Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former Bassompierre iron mine, located in Aumetz, was dug in 1897 and opened in 1900 by the German-Belgian company Aumetz Friede. It supplied ore to the Knutange steel plant. This site illustrates the golden age of the Lorraine mining industry, marked by intense extractive activity between the late 19th century and the 1980s.

In 1940, the surface installations were blasted by the French army during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1941. The current straddling, in metal mesh, was erected by Klöckner Werke S.A., while a new biconical drum extraction machine was installed. In 1946 the wheels were renewed, and in 1963 a reinforced concrete building housing a modern machine was built. These developments reflect the technological evolution of mines in the twentieth century.

The exploitation ceased in 1984, marking the end of an industrial era for the Lorrain iron basin. Since 1989, the site has been integrated into the Lorraine Iron Mine Museum, alongside Neufchefchef. The chivalry and the building of the extraction machine, symbols of this heritage, were inscribed in the historical monuments by order of 4 April 1995. Today, the Aumetz site exhibits unique collections on mining techniques, including an authentic extraction machine and a platform offering views of the Upper Country and its workers' cities.

The ecomuseum, labeled Musée de France, aims to preserve the memory of minors and their living environment between 1820 and the 1980s. In Aumetz, visitors discover the world of mining explosives, underground power supply methods and blacksmith equipment. The chivalry, culminating at 35 meters, dominates a landscape marked by industrial history and the fortifications of the Maginot line, recalling the dual mining and military heritage of the region.

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