Exhibit shows utopian view of coal industry
January 23, 2018
The Zollverein coal mine in Essen, Germany was once the world's most powerful mine, and had the ability to extract 23,000 tonnes of coal per day. It was called the "most beautiful mine in the Ruhr area" and even given a World Heritage Site designation in 2001. Today, the former industrial area is a thriving cultural center with meeting rooms, artist studios and museums, including the Ruhr Museum, which exhibits changing exhibitions on the history of mining.
A growing fascination
Not all of the coal mines that have been closed over the years have been preserved as cultural monuments. In his photos, industrial and documentary photographer Josef Stoffels captured the mines with his camera to show how they operated and how people worked in them. Fascinated by the gigantic monolithic architecture of the winding towers and machine halls, he photographed almost all 150 coal mines in the Ruhr area between 1952 and 1959.
"He wanted to highlight the strength of the steel and coal industry and to show the technical progress and wealth that was achieved through coal," says Stefanie Grebe, curator and director of the photo archive in the Ruhr Museum in Essen. Grebe and her team have compiled 400 photographs for the exhibition titled "Josef Stoffels, Rock Coal Mines" opening January 22 at the Zollverein coal mine industrial complex.
From amateur to professional
Josef Stoffels was born in Essen in 1893. He was a passionate amateur photographer who initially worked as an upholsterer. During the Second World War he worked as a photographer for Krupp steel company before completing his studies after the war. Stoffels collection of over 40,000 pictures, including prints, negatives and slides, was acquired by the Ruhr Museum in Essen after his death in 1981.
In the heyday of the coal industry, Stoffels floated the idea of doing a largescale documentation project in the form of an illustrated book. "He considered photographing everything from both above and below the ground–the mines, the life and work of the miners–in color," says Stefanie Grebe. Using color photographs for documentation purposes was uncommon in the 1950s. By using color, Stoffels wanted to emphasize the modernity and performance of the facilities. The industrial companies initially took a liking to this idea and agreed to support his project.
Stoffels photographed cows grazing in front of industrial plants and was given access to shoot machines and parts of buildings. He also brought miners with shining, soot-smeared faces in front of the camera. The economy boomed in the early 1950s, not in the least thanks to the coal and steel industries. But color photos were still expensive at the time, and Stoffels' big project ultimately failed due to lack of funds..
The beginning of the end of the coal industry
In the end, Josef Stoffels was able to publish the black and white photo book "Rock Coal Mines" in 1959, which made him known as a coal mine photographer. Unfortunately for Stoffels, his publication came out at a time when the industry was collapsing. "Even when the coal crisis hit in 1957/58, he still had high hopes and had a good feeling about his book when he was working on it," Grebe said during an interview with DW. "The book's forward includes a speech about the unbroken will of the workers and entrepreneurs."
As early as June 1956, coal began to be imported from abroad. In 1958, import taxes were abolished, and globalization progressed. Natural gas, oil and nuclear power rivaled coal, and many mines either merged or closed. In 1958 the first shift cancellations took place, which meant less work for miners. Twenty years later, the number of coal mines had dropped from over 100 to 28.
The last coal mines are closed
In December 2018, the last two German coal mines Prosper-Haniel in Bottrop and Ibbenbüren in Münsterland will close. On the occasion of the withdrawal from hard coal, Stefanie Grebe and her team have once again highlighted Josef Stoffels' collection. The exhibition is the prelude to a series of planned exhibitions around Germany on the topic of the move away from coal.
Stoffels's collection includes pictures from the housing estates of the workers, as well as the social institutions of the industry such as kindergartens and dormitories for miners. There are also scenes from the 30s, which Stoffels shot for a museum of local history on behalf of the Nazi government. He also documented the war damage to his hometown Essen.
The Zollverein mine will offer greater insight into the 200-year history of mining, including its positive and negative effects on the environment and society in its major exhibition "The Age of Coal - A European History" opening April 27.
The exhibition "Josef Stoffels. Rock Coal Mines - Photographs from the Ruhr Area" will be on display January 22 until September 2, 2018.