Mijnwiel

Mijnwiel is a large green wheel from a German coal mine, set in the public park Het Engelse Werk in Zwolle. Its scale makes the industrial object easy to spot among the park’s walking paths and open greenery. The wheel arrived from Lünen, Zwolle’s German sister city, as a goodwill gift for Zwolle’s anniversary. Two large supports originally held the retired machinery above the ground.

The installation connects industrial heritage with the friendship between Zwolle and Lünen. That partnership focuses on cultural exchange, shared knowledge and contact between communities in different countries. In summer 2023, a foundation problem beneath one support caused the wheel to tilt and come loose. The city fenced off part of the park while it examined the several-thousand-kilogram structure and planned repairs. Het Engelse Werk remains a place for walking and relaxing, while the wheel brings a visible piece of Lünen into Zwolle. Its strongest detail is the contrast between heavy mining machinery and the calm public landscape around it.