Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The tile of Sainte-Fontaine, originally named Waldemar-Müller well, was darkened in January 1908 in the Merle valley (now Charbon Valley) at Saint-Avold. This extraction well reached a depth of 1,037 metres for the Houillères de Lorraine. Its exploitation deeply marked the local industrial landscape, with a first closure in 1972, a reopening between 1976 and 1979, and a final closure in 1986.

The current horse riding, built in 1954, is a remarkable structure composed of two pairs of chicks framing an independent forecar. This type of architecture, unique in Lorraine, has only three known equivalents in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. It served a well with a double extraction compartment, illustrating the technical innovation of the Houillères du Bassin de Lorraine.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 22 October 1992, the horse-portal is now maintained on a preserved mining site. Although the property belongs to a private company, its registration bears witness to the heritage recognition of the Lorraine industrial heritage. The site remains a symbol of the mining activities that shaped the economy and society of Saint-Avold and the Moselle in the 20th century.

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