Domaniale Mine

The abbot of Kloosterrade appointed technically gifted people, which led to an increase in coal production in the second half of the eighteenth century. The mine flooded almost daily during this time, but the use of pumps kept the mine dry.
In 1794, the area was occupied by Napoleon's troops, which put an end to the abbey's power. The French nationalised the abbey's mines, which led to them being called 'Mines Domaniales'.
In 1814, the French troops withdrew and the mines became the property of the Dutch Kingdom. In 1845, King William II proposed to lease the mines to the Aachen-Maastricht Railway Company (AMSM). Until about 1880, the coal from the Domaniale mine was destined for local use and the railway company itself.
In 1881, the mine was given room for development and new investments by a change in the lease agreement with the State. This led to an explosive increase in production that lasted well into the 1930s.
The 1st World War did not go unnoticed. German workers were called up to serve in the army and all roads leading to the Nieuwstraat, the border with Germany, were closed. As a result, the main entrance to the mine was inaccessible for a long time.
Nevertheless, production was maintained, sometimes even increased, by attracting foreign workers. In 1925 the name Aachens-Maastrichtsche Spoorwegmaatschappij was changed to Domaniale Mijn Maatschappij NV and this remained until the 1960s.
Around 1930 about 3400 workers worked at the Domaniale mine and the annual production was more than 1,000,000 tons. The mine had six shafts, namely: Willem I, Willem II, the Buisschacht, Beerenbosch I and II and the Nulland shaft.
During the 2nd World War, the mine was taken over by the Germans. The miners had to work on both Saturdays and Sundays and the coal was destined for the German troops and the German war industry. Many miners called in sick, as resistance.
This, of course, led to severe countermeasures by the Germans. On October 30, 1944, production resumed, but due to the lack of important resources, production remained low. From June 1945 the mine came under the management of the Dutch State.
In the early 1950s, Limburg was a prosperous region and the mining industry was doing well. Due to labor shortages, foreign workers were recruited to work in the mine. In the early 1960s, the Domaniale Mine was in decline.
Partly due to unfavourable geological conditions and a failing technical policy, productivity was very low and operating at a loss. In 1966, the Dutch government bought a majority of the shares. On Friday, August 29, 1969, the last car with Domanile-anthracite left the mine.
For safety reasons, the mine shafts were closed with a concrete adhesive plug. Only shaft Nulland was spared and was given the status of a national monument in 1974.

Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)