Rusted gear wheel and mine shaft tower at Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle

An imposing rusted gear lies abandoned on the lawn of the Bois du Cazier mining site, with the shaft tower (chevalement) standing in the background. Vegetation has begun to reclaim these industrial remains, creating a contrast between lush nature and the heavy iron machinery that once was the beating heart of mining operations. The gear wheel, probably part of the cart lifting system, testifies to the scale of mining operations that employed thousands of workers, many of whom were Italian immigrants who came to Belgium after World War II.

mining machinery, gear wheel, bois du cazier, marcinelle, chevalement, shaft tower, industrial archaeology