Mining Museum of the Altenkirchen district

Herdorf, on the River Heller 20 km south-west of Siegen, was the chief centre of mining for coal and iron ore in the Siegerland, a region celebrated for the production of iron and steel. The museum project was launched in 1986. Displays in an old school building tell the story of mining in the area between the rivers Sieg and Heller from prehistoric times until the 1960s, with displays of minerals, miners’ tools and lighting equipment and a replica mine. A 15 m high steel lattice headstock is preserved along with its winding machine house.