Steile Lagerung, Bronze monument at Europaplatz, Essen, Germany
Steile Lagerung is a bronze sculpture made of sixty separate components positioned at Europaplatz in Essen. The pieces depict miners working within coal seams and create an expansive composition with varying heights that surrounds the viewer.
The monument was created following a 1984 city competition dedicated to mining heritage. Artist Max Kratz realized the installation starting in 1989 as a memorial to this important industrial period.
The figures depict workers and their role in shaping the region's development through mining labor. The work connects past industrial life to how people today understand and remember this heritage.
The sculpture sits south of Essen central station and offers wheelchair accessibility for all visitors. Its location near contemporary buildings above the A40 highway makes it straightforward to reach and explore.
Each of the sixty bronze pieces was individually cast to capture the precise movements and postures of miners at work. This labor-intensive production method allows the sculpture to portray the physical demands of underground labor with striking detail.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
