Foundation for the Promotion of Archaeology in the Rhenish Lignite Mining Area

The Stiftung zur Förderung der Archäologie im rheinischen Braunkohlenrevier (Foundation for the Promotion of Archaeology in the Rhenish Lignite Mining Area) is a German foundation under civil law established in April 1990. It was founded by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and RWE Power, with the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) as a co-founder; the LVR also holds the foundation's management. Its purpose is to support the preservation of archaeological monuments (Bodendenkmalpflege) in the area of open-cast lignite mining between Bonn, Aachen and Grevenbroich. Its most important concern is rescuing archaeological sites from destruction by lignite mining. The foundation has an endowment capital of 16.2 million euros and distributes approximately half a million euros annually, including scholarships for master's and doctoral theses. Its board is composed of representatives and deputies delegated by the three participating parties for four-year terms. The founders each appoint two persons to the advisory board, which includes archaeologists from the Ruhr University Bochum, the University of Bonn, the Rhineland Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments (Rheinisches Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege), the LVR, the University of Cologne, and the German Lignite Industry Association (DEBRIV). Each year, around 350 hectares are mined in the Garzweiler, Hambach and Inden open-cast mines in the Rhenish lignite mining area. Official archaeological monument preservation with its emergency excavations reaches its limits, and the foundation is intended to enable archaeologists to keep pace with coal mining and rescue as much historical substance as possible. The work at the open-cast mines is supervised by the Landschaftsverband Rheinland – Rheinisches Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege (Titz branch office). Around 200,000 finds are inventoried, documented and, if necessary, restored each year. Excavations have so far taken place at eight locations: Hahner Hof, the Church of St. Pankratius, Reuschenberg Castle, settlements in the Inde estuary area, Haus Stolzenberg, and the Neolithic settlement group between Inden and Altdorf. The foundation also supports exhibitions and specialist conferences in its field. An annual Day of Archaeology is held, at which visitors can look over the archaeologists' shoulders at work. The foundation's Archaeology Prize has been awarded at irregular intervals since 1993. It honors innovative research approaches to archaeology in lignite open-cast mining and is endowed with 5,000 euros. Recipients have included Rudolph Kuper (1993), Andreas Zimmermann (1995), Winrich Schwellnus (1998), Wolf Dieter Speitmann (Wolf Dieter Becker) (2000), Christiane Krahn-Schigiol (2001), Marion Brüggler (2005), Erich Claßen (2007), Carsten Mischka (2010), Jens Lüning (2015), Timo Bremer (2017) and Manuel Broich (2023). A commemorative publication for the foundation's 20th anniversary was published in 2010 by Carl Dietmar under the title 'Schatzkammer Rheinisches Braunkohlenrevier' (Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz).

The Stiftung zur Förderung der Archäologie im rheinischen Braunkohlenrevier was founded in April 1990. Its founders were the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and RWE Power; the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) joined as a co-founder and also took on the foundation's management. The foundation was created to address a structural conflict: open-cast lignite mining in the Rhenish coalfield between Bonn, Aachen and Grevenbroich was destroying archaeological sites at a pace that official heritage authorities could not match with their own emergency excavations. The foundation's most important concern is the rescue of archaeological monuments before their destruction by lignite mining. The foundation operates with an endowment capital of 16.2 million euros and distributes approximately half a million euros annually, including scholarships for master's and doctoral theses. Its governance involves three parties: the State of NRW, RWE Power and the LVR. Each delegates representatives and deputies to the board for four-year terms, and each founder appoints two persons to the advisory board. The advisory board has included archaeologists such as Thomas Stöllner (Ruhr University Bochum), Jan Bemmann (Institute for Pre- and Early History Archaeology, University of Bonn), Jürgen Kunow (head of the Rhineland Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments, Bonn), Udo Geilenbrügge (head of the Titz branch office of the RAB, LVR), Andreas Zimmermann (University of Cologne) and George Milojcic (German Lignite Industry Association, DEBRIV, Cologne). In the Rhenish lignite mining area, around 350 hectares are mined annually in the Garzweiler, Hambach and Inden open-cast mines. The foundation enables archaeologists to keep pace with coal extraction and to rescue as much historical substance as possible. The work at the open-cast mines is supervised by the Landschaftsverband Rheinland – Rheinisches Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege (Titz branch office). Around 200,000 finds are inventoried, documented and, if necessary, restored each year. Excavations have taken place at eight locations: Hahner Hof, the Church of St. Pankratius, Reuschenberg Castle, settlements in the Inde estuary area, Haus Stolzenberg, and the Neolithic settlement group between Inden and Altdorf. The foundation also supports exhibitions and specialist conferences, and holds an annual Day of Archaeology where visitors can observe archaeologists at work. Since 1993 the foundation has awarded its Archaeology Prize at irregular intervals. The prize recognizes innovative research approaches in the archaeology of lignite open-cast mining and is endowed with 5,000 euros. Recipients include Rudolph Kuper (1993), Andreas Zimmermann (1995), Winrich Schwellnus (1998), Wolf Dieter Speitmann (Wolf Dieter Becker) (2000), Christiane Krahn-Schigiol (2001), Marion Brüggler (2005), Erich Claßen (2007), Carsten Mischka (2010), Jens Lüning (2015), Timo Bremer (2017) and Manuel Broich (2023). In 2010, a commemorative publication for the foundation's 20th anniversary was published: Carl Dietmar, 'Schatzkammer Rheinisches Braunkohlenrevier, Geschichten aus der Vergangenheit', Verlag Philipp von Zabern, Mainz.

• 2023

  Archaeology Prize awarded to Manuel Broich.

• 2010

  20th anniversary commemorative publication 'Schatzkammer Rheinisches Braunkohlenrevier' published by Carl Dietmar (Verlag Philipp von Zabern).

• 1993

  Archaeology Prize awarded for the first time, to Rudolph Kuper.

• 1990

  Foundation established in April by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and RWE Power, with the Landschaftsverband Rheinland as co-founder.

A non-profit foundation bridging state heritage preservation and lignite mining, enabling rescue archaeology at industrial scale in the Rhenish coalfield.

• Archaeology Prize (Archäologiepreis)

  Awarded since 1993 at irregular intervals for innovative research approaches in the archaeology of lignite open-cast mining; endowed with 5,000 euros.

• Scholarships for master's and doctoral theses

  Part of the approximately half a million euros distributed annually.

• Annual Day of Archaeology (Tag der Archäologie)

  An annual event where visitors can observe archaeologists at work.

1. 1Wikidata: Stiftung zur Förderung der Archäologie im rheinischen Braunkohlenrevierwikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (German): Stiftung zur Förderung der Archäologie im rheinischen Braunkohlenrevierde.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official websitearchaeologie-stiftung.de