Visit of the Rodolphe Tile, former potash mine of Alsace
Visiting an old mine, a boring activity? This is one of the most memorable visits I've made. Carreau Rodolphe, located in Pulversheim, is one of the mines in the potash basin north of Mulhouse.
My summary
I liked
- Guided tour by a former miner: he really knows what he is talking about!
- Impressive location
- Discovery of a part of Alsatian industrial history
- Possibility of visits by appointment
I liked less
- You should not expect a visit to a modern museum (personally I prefer the place as it is, as a testimony of the past, but I warn you!)
What is Alsace potash?
You’ve probably already heard of them, or seen a poster (the one with a stork on a blue background, drawn by Hansi). With 24 shafts, these mines covered an area of 222 km2 and were one of Alsace’s most flourishing industries. The Carreau Rodolphe is one of these mines, operated by the Société des Mines de Potasse d’Alsace from 1910 to 2002 (from 1911 to 1976 for the Carreau Rodolphe): it comprises two different shafts, both now closed.
The potash from Alsace was mainly used as fertilizer for agriculture.
On the tracks of the potash mines
Visiting the Rodolphe Tile is not the same as going underground as you can do with the old silver mines for example. On the other hand, it is to plunge into this part of history, to discover the life and the working methods of the men who worked there and to discover the various techniques of exploitation of potash. The visit is led by a former miner, member of theRodolphe Group association which strives to preserve and rehabilitate the Rodolphe Tile for educational purposes. It is indeed the only mine in this area whose buildings have been preserved, all the rest has been demolished.
I can tell you that hearing a former miner tell you about his daily work in the mine is a unique moment that I strongly recommend: it is fascinating, striking and it makes you put your working conditions into perspective! Even if the miners were proud of their work (and they should be), that they had some social benefits and that there was apparently a nice solidarity among them, it was an extremely difficult and dangerous job. Imagine that it was about 50 degrees in the mine, which was almost 1,000 meters underground!
Guided tour of the Carreau Rodophe in Pulversheim
The guided tour of the Carreau Rodolphe lasts around 2h30 (it can be shorter or longer, depending on how much time you have), during which you enter the buildings, observe the machines, watch the reconstructions, listen to explanations of the work involved in extracting potash, the daily work in the mine… A changing room (“salle des pendus”) and a lamp room have also been reconstructed by the association.
It is not an aseptic museum, it is a place that has lived, was left a little abandoned and is gradually reviving thanks to the patient work of the volunteers of the association. It is really a place to discover! Many thanks again to Thierry for the visit.
Practical information
Rates
A participation of 10€ (donation to the association) is asked to people over 16 years old. From 6 to 16 years old, the participation is 5€. It is free for children under 6 years old.
Schedules
Guided tours take place every Wednesday at 9am and 2pm, but also on request by appointment for individuals and groups. You can write to [email protected] or call 06 27 70 63 43. More info here.
Access
By car
The address is as follows: Association Groupe Rodolphe Rue de Guebwiller 68840 Pulversheim. You can’t miss it, the buildings are on the side of the road and very imposing! You have to count:
- 15 km from Mulhouse (about 15 minutes)
- 34 km from Colmar (about 30 minutes)
- 106 km from Strasbourg (about 1h05)
By public transport
This is not possible :-/