Sicilia Shaft Mining Museum

The Siciliaschacht Mining Museum is a mining museum in the Meggen district of Lennestadt. The former mining facilities of the Sachtleben company can be seen here.

Since the early 1850s, sulphur gravel has been mined in the area of Meggen, which is necessary above all for the production of sulphuric acid. It was thus one of the earliest exposed and most important deposits of this species in Germany. The business experienced an upswing above all with the construction of the Lennetalbahn in the 1860s. Not only was the chemical industry in Germany dependent on this raw material, but at times almost two-thirds of production was exported. Some English mining companies even acquired mines in the Meggen coalfield. The development of cheaper Portuguese sulphur gravel deposits ended the export boom and led the mining industry in Meggen and Halberbracht into its first crisis. The English mines were merged into a newly founded company, which was founded in 1879 under the name Gewerkschaft Siegena, named after Siegen, the place of residence of the main shareholders. In addition, the "Gewerkschaft Sicilia" was formed in the 1850s as a merger of smaller trade unions. The two companies were in constant competition with each other before they began to work together on various points in 1880.

Wikipedia