Hausertorstollen

At Hausertorstollen in the downtown area of Wetzlar, there once existed the Grunebfeld "Ludwig," for which Wetzlar mining owner Wilhelm Allmenröder was granted a "Mutschein" for the exploration of an iron ore deposit on November 13, 1842. However, when a tunnel was created in the exposed limestone and "Green Shale," it turned out that the ore vein was not worth mining; in any case, nothing more was ever heard of it.

As Allied air raids on German cities increased in 1944, the Reich government ordered all industrial war production facilities to be relocated as much as possible to rural areas or underground tunnels. This was also the case in Wetzlar. During World War II, Wetzlar was a center of highly developed war technology.

Starting from January 14, 1944, the extensive "Hausertorstollen" was excavated by local miners and prisoners of war under the supervision of the "Organisation Todt." It was later divided into three areas: large production halls, a shelter for the civilian population, and a makeshift tunnel.

Even today, Hausertorstollen can be visited as part of guided tours - it is "the other city tour" to one of the darkest parts of the city's history.

Text: Tourist Information Wetzlar and Geopark Westerwald-Lahn-Taunus

Opening times

The Hausertorstollen can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Dates and tickets can be found at http://tourist-information-wetzlar.reservix.de/events.