Belgium, and Wallonia in particular, have been involved in coal mining since the Middle Ages. Even today, many tangible and intangible traces remain throughout the country. Since the mines closed, they have somewhat faded into oblivion, except for some Walloon coal mines being honored as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The mine represents the depths, confinement, pain, darkness, and dust. It is also a father or grandfather who worked there for many years — to avoid poverty, feed their family, or avoid being taken to Germany as forced labor.
More than 30 years after the closure of the last coal mine, what remains of this heritage in Wallonia?
We set out to meet and listen to the memory of coal through the testimonies of former miners and the traces left by mining sites, paying a humble and united tribute — just like the mine itself.
At the same time, highlighting the architectural and heritage potential still present today, which can be sustainably rehabilitated.
Texts: Ricardo Cherenti
Photos: Frédéric Pauwels (Huma) and Christophe Smets
