Himmelstreppe, Large sculpture on Halde Rheinelbe Süd, Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Himmelstreppe is an art installation on Halde Rheinelbe Süd, made of three ramp paths that meet at a circular area and lead to a 12-meter-high staircase of concrete blocks. The structure incorporates recycled materials from a former coal mining site and provides viewpoints across the Ruhr region.
The work was created in 1999 as part of the International Building Exhibition Emscher Park, symbolizing the Ruhr region's shift from mining to new uses. The concrete blocks came from a demolished Dortmund coal mine, preserving traces of that industrial era.
The work speaks to coal mining heritage through its physical form and offers visitors a place to reflect on industrial change. Its name evokes both earthly and spiritual dimensions, connecting people to the landscape's past in a thoughtful way.
The site is accessible on foot with multiple paths for exploring the structure and climbing to higher levels. Clear weather makes the ascent to the upper platform worthwhile for views across the surrounding landscape.
Coal remnants smolder inside the mound, keeping it warmer than its surroundings and turning the site into a memorial of mining activity. This hidden element beneath the surface is easily overlooked but essential to the place's meaning.
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