The Major Mining Sites of Wallonia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising four sites in Wallonia in southern Belgium associated with the Belgian coal mining industry of the 19th and 20th centuries. The four sites of the grouping, situated in the French-speaking Hainaut Province and Liège Province, comprise Grand-Hornu, the Bois-du-Luc, the Bois du Cazier and Blegny-Mine.
Description The site was recognized by the UNESCO commission in 2012 and is officially described:
History During the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, mining and the heavy industry that relied on coal formed a major part of Belgium's economy. Most of this mining and industry took place in the sillon industriel ("industrial valley" in French), a strip of land running across the country where many of the largest cities in Wallonia are located. The named locations of this World Heritage Site are all situated in or near the area of the sillon industriel.
The mining sector in Belgium declined during the 20th century during deindustrialization and today the four mines listed are no longer operational. Today, they are each open to visitors as museums and are an important part of Belgian industrial heritage.
Sites Title Image Location DescriptionGrand-HornuHornu, Hainaut ProvinceComplex of industrial buildings associated with coal mining which dates to the early 19th century. It was one of the first examples of town planning and is one of the world's oldest company towns.Bois-du-LucHoudeng-Aimeries, Hainaut ProvinceOne of the oldest coal mines in Belgium, the mine closed in 1973. The site is preserved as an ecomuseum while the site is best known as a company townBois du CazierMarcinelle, Hainaut ProvinceA coal mine from 1822 to 1967, the Bois du Cazier is best known as the site of a major mining disaster of 1956 in which 262 miners, mostly Italian migrant workers, were killed.Blegny-MineBlegny, Liège ProvinceA major coal mine in eastern Belgium; in 1980, it was the last to close in the province.
See also
Belgium in "the long nineteenth century" Industrial archaeology The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage
References
Further reading