Production in Waterschei started in 1924. Barely five years after opening, disaster struck. Twenty-five miners were killed in a firedamp explosion in the underground galleries. In 1984, another seven young people were killed in a blast.

Art deco

One of the eye-catchers in Waterschei is the colliery's main building from the early 1920s. Just as in Eisden, reinforced concrete framing was used for the mine complex by the Hennebique company.

Closure and repurposing

In September 1987, the Waterschei mine was closed and partly demolished. Only one of the 54-meter-high iron headframes still stands.

Waterschei has been repurposed as Thor Park, an industrial estate and science park. The headframe, previously painted white (see photo below), was repurposed in 2023, together with the reception buildings and unloading floor. Since then, as a visitor, you can walk around in those buildings.

At its peak, just under 7,000 miners worked there. A total of 72 million tons of coal were produced. The shafts were up to a thousand meters deep and were among the deepest in the Limburg mining basin.