 Fosse Saint Louis c. 1900 | |
| Industry | Coal mining |
|---|---|
| Founded | 19 November 1757 |
| Founders | Viscount Désandrouin, Prince de Croÿ, Marquis de Cernay |
| Defunct | 17 May 1946 |
| Headquarters | Anzin, Nord , France |
50°24′N 3°30′E / 50.40°N 3.50°E The Compagnie des mines d'Anzin (Anzin Mining Company) was a large French mining company in the coal basin of Nord-Pas-de-Calais in northern France. It was established in 1756 and operated for almost 200 years.
The company used innovative pumping technology to support deep mining operations in the rich bituminous coalfield. At its peak in the mid-19th century it was one of the largest industrial enterprises in France, with about 12,000 miners. Émile Zola visited the region during a strike in 1884 which he used as the basis for his novel Germinal. The work was dangerous and unhealthy, but the company paid the miners well compared to other industries, provided housing, welfare and pensions, and sponsored social activities. The mines reached their peak of prosperity before World War I (1914–18), but were badly damaged during the war. They struggled to regain profitability in period leading up to World War II (1939–45). The mines were nationalized in 1946. Many were closed in the 1970s and 1980s. The last ceased operation in 1990. The landscape has been partly restored but traces of mining such as slag heaps, ponds and railway cuttings remain, and a few heritage sites have been preserved.
