Former Herne-Wanne hard coal colliery preserving the sole surviving 1873 Malakowturm of the Schachtanlage I/IV, a listed monument on the Route der Industriekultur, standing alone on a partially redeveloped site beside the Cranger Kirmes fairground.
Zeche Unser Fritz was a hard coal colliery in what is today the Herne district of Wanne, originating in the Zeche Vereinigte Gregor whose fields Gregor, Gregor I, and Cyprian were consolidated in 1864. The bergrechtliche Gewerkschaft was founded in 1871 by Friedrich Grillo, Wilhelm Hagedorn, and Ludwig von Born; the fields Liberia, Liberia I, and Vereinigte Gregor were joined and the installation renamed Unser Fritz in 1872, named after the future German Emperor Friedrich III. Sinking of Schacht 1 (Schacht Sophie) began in 1871; despite severe difficulties with quicksand and water inflows, the shaft reached coal and a Malakowturm was erected over it in 1873.
Coal production began in 1874. A second shaft, Schacht 2, was begun 1 km north of Schacht 1 in 1881, with the Förderaufnahme in 1885. Further shafts followed: Schacht 3 (1897), Schacht 4 (1908), and Schacht 5 (1920).
In 1918 the Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG acquired the colliery; in 1923 a Verbund with the Bergwerk Consolidation was established and the field subsequently transferred to it. The entire Anlage was operated as an Außenschachtanlage from 1936. Peak output of 891,000 tonnes was achieved in 1925.
The last Seilfahrt took place on 2 October 1993 and the remaining shafts were backfilled in 1995. All surface structures were demolished except the Malakowturm over Schacht 1, which stands under Denkmalschutz as the sole surviving structure of the Schachtanlage I/IV and as one of only fourteen surviving Malakowtürme in the Ruhr.
The founding of what became Zeche Unser Fritz began with the granting of the Geviertfelder Gregor, Gregor I, Cyprian, Liberia, and Liberia I from 1858. The original Gewerken — local craftsmen in Herne — progressively ran out of capital, and in 1864 the fields Gregor, Gregor I, and Cyprian were consolidated as the Zeche Vereinigte Gregor. After further financial difficulties, in 1871 Friedrich Grillo, Wilhelm Hagedorn, and Ludwig von Born founded the bergrechtliche Gewerkschaft and consolidated the fields Liberia, Liberia I, and Vereinigte Gregor into the Zeche Vereinigte Gregor under their joint ownership.
In the same year 1871 sinking of the first shaft, Schacht 1 (named Schacht Sophie), began in the today's locality of Herne-Wanne. Almost immediately the sinking encountered a powerful quicksand layer eight metres thick, causing severe difficulties and demanding substantial capital outlay. In 1872 the Gewerkschaft renamed the installation Unser Fritz, naming it after the Hohenzollern Friedrich III (1831–1888), who as Crown Prince was popularly known as 'Unser Fritz' for his liberal views and who later ruled as German Emperor for only 99 days.
The Malakowturm over Schacht 1 was erected in 1873, with its characteristic strebepfeilern and polygonal corner stair turrets that doubled as emergency escape routes in case of fire. The coal measures were reached in 1873, and regular production began in 1874. Output in 1875 was 93,000 tonnes.
The colliery was a founding member of the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Kohlen-Syndikats and a significant player in the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg. In 1877 a contract was concluded with the Bergwerk Consolidation for the transfer of commercial and technical management, and an underground connection to Consolidation Schacht 3 was established on the third level in 1881. However, the Gewerken objected to the contract and the Consolidation withdrew from it in 1881.
In September 1881 sinking of Schacht 2 began, approximately 1 km north of Schacht 1 in Herne-Wanne north of the Emscher. In 1879 Schacht 1 had suffered Druckauswirkungen and the affected section had to be rebuilt. By the mid-1880s the colliery was producing approximately 500,000–600,000 tonnes annually.
In 1882 a Ringofenziegelei was established to produce bricks for the growing workers' housing colony Dannekamp. Schacht 2 achieved Förderaufnahme in 1885. In 1897 Schacht 3 was sunk and in 1899 taken into service as a Wetterschacht; in 1903 it was fully commissioned and became the main winding shaft for Anlage 2/3, with Schacht 2 as the incoming ventilation shaft.
In 1903 a Durchschlag was established between the fifth levels of Baufelder 1 and 2/3. In 1904 a Feldertausch was conducted with Zeche Graf Bismarck. In 1908 Schacht 4 was sunk immediately beside Schacht 1; it entered service in 1910, at which point Schacht 1 was converted to a Wetterschacht and the Betriebsanlage 1/4 was formed.
In 1911 and 1913 two coke works and in 1913 a Benzolfabrik were erected. In 1913 a dedicated harbour on the Rhein-Herne-Kanal was completed. In 1918 the Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG acquired the Zeche Unser Fritz; in 1922 they also acquired the neighbouring Zeche Consolidation.
In 1923 the Verbund with Consolidation was established, the two collieries being operated as a combined entity while their shaft installations remained physically separate. In 1923 a fifth shaft (Schacht 5), used as a Wetterschacht, was brought into service approximately 1.5 km east of the second Schachtanlage. Peak annual output of 891,000 tonnes was reached in 1925 with 3,840 workers.
In 1925–28 the Schachtanlage 2/3 was progressively closed; the Grubenfeld passed to the Consolidation in 1929. The Schachtanlage 1/4 was closed in 1928, with the Schächte maintained for standby use. From 1 January 1936 the Anlage 1/4 was reopened as an Außenschachtanlage of Bergwerk Consolidation for Seilfahrt and Materialförderung.
The installation served ventilation, materials transport, and Seilfahrt functions within the combined Consolidation–Unser Fritz–Pluto Werksdirektion formed on 1 October 1970 following the establishment of the Ruhrkohle AG. The Baufeld Unser Fritz was finally relinquished in 1993 in the framework of the combined Hugo/Consolidation operation. The last Seilfahrt was made on 2 October 1993.
In 1995 all remaining shafts were backfilled. All surface structures of both Schachtanlagen were subsequently demolished except the Malakowturm over Schacht 1, which is 32 m high with characteristic strebepfeilern and polygonal stair turrets, very similar in form to the Malakowturm over Schacht 1 of the Bergwerk Ewald in Herten. The tower stands under Denkmalschutz and is the sole surviving structure of the founding Schachtanlage I/IV; it and the former site of the Künstlerzeche Unser Fritz 2/3 are both stations on the Route der Industriekultur.
The former loading harbour basin of the colliery on the Rhein-Herne-Kanal has been converted into a wetland biotope. Cranger Kirmes, one of the largest Volksfeste in Germany, takes place annually in the area adjacent to the Schacht 1 site.