The winding tower of Shaft 12 at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, Germany. Mining activities took place from 1851 until 1986, and over this period twelve shafts were opened. The last of these, built in the New Objectivity style, began operations in 1932. It has been considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, being termed the "most beautiful coal mine in the world". The Zollverein Complex was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001.Photograph: Thomas Wolf