Schurenbachhalde

Essen

The central slag heap in Schurenbach is situated in the Altenessen district of Essen between the Rhine-Herne canal and Autobahn 42. Until the end of the 1950s, mining waste from the Zollverein mine was still kept underground. As the mechanisation of mining increased, a central slag heap became necessary that continued to be used by other mines after the closing of Zollverein. Original plans to address the capacity of the slag heap, however, were never carried out.

Within the framework of IBA Emscher Park, the Schurenbach slag heap was developed into a unique landmark. Until recently, the practice has been to recultivate and reforest slag heaps after they cease to be used. Instead, an authentic approach to the inheritance of the industrial landscape became a principle of forming and cultivating that landscape. The decommissioned industrial mound was transformed into an art space accessible on foot.

As an overall project in private/public partnership with Ruhrkohle AG (RAG), a reshaping took place that would reflect the decline of the mining industry. This was based on plans by Richard Serra. In a competition, international artists developed ideas for the Schurenbach slag heap and the path up the heap. In the following years, these approaches to the slag heap design were further developed by the American artist Richard Serra, taking into account the existing laws governing landscape conservation.

While living in the USA, the artist already had links with the region before becoming involved in the design of the Schurenbach slag heap. He commissioned many metals for use in his sculptures for Los Angeles, London and Amsterdam and these were manufactured for him in the Ruhr area.

The slag heap's surface, which previously comprised of an assortment of hills and holes in the ground, was filled to become a slightly curved ellipse. A 15-m tall steel sculpture – ’Bramme für das Ruhrgebiet’ [‘Slab for the Ruhr’] – accentuates the peak. The 14.5-m tall, 4.2-m wide, 13.5-cm thick rolled steel plate weighs 70 tonnes. It tilts 3 degrees, looking to the observer as if it is sinking into the slag heap. To reach the summit of the heap, a 267-step staircase was erected alongside a series of switchback paths. Today, the slag heap is a site on the Route der Industriekultur and a landmark for the region.