Oranje Nassau Mijnen

The Oranje Nassau Mijnen was a coal mine company, established in 1893 by Friedrich Honigmann (1841-1913) and Carl Honigmann (1842-1903) to exploit the rich coal deposits in and around Heerlen.

In 1886 Henri Sarolea had the idea of building a railroad between Herzogenrath, Heerlen, and Sittard, which was finished in 1896.

It was this plan that prompted the building of the first mine (Oranje Nassau I, operational from 1899 to 1974).

[1] While Oranje Nassau Mijnen was the public name of the company, the legal name was N.V. Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Limburgsche Steenkolenmijnen.

It was the largest private mining company in the Netherlands and is now owned by the French Wendel Investissement group, which acquired the founders' shares in 1908.

The former office of the Oranje Nassau Mijnen, Dirk Roosenburg , 1928, one of the earliest buildings in International style in Heerlen