La Mine de Petite-Rosselle is a former coal mining site located in Moselle, in the Greater East Region. Founded in 1856, it was operated by the family of Wendel, a major figure in the French steel industry, and James Georges Tom Hainguerlot. This deposit was part of the Sarrois-Lorrain coalfield, originally discovered in Saarland before being exploited on the French side.
The 19th century marked the rise of the mining industry in Lorraine, driven by the industrial revolution and growing demand for coal. The Petite-Rosselle concession took place in this context, with modern infrastructures for the period, such as the Wendel and Vuillemin wells, dug between 1862 and 1889. These facilities reflect the technical innovation and economic ambition of local industrialists.
Over the decades, the site experienced major expansions, including the digging of the Wendel No.3 well in 1935, following the discovery of a deep oily coal deposit. The modernization continued after the Second World War, with the nationalization of coal mining in 1946 and the introduction of advanced technologies, such as metal straddling and electrical extraction machines. The mine was the scene of significant events, as the fire of 1876 in the vein Henri, which took three years to be controlled.
At its peak in the 1960s, the site employed 5,000 miners and produced up to 10,000 tons of coal per day. However, the gradual closure of the wells between 1962 and 1989 marked the end of the mining era. Today, the Mine de Petite-Rosselle is a museum labeled Museum of France and a key site of the European Industrial Heritage Route.
Ranked in historical monuments, its sprinkling of the No. 2 Wendel well, the oldest in the basin, bears witness to this industrial past. The museum offers immersive tours, including reconstructed galleries and exhibitions on the life of minors. The site has also established itself as a cultural place, with events such as Les Enfants du Charbon (2005-2011), attracting thousands of visitors.
In 2012, the opening of the Wendel Minors Museum strengthened its attractiveness, highlighting the material and intangible heritage of the mine. Temporary exhibitions, such as the one on miners' gardens in 2014, regularly enrich the offer. The reconversion of the site illustrates the desire to preserve the workers' and industrial memory of Lorraine.
The old buildings, such as washing and horse riding, have been restored to offer an educational and tourist experience. The museum thus contributes to the development of the mining heritage, while integrating into a dynamic of cross-border industrial tourism. Finally, the Mine de Petite-Rosselle symbolizes the transition from a territory marked by heavy industry to an economy oriented towards heritage and innovation.
Its integration into the Grand Sites of Moselle and its label Musée de France make it an essential player in the preservation and transmission of the history of Lorraine.
