Miner

The statue cast in bronze on a black granite base is around 72 cm high. It shows a bearded man in the work clothes of a miner. He stands upright, holding his one-sided pickaxe – known as a wedge axe (Keilhaue) – in his right hand and resting it on a stone at his feet. In his left hand, the miner holds a piece of ore, which he appraises with a look that could be interpreted as thoughtful. He wears a shaft hat with a lamp attached to his belt. The sculptor and university lecturer Friedrich Reusch probably designed the figure of the miner ‘Henner’ in 1889. It symbolises the history of ore mining in Siegen and the region. Philipp Hüttenhain (1836-1908), who worked in agriculture, provided the model for the profile of ‘Henner’. Friedrich Reusch also created the ironworker ‘Frieder’ at the same time. Both figures were exhibited as larger-than-life versions at the Düsseldorf industrial exhibition in 1902 and have stood at various locations in Siegen city centre since 1904.