Garzweiler surface mine, Surface lignite mine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Garzweiler is an open-pit lignite mine in the Rhineland region that extends across areas in several districts and features enormous bucket-wheel excavators. The pit reaches deep into the ground and reveals layers of earth that display different shades of brown depending on their depth.
Operations began in 1983 after years of planning to access new coal deposits west of the older Neurath extraction site. The mine was divided into two sections, with the second part opening later for continued extraction.
The mine takes its name from a farm that once stood in this area and has since been removed for extraction. Several villages disappeared as operations expanded, and their residents had to leave their homes and start again elsewhere.
Visits are only possible through organized tours that must be booked in advance and offer insights into the equipment and scale of operations. The open terrain can be windy and dusty due to the exposed conditions.
During expansion, a section of the A44 motorway had to be dismantled and relocated, resulting in an entirely new route through the region. An old medieval church was also taken apart stone by stone and reassembled at a different location.
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