Today the winding tower is a tourist attraction. In the period from April to October, every 3rd Saturday sightseeing tours are organised up to the winding wheels. From here the visitor (minimum age 14 years) has a wonderful view over the Westerwald/Rhine region when the weather is fine. Additional tours for visitors are also possible on other dates by prior arrangement.
Information and registration:
Flammersfeld Association Municipal Administration, Tourist Information, Tel.: 02681/85-193 or Willroth Citizens' Initiative, Jürgen Kalscheid, Tel.: 02687/1323
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
TIME OUT at the reservoir
Contact and directions
Zum Stausee
56593 Obersteinebach
