Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Theodore well, located in Wittenheim, Upper Rhine, is a major vestige of the Alsatian potassium mining industry. It started in 1911 under the impetus of the German consortium Wintershall-Laupenmühlen, ending in 1913. After the First World War, the Mines de Potasse d'Alsace (MDPA) took control of it in 1919, modernizing the infrastructure with a power plant (1920), offices, a garage, and specialized workshops between 1925 and 1929. The site illustrates the technical evolution of mines from wooden or brick buildings before 1945 to concrete and metal structures.

The metal chivalry, built in 1958 by architect Ruelle Y., culminates at 65 meters and embodies the technological climax of the site. Joined the historic monuments in 1995, it was joined in 2005 by the fire recovery, a small red brick building typical of the 1920s, designed to house the underground fire fighting equipment. This standardized model, also present at the Amélie 1 and Joseph-Else wells, bears witness to the safety standards of the time. Disused after the well was closed, the site now houses a memorial to mine victims.

Theodore well architecture reflects the successive German and French influences, with various materials (wood, brick, concrete) depending on the periods. The 1920 power plant and the 1925-1929 workshops marked the adaptation of the site to the growing needs of potassic operations. The wood lantern of the fire recovery, used to dry pipes, recalls the craft techniques coexisting with industrial innovations. The memorial recalls the human cost of this activity, which is essential to the local economy until the middle of the 20th century.

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