Curating a Future for Coal and Petrochemicals: Ruhrkohle AG’s Corporate Influence on the Zeche Zollverein Heritage Site

Abstract

How does a fossil fuel company’s involvement in the establishment of an industrial heritage site shape a vision of the future of energy and sustainability at this site? This chapter reveals the impact of the presence of Ruhrkohle AG (RAG), a parastatal corporation responsible for former on-site mining as well as asset management during the process of deindustrialisation at the Zollverein heritage site. RAG was able to write coal into the heritage site not only as part of the region’s history but also as an inescapable and integral element of the future. By highlighting the influence of this coal conglomerate in heritage-making, this study extends beyond a narrow focus on civil society and examines the broader political economy in which heritage sites are embedded. Specifically, its findings highlight the importance of studying fossil capital to deepen understanding of the role of industrial heritage in the Anthropocene.