Barbarastollen

Under the auditorium of the Universität zu Köln lies the Barbarastollen, a show mine in the university's basement. It is part of the university's collections and serves as an exhibit for a scientifically interested audience.

The tunnel was constructed in 1932 during the rebuilding of the university as a teaching model for students of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences. Its creation is connected to the tradition of the former Museum für Handel und Industrie (later Schau Westdeutscher Wirtschaft) of the Handelshochschule Köln. For a long time the entrance was forgotten and was rediscovered in the early 1980s; subsequent restoration began in 1984 under professional supervision with support from mining specialists. In 2019 the university funded a virtual tour of the Barbarastollen.

The walk-through replica is about 40 metres long and represents a section of hard-coal mining. A painter and graphic artist from Essen created the scenes, using real coal from the Aachener Revier, which was affixed to the walls with tar. Various companies provided original equipment, tools and machines. At the centre of the display, alongside the technology, are the harsh working conditions of the 1930s and the occupational medical consequences such as pneumoconiosis. Although no raw materials are extracted in the basement, the show mine holds a mining-law permit; during tours the punchline is often mentioned that the university thereby has only limited influence over operations in its own basement.