OVS building Oranje-Nassau II with staff residence and mining school

"My honour can be relied upon. I want to be faithful to God, parents, leader, and country. I want to be a friend to all." In the glory days of the mining industry, these words reverberate daily in the courtyard of this former OVS building.
These are the first three of ten vows that young OVS members solemnly swear when the flag is hoisted. 'OVS' is the abbreviation for Underground Vocational School, the vocational training that prospective miners have been receiving here since 1946.
After their training, they will descend daily into the adjacent Oranje-Nassau II mine, which will close its doors in 1971. Today, only the OVS building and a former staff residence with an adjoining mining school remind us of the mining headquarters.
Across the street are two superintendent's houses from 1913 and a little further on an engineer's house from 1914. The OVS building is now a community center.
The OVS was founded after the Second World War. The South Limburg mines have to run high production, because coal is crucial for the reconstruction. Mine managers are desperately looking for new staff who will remain loyal to the mining company.
Trained personnel are also needed, because the rapid modernisation of the mining company requires a great deal of knowledge and skills. The OVS must meet that need. Steady work and a good salary, right from the start of the training, are prospects that make many Limburg boys choose a future as a miner.
The OVS building of the Oranje-Nassau II has the necessary classrooms. Large windows provide good light in the practice rooms, where the OVS staff learn the tricks of the trade. They do this under the watchful eye of a former miner. The OVS also has a gymnasium, because sports and games are important for health and team spirit.
In a Boy Scout-like atmosphere, virtues such as companionship, diligence, and obedience are firmly inculcated. Before the OVS officers descend into the mine for the first time, they have already practiced extensively in the leather mine. This tunnel system in the nearby mine spoil heap mimics the underground galleries and pillars as closely as possible.
In the third year, the OVS staff complete their vocational training and are ready for the underground business.

Visit Zuid-Limburg