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Origin and history

The N°12 pit, known as Saint-Édouard or Édouard Bollaert, was dug by the Lens Mining Company from 1891 at Loos-en-Gohelle, near Lens. Work began in 1891, and coal mining began on 1 January 1894. The well, 270.85 metres deep, reached the coalfield at 155 metres. The pit was named in honour of Edward Bollaert, a major figure in the company. Mining towns, a church, schools and function homes were built nearby, mainly in the territory of Lens. A 12 bis air pit was added around 1904-1905, 646 metres south.

During the First World War, the pit was destroyed and rebuilt in the architectural style characteristic of the Lens post-war mines. The cities, St. Edward's church, schools and housing were also rebuilt. In 1937, pit 15-15 bis was attached to pit 12, followed by pits 14 and 14 bis in 1938. Nationalized in 1946, the pit integrated the Lens Group, then the Lens-Liévin Group after the 1952 merger. Upgraded in 1951, it ceased extraction in 1967, then dedicated to ventilation until 1976 for well No. 12 bis and 1980 for No. 12, when its straddling was destroyed.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Charbonnages de France materialized the head of the well n°12 and installed an outlet of firewood. Several buildings remain, including the hangers' room and the bath-douchs, listed as historical monuments on 9 October 2009. The site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 30 June 2012, among 353 elements at 109 sites in the Mining Basin. Despite this protection, controversial destruction took place, such as that of the school principal's house in 2007 by the Mayor of Lens, Guy Delcourt, leading to legal proceedings.

The hangman's room, the central element of the site, was used to suspend the extraction cages and symbolize the technical and social organization of the mines. The surrounding towns, the church of Saint-Édouard (registered on November 25, 2009), the presbytery, the school group Jean-Macé and the monument to the dead (registered on December 1, 2009) bear witness to mining community life. These sets illustrate the standard architecture of the Lens Mining Company, reproduced on its various sites.

The monument to the dead, erected after the First World War, recalls the sacrifices of the miners. The schools and housing of the Sisters, registered in 2009, complement this social and industrial heritage. Despite local tensions around preservation, such as the partial destruction of a coron in 2012, the site remains a symbol of the mining heritage of the Hauts-de-France, marked by its inscription at UNESCO and its recognition as a historical monument.

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