At Hussigny-Godbrange, in Meurthe-et-Moselle, access to the galleries of the former iron mine is now prohibited to the public. The administrative closure has put visits to a site maintained by volunteers for decades on hold, and raises a practical question: how can underground heritage be preserved while demonstrating that it can welcome visitors in conditions that meet safety requirements?
A closure in force, not merely a threat
The sub-prefect of Val-de-Briey ordered the administrative closure of the site for an indefinite period, so that arrangements for welcoming the public could be brought into compliance with the applicable rules. Access to the galleries is therefore prohibited, and visits can no longer take place. This decision concerns opening the site to the public today; it should not be confused with the end of industrial operations, which took place in 1978.
According to an article by France 3 Grand Est, republished by « L’essentiel », the managing association, the Association d’histoire industrielle (AHI), must register as an establishment open to the public (ERP). This status governs, among other things, access and safety conditions. In the case of a mine, the question is not limited to the condition of visible equipment: the galleries themselves and the risks associated with moving underground must also be assessed.
Assessing the stability of the galleries
The AHI says it has already invested 20 000 euros in an initial study on improving air exchange and ventilation. A second study, devoted to the « cold stability of the galleries », would cost 19 000 euros. It is intended to provide information on the condition of the underground structures and help determine the conditions for a possible reopening.
The two studies address different questions. Ventilating an underground space concerns the renewal and circulation of air; assessing its stability means examining the integrity of the galleries. At a mining site, public safety requires these characteristics to be taken into account before the arrangements for a visit are determined. The announced cost of the new study is therefore a burden for an association that must fund preliminary steps, without those steps alone guaranteeing a reopening.
The association hopes to welcome visitors again in early 2027, following the study and the work to bring the site into compliance. This is a target, not a confirmed reopening date: the outcome will depend on the assessments and the measures needed to meet safety requirements.
A site preserved by a cross-border association
The site’s recent history is linked to the AHI’s commitment. On its website, the association says it began exploring and investing in the former Godbrange mine in 1996. It notes that the pumps being switched off in 1986 did not result in most of the galleries being flooded. Since then, its members have carried out clearance and masonry work, installed bolts, cleaned spaces, and recovered and restored mining equipment, in partnership with the commune of Hussigny-Godbrange.
According to its own description, the AHI is legally constituted as a Luxembourg non-profit association. This gives the site a distinctive foothold in the Greater Region: the preservation of this French mine involves an organisation from Luxembourg and a commune in Meurthe-et-Moselle. The aim is not merely to preserve objects, but also to maintain an underground site and the tangible traces of its activity.
One rare feature distinguishes the mine: several kilometres of haulage track remain in place, according to the association. These rails make it possible to run a mining train consisting of a diesel locomotive, mine cars and personnel carriages. The visitor route thus relies on authentic infrastructure, whose preservation and accessibility themselves require careful examination.
Between industrial memory and welcoming the public
For Hussigny-Godbrange, the issue goes beyond reopening an attraction. The galleries, rails and machinery form an ensemble whose visitor route helps explain the material organisation of mining work. But heritage can only remain accessible in the long term if the conditions for visits are compatible with people’s safety and the preservation of the site.
The next steps are therefore clear: carry out the stability study, determine the work or measures required, and then meet the requirements for welcoming the public. Early 2027 remains the association’s hoped-for target. Until then, the mine remains closed to visitors, while the central question is how to make it possible to pass on this heritage without making opening the site a priority over safety.
References
- Association d’Histoire Industrielle, Godbrange mine website
- « L’essentiel », administrative closure of the Hussigny-Godbrange mine
A Deutz locomotive from the former mining network, photographed in Hussigny-Godbrange in 2004. Archive image.
