Zeche Hugo — Schacht II Gelsenkirchen · Nordrhein-Westfalen · Germany

The early history of Zeche Hugo begins with exploratory boreholes sunk west of Buer between 1870 and 1872, which struck coal. Under the leadership of the Essener merchant Hugo Honigmann, investors from Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, and Buer established the Gewerkschaft des Steinkohlenbergwerks Hugo on 24 March 1873; the bergrechtliche Genehmigung followed on 2 April 1874. The colliery took its name from Honigmann, who originally held the largest share of the field Hugo.

Sinking of the first shaft began on 1 May 1873 at the Landstraße nach Horst. On 1 March 1875 the shaft reached the coal-bearing Carboniferous at 287.3 m depth and entered production. Schacht 1 was equipped with the first iron headframe of the Promnitz type to be built in Germany, an event of considerable importance in the technical history of the Ruhr.

The Promnitz construction — later generally termed Deutsches Strebengerüst — subsequently became the standard headframe form for the Harpener Bergbau AG, which had 26 examples erected across its various collieries. Schacht 1 ultimately reached a final depth of 1,149 m and worked to the ninth level. Technical difficulties and the investment costs of the Promnitz headframe led to financial pressure; the bergrechtliche Gewerkschaft was therefore converted in 1881 into an Aktiengesellschaft in which the internationally active Harpener Bergbau AG held a majority.

Schacht 2 was sunk at the Brößweg between 1881 and 1885 and entered production in 1885; it was fitted with a Tomson-Bock headframe. From 1885 both shafts were electrified. Between 1891 and 1895 Schacht 3 was sunk in the Südfeld.

In 1899 the headframe over Schacht 1 was rebuilt as a Doppelstrebengerüst. Between 1899 and 1902 Schacht 4 was sunk alongside Schacht 1 and fitted with a Tomson-Bock; this Schacht 4 was the last Tomson-Bock erected for the production purposes of the Harpener Bergbau AG. Between 1905 and 1909 Schacht 5 was sunk alongside Schacht 2; it received a Tomson-Bock — the last Tomson-Bock erected across the entire Harpener Bergbau AG estate. In 1906 a coke works was brought into service on the Schachtanlage 2/5.

A coke works on Schacht 1/4, commissioned in 1914, had to be taken out of service shortly thereafter. From 1934, following changes in the political environment, the expansion of the colliery was resumed. Between 1934 and 1936 Schacht 6 (later named Hugo-Ost) was sunk.

In 1940 Schacht 7 (Hugo-Nord) was sunk at the border with the Scholven field; it entered service in 1944. During 1944 the Schachtanlage 2/5 suffered heavy bomb damage and production had to be relocated to 1/4; after repairs and the installation of skip hoisting at Schacht 2, production was moved back to Hugo 2/5 in 1947. In 1952, following the Alliierten Kontrollrat decision, the Zeche Hugo was separated from the Harpen AG and assigned to the Essener Steinkohlenbergwerke AG.

From 1954 the Anlage 2/5 was comprehensively rebuilt to designs by the architect Fritz Schupp. Between 1957 and 1960 the new Förderschacht 8 was sunk on the Anlage 2/5; fitted with large-container hoisting, it took over the main production. A completely new coal preparation plant designed by Schupp was erected alongside.

In 1969, together with the other assets of the Essener Steinkohlenbergwerke AG, the Zeche Hugo passed to the Ruhrkohle AG. Annual production rose to peak figures above 3 million tonnes. When the coal production was halted on 27 June 2000 the Schachtanlage 2/5/8 with nearly 3,900 workers was one of the most modern and productive mines in the Ruhr.

After the closure almost all surface buildings were demolished, including the substantial Schupp-designed ensemble on Hugo 2/5/8 and buildings from the Gründerzeit, a process that ended with the explosive demolition of the colliery power station. The remaining shafts were backfilled between 1997 and 2001. The headframe of Schacht 2 and the associated machine hall — built in 1974 and housing one of the largest and most powerful electric winding machines in the world — were preserved through the efforts of the Trägerverein Hugo Schacht 2 e.V., founded by former miners and local residents.

The Trägerverein fought for over three and a half years to prevent demolition of the two buildings. In 2006 the Trägerverein took formal ownership and began converting the structures for public access. The headframe and machine hall have been listed as Baudenkmale since 20 May 2003.

The two buildings are open for tours and events and continue to operate as a public heritage and museum site. The Verwaltungsgebäude (1957/58), the Waschkaue, the Lohnhalle, the Gesundheitshaus, and the Materialausgabe survive on the site and are also under Denkmalschutz, though in deteriorated condition. The Schüngelberg workers' housing settlement, built between 1900 and 1916, is also listed as a Baudenkmal (since 26 June 1987).

The Rungenberghalde beside the former colliery provides extensive views and a visitor attraction. The former colliery land has been partially converted into the Biomasspark Hugo, with a Stadtteilpark opened in 2016.