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New Anchor Point Fortuna Mine: Inauguration attended by Minister of European Affairs
The Fortuna Visitor Mine in Solms is the first ERIH Anchor Point in Hesse, Germany. The inauguration ceremony by ERIH President Prof Dr Meinrad Maria Grewenig was attended by Hesse's Minister of European Affairs, Lucia Puttrich. Her visit underlined the award’s significance for the Lahn-Dill region and for Hesse as a whole.
"Even though the mine officially ceased operations in 1983," she stated, "mining has shaped the region and its people for many generations. Fortuna Mine was literally a lucky thing for the whole region and it still is today." She expressed special thanks to the board of the sponsoring association, Geowelt Fortuna e. V., "whose commitment and passion made Fortuna Mine what it is today."
The mine's outstanding value for industrial heritage is enhanced by its role as a geological information centre in the National GEOPARK Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus. Highlights of the site such as the ride in the pit cage, the mine train and numerous original machines provide visitors and students with exciting impressions and experiences. A large part of this is due to the dedicated staff, for the first time including a geologist this year.
Finally, Tim Schönwetter from the Geowelt Fortuna board emphasised that the site has even more to offer: "We want to safeguard the cultural heritage for the region and for the whole of Hesse in the long term. On our way to becoming an information and documentation centre for Hesse's iron industry, however, a lot of money will still be needed, e.g. for what is truly a gem, the historicist engine house built by Krupp in 1908."
ERIH Anchor Point Fortuna Visitor Mine. Solms (D)
