Bergbaumuseum des Kreises Altenkirchen

Useful Information

Location:	Schulstraße 13, 57562 Herdorf/Sassenroth. (50.770390, 7.917393)
Open:	APR to OCT Sun, Hol 11-17. [2026]
Fee:	Adults EUR 3, Children (7-17) EUR 1, Children (0-6) free, Students (-26) EUR 1, Disabled EUR 1. Groups (19+): Adults EUR 2. [2026]
Classification:	Iron Mine Silver Mine Lead Mine Copper Mine Zinc Mine Geopark Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=1,5 h.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Bergbaumuseum des Kreises Altenkirchen, Schulstraße 13, 57562 Herdorf/Sassenroth, Tel: +49-2744-6389. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1965	last mines in the Siegerland region closed.
1986	Bergbaumuseum opened to the public.

Geology

Description

Bergbaumuseum des Kreises Altenkirchen (Altenkirchen District Mining Museum) is located in the Sassenroth district of Herdorf, and is therefore also known as the Sassenroth Mining Museum or the Sassenroth District Mining Museum. In other words, the name is so convoluted that everyone interprets it differently. What’s more, there are even completely incorrect spellings in circulation; it is listed as Sassendorfer Bergbaumuseum on various lists. The names are also somewhat unfortunate, as there was never a mine at this location; the winding tower was re-erected here, and the museum does not focus on mining in Sassenroth or Altenkirchen. In fact, this is a museum dedicated to ore mining in the Siegerland, which has been an integral part of life for 2,500 years. Deposits of iron, silver, lead, copper and zinc ores were mined and processed. The heyday of ore mining in the Siegerland region was around 1900, when some 15,000 miners were employed in the various mines. This era came to an end with the closure of the last mines in 1965.

The museum is housed in the old school and documents the history of mining in the Siegerland region with a large number of exhibits. A particularly fine exhibition of mining lamps and a mineral display are especially worth mentioning. The actual exhibition mine is located in the basement. As you walk past shafts and loading points, through variously constructed tunnels and into the mining areas, the world of underground work is brought to life. Mine locomotives, loading machines, pneumatic drills and other tools are on display. In the outdoor area, you can see large-scale machinery, such as the equipment from the Siemens-Martin steelworks at Charlottenhütte. A real highlight is the 15-metre-high winding tower with its machine house.

The museum, including the exhibition mine, can be visited without a guided tour. However, guided tours are available for groups by prior arrangement.

The Mining Museum serves as the information centre and geo-information centre for the Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus Geopark. As the name suggests, the museum is run by the district. The Association for the Preservation and Maintenance of Mining and Metallurgical Traditions in the District of Altenkirchen has set itself the task of preserving mining and metallurgical traditions in the district. In this context, they are also a sponsor of the museum, but not the operator. We have classified this museum as part of the Westerwald rather than the Siegerland, even though its theme is ore mining in the Siegerland. This is due to the district’s location on the border between the Siegerland to the north and the Westerwald to the south, and the museum is situated in the southern part. Furthermore, geology does not adhere to such boundaries.