In the Saarland, the mine canteens are called Kaffeeküche – literally Coffee Kitchen.

They are a tiled mixture of canteen, pub, newsstand and corner shop, selling washing detergent and canned sausage among other things. After coming up from the pit, this is where the miners went even before heading to the pithead bath.

The Kaffeeküche next to the Duhamel pit is still open. The remaining miners responsible for mine water retention gather here after their shifts, just as pensioners and former miners.

I have an appointment with one miner who, after the end of the Saarland mining, had moved to the Prosper Haniel mine in Bottrop and used to commute between the Saar and the Ruhr for a couple of years.