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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The festival hall of the Arenberg district in Wallers was inaugurated in 1910 as part of the rise of the Arenberg pit, a major coal mining company of the Anzin Mining Company. It is part of a complete urban complex including schools, church, and housekeeping school, designed for the families of minors. The hall, 24m by 28m, consisted of a stage with dressing rooms, a wooden drink, and a library, reflecting the cultural and social importance accorded to the workers.

In 1918, the hall suffered damage during the blasting of the mining installations by the Germans, due to its proximity to the pits. After the nationalization of the mines in 1946, the Arenberg site became a modern center, but the party hall remained a central place for the community. In 1977, it was transferred to the commune of Wallers, which renovated it according to the plans of the architects Foyer Dodat and Villain, for a reopening in 1984.

The festival hall and the house school were listed as historical monuments in December 2009 and then classified with the entire UNESCO World Heritage Mining Site in 2012. This classification recognizes their heritage value in the mining basin of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, alongside the chivalries, burrows, and workers' towns. Today, the site also houses Arenberg Creative Mine, a cinematographic creation centre inaugurated in 2015, continuing its link with culture and innovation.

The interior decoration, including the vestibule and carved stage wall, as well as the original elements such as the bar counter and library shelves, are protected. The hall illustrates the utilitarian and social architecture of mining towns, where public facilities played a key role in community cohesion. Its history is inseparable from that of the Arenberg pit, whose activity ceased in 1989 after nearly 90 years of coal mining.

The preservation of the festival hall was accelerated by the film Germinal in 1992, which saved the site of destruction. Since then, it has symbolized the successful conversion of the industrial heritage, mixing workers' memory and contemporary projects. Its registration at UNESCO underlines its importance in the global history of the mining industry and social planning.

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