Gutehoffnungshütte

Schalke is not just mining

Grillo has an ingenious idea: he doesn't just want to sell his coal all over the world. It should also be used directly by local businesses. In the end, his Consolidation colliery will also benefit.

Hinter dem Schalker Markt erheben sich Industrieanlagen. Besonders markant ist eine Gruppe von neun Schornsteinen am rechten Bildrand, die in einer Reihe stehen. Im Vordergrund sind Gemüsebeete zu erkennen.

High-quality industrial products

Products from Schalke stood for quality worldwide. Schalke's first production facility was the Grillo Funke & Co. sheet metal rolling mill. Sheet metal was produced here. They were used worldwide for the construction of means of transport. Among other things, products from Schalke's industry were used to make boilers for locomotives and ships.

Source: Sammlung Karlheinz Weichelt

Außenansicht des Seilereigebäudes in Gelsenkirchen-Schalke. Die Gebäudeteile links und rechts sind flach. Der mittlere Teil ist ein leicht erhöhte Rundbogen mit großer Fensterfront.

Cathedral of labour

The ropery building used to be a "cathedral of labour". Factories should not only be productive, but also representative.

Source: Institut für Stadtgeschichte Gelsenkirchen

Nahaufnahme der Front der Gutehoffnungshütte. Ein Fensterbogen nimmt den Großteil des Bildes ein. Darüber hängen die Buchstaben G, H und H als Emblem der Gutehoffnungshütte.

The migration of the industry

Today, large parts of the industry have moved away. The Gutehoffnungshütte is decaying at the foot of the Berlin Bridge. The Gutehoffnungshütte ropery building is still a reminder of the great days of Schalke's industry. The large factory building can be seen from Schalke Market directly behind Berlin Bridge.

Source: Olivier Kruschinski

Innenansicht des Seilereigebäudes. Die Halle steht leer. Auf dem Boden sind Laub und in der Mitte ein Haufen Schutt zu sehen. An der Decke sind drei durchgängige Fensterreihen zu sehen.

"Lost place"

Today, the Gutehoffnungshütte ropery building is abandoned. It has become a "lost place".

Source: Olivier Kruschinski

Grillo's suspicions have been confirmed: There are huge coalfields under the farming community of Schalke. As he begins to collect the necessary money for the Consolidation Colliery 1/6 from various financiers, an idea occurs to him. What if he set up other businesses right next to the colliery? Companies that could use some of the coal immediately. In his mind's eye, he sees iron, chemical and glass works in the smallest of spaces, right next to his colliery, burning his coal. Short transport routes mean low costs. And at the same time, he can produce material for his mine at low cost. The "iron heart" of the neighbourhood is thus created directly behind Schalke Market. With this idea Grillo was ahead of his time. In the decades that followed, Schalke made a name for itself as the home of high-quality industrial products. Since the 1870s, Drahtwerk Boecker has been producing wire ropes, nails, chains and hoisting ropes, which are used by the miners next door in the mine. It quickly grows into a large company.

In 1912, Drahtwerk Boecker, which had grown into a large company, merged with Gutehoffnungshütte ("iron and steel works of good hope"), a company from Oberhausen. Since then, it has been known by this name in Schalke. Even today, although the 1,000 fires of the Schalke industry no longer light up the night over the Schalke Mile. In old photographs and postcards, the Gutehoffnungshütte can easily be recognised by its nine chimneys - the "nine grenadiers". The towers were blown up at the end of the 1930s. Today, Gutehoffnungshütte (GHH) is still active on Gelsenkirchen soil in the form of "GHH Fahrzeuge". It produces - appropriately enough - vehicles for the mining industry. Grillo founded the Grillo Funke & Co. sheet metal rolling mill directly on Schalke Market in 1866. The sheet metal produced here was used worldwide as boilers in railways and ships. Quality work "made in Schalke". Today, ThyssenKrupp Electrical Steel produces on the same site.

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Gutehoffnungshütte

Hochkampstraße 107
45881 Gelsenkirchen

Locations

Berlin Bridge