Halde Rungenberg, Gelsenkirchen

The Rungenberg slagheap is a coal mine slagheap in Gelsenkirchen, about 110 m above sea level. It was created by mining at the Hugo colliery. The spoil heap is one of the burning heaps, is mostly greened again, partly wooded and invites for a walk. Since the beginning of 2021, it has been owned by the Ruhr Regional Association.

As with many other slagheaps in the Ruhr area, part of the Rungenberg slagheap was designed as a landmark: from the Schüngelberg settlement, a staircase of about 300 steps leads up to a pyramid of rubble that is cut through by a valley in the middle.

At night, the beams of two rusty spotlights visually complement the cut pyramid to form an entire pyramid. The thick, rusted steel tubes, which are directed toward the sky like oversized telescopes, form the "Nachtzeichen" light installation by Hermann EsRichter from Oberhausen and Klaus Noculak from Berlin, who won the competition for the artistic design of the slag heap in 1992.

The "rail plateau", a ground relief in the depression on the slag heap in the axle extension of the two headlight locations, also originates from them. With 5,500 meters of railroad tracks, an elliptical area of 33 by 41 meters was laid out close together.

The best way to reach the landmark part of the Rungenberg slagheap is via Holthauser Straße in Gelsenkirchen. The Rungenberg slagheap is part of the Route of Industrial Heritage.