Belgium is proposing to inscribe four historic sites related to coal mining on the list of world heritage: Grand-Hornu, Bois-du-Luc and Bois du Cazier in the Province of Hainaut and Blegny-Mine in the Province of Liège.
These four sites mined the coal field which extends from Nord-Pas-de-Calais to the valley of Aix-la-Chapelle. They cover the same chronological period, from the early 19th to the end of the 20th centuries. They offer a condensed insight into all aspects of mining, technical and social heritage. They also complement one another. Blegny and Bois du Cazier cover the “work and workers” component, whilst Grand-Hornu and Bois-du-Luc relate to the “social” component, illustrating through their architecture the relations of power and social organisation.
Walloon mining heritage fully complies with UNESCO’s criterion II: “to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town planning or landscape design”.
In the technological, social and architectural fields, it represents a cultural melting pot which assimilated elements of very diverse origins which have had a considerable influence in Europe and throughout the world.
From a technological viewpoint, mines, which were active since the Middle Ages, have integrated techniques from across Europe, notably the British processes which brought about the Industrial Revolution. But the Walloon collieries became an international model, copied notably in Russia and China. Its Mining Colleges have trained engineers from all over the world.
In social terms, the Walloon collieries are multicultural centres, owing to the immigration of the Italian, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian and Turkish labour force.
Architecturally speaking, the two sites of Grand-Hornu and Bois-du-Luc embody the major international trends in architecture and urban development.
This mining heritage also fulfils criterion IV: “to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history”.
It is in fact a microcosm of the Industrial Revolution, in its twofold technological and social aspects. The various stages of technological evolution are all represented, together with the evolution of social relations, from paternalism to workers’ struggles. Furthermore, redevelopment of the four sites has been achieved in different ways, which illustrate various possibilities for promoting heritage.
Through their chronology and content, the Walloon collieries form a unique example and fill a gap in world industrial heritage.
Robert Halleux
