Hemer-Becke Steinbruch, Limestone quarry in Hemer, Germany.

The Hartkalksteinwerk Stricker-Weiken is a quarry near Becke-Oese, a district of Hemer, where Devonian mass limestone is extracted for gravel. It borders the Oese mine, abandoned in 1903. Since 2010, a stationary primary and secondary crusher and a modern processing plant have been in operation. Above the quarry, a viewing platform built for the 2010 Hemer State Garden Show stands on the circular trail through the former tank training ground, with information boards on limestone from its formation to processing.

The quarry adjoins the Oese mine, abandoned in 1903. Before the Second World War a cable car was built; at its valley station with a rail connection, stones were loaded onto railway wagons for further processing. The cable car was demolished in the mid-1960s and stones were then hauled by truck. Extraction largely ended in the mid-1970s, though the quarry was never officially closed: small quantities were broken and removed each year to secure mining rights. It was restarted before 2005 after a citizens' initiative had temporarily blocked it, and in 2014 a permit procedure sought to enlarge the site from 20 to 34 hectares.

The quarry functions as a place where visitors can observe how limestone is extracted and see the different rock layers that tell the story of the earth. Understanding this work helps explain why such quarries were so important to building communities in the region.

The observation platform is accessible via marked hiking trails, with the shortest route starting from the Apricke district. Wear sturdy shoes and allow time for a relaxed walk to reach the viewpoint.

The observation platform offers rare insights into geological time, where exposed rock layers resemble the pages of a giant book laid open. Many visitors overlook the fact that you can read the age of the earth directly in the stone layers here.