The Rammelsberg mine is on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The site was mined for about 1000 years and closed in 1988. Silver, copper and lead were mined here. The main buildings visible in these photos date from the 1930s when the site underwent an expansion phase under the national socialist regime. I find the architecture very beautiful and well integrated into the hillside.

One room is particularly impressive: the one that served as a changing room for the miners. Their personal effects were hung from the ceiling, it was a huge drying room.

A “window” into the working conditions of miners at the time.

Where to find it: https://g.page/Rammelsbergharz?share

The border between the two Germanies cut the massif in two for years and passed only a few kilometres away. At the top of Brocken, signs remind us that this was only thirty years ago.

The surrounding medieval towns and villages are described in another post, not to be missed if you are a fan of half-timbered houses (Goslar and Quedlinburg in particular) https://wherever-it-is.com/2021/04/02/harz-timber-frame-houses-and-mining-culture/.