das  Bergwerk

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈbɛʁkˌvɛʁk/

⚒️ What exactly is a Bergwerk?

A Bergwerk (neuter noun, article: das) refers to a mine – an installation or facility used for extracting mineral resources (like coal, ore, salt, or other minerals) from the earth. It includes all surface and underground facilities necessary for the extraction, transport, and often the initial processing of the raw materials.

There is only one article for this word: das. It's a compound noun formed from 'Berg' (mountain) and 'Werk' (work, plant, factory). Since 'Werk' is neuter (das Werk), 'Bergwerk' is also neuter.

📊 Grammar of 'das Bergwerk' in Detail

The noun 'Bergwerk' is neuter. Here is its declension:

Note: The genitive singular can be formed with or without an 'e' ('des Bergwerks' or 'des Bergwerkes'). The same applies to the dative singular ('dem Bergwerk' or 'dem Bergwerke'), although the form without 'e' is more common today.

📝 Example Sentences

1. Das alte Bergwerk wurde vor Jahrzehnten stillgelegt.
   (The old mine was closed down decades ago.)
2. Die Sicherheit in den Bergwerken hat oberste Priorität.
   (Safety in the mines has top priority.)
3. Er arbeitete sein ganzes Leben im Bergwerk.
   (He worked his whole life in the mine.)
4. Man kann die Geschichte des Bergwerks im örtlichen Museum nachverfolgen.
   (One can trace the history of the mine in the local museum.)

Context and Usage: When to use Bergwerk?

'Das Bergwerk' is used specifically to refer to the physical installation for resource extraction. It denotes a concrete place.

• Industrial Context: Mainly used in connection with Bergbau (mining), the raw materials industry, and energy production (e.g., Kohlebergwerk - coal mine).
• Historical Context: Many closed-down mines (stillgelegte Bergwerke) are now museums or historical monuments.
• Geographical Context: Often describes a facility that shapes the landscape.

Difference from 'Bergbau': While 'das Bergwerk' refers to the facility, 'der Bergbau' describes the activity or the industrial sector of mining.

Example: Im Ruhrgebiet gibt es viele ehemalige Bergwerke, aber der aktive Bergbau ist dort Geschichte.
(In the Ruhr area, there are many former mines, but active mining is history there.)

💡 How to Remember 'das Bergwerk'

Mnemonic for the Article (das)

Think of 'das Werk' (the work, the plant). Many German nouns ending in '-werk' are neuter (das Bauwerk - the structure, das Kraftwerk - the power plant). So, das Bergwerk is a type of Werk located in a Berg (mountain) – and it stays neuter!

Mnemonic for the Meaning (Mine)

Imagine dwarves 👷‍♂️ putting a lot of effort (Werk) into digging a large construction (Werk) into the mountain (Berg) ⛰️ to find treasures. That's a Bergwerk!

🔄 Similar and Opposing Terms

⚠️ Caution: Not every hole in the ground is a Bergwerk. A 'Baugrube' (construction pit) is something completely different.

😄 A Little Mining Joke

Warum nehmen Bergleute immer einen Bleistift mit ins Bergwerk?

Damit sie eine Mi(e)ne zeichnen können! ✏️

(Translation/Explanation: Why do miners always take a pencil into the mine? So they can draw a mine! - It's a pun: 'Mine' sounds like 'Miene' which means '(facial) expression'.)

📜 Poem: Deep in the Mountain

Tief im Berg, wo Dunkel wohnt,
liegt das Bergwerk, sonnenentlohnt.
Maschinen rattern, schwer und laut,
haben Erz ans Licht gebaut.

Stollen schlängeln, weit und lang,
Hauer folgen ihrem Drang.
Ein Werk der Tiefe, stark und alt,
dessen Reichtum nie verhallt.

(Deep in the mountain, where darkness dwells,
lies the mine, deprived of sun.
Machines rattle, heavy and loud,
have built ore into the light.

Tunnels wind, far and long,
Miners follow their urge.
A work of the deep, strong and old,
whose riches never fade.)

❓ Riddle: What am I?

Ich liege tief, bin oft versteckt,
hab Kohle, Salz und Erz entdeckt.
Menschen graben in meinem Bauch,
das ist seit langem alter Brauch.

Ich bin ein Werk, gebaut im Stein,
bring Schätze aus der Erd' herein.

Was bin ich? (Lösung: das Bergwerk)

(I lie deep, am often hidden,
have discovered coal, salt, and ore.
People dig inside my belly,
that's long been an old custom.

I am a work, built in stone,
bringing treasures from the earth within.

What am I? Solution: the mine (das Bergwerk))

🌐 Other Interesting Facts

Word Composition

Das Bergwerk is a compound noun (Kompositum) made up of:

• Der Berg: (The mountain) - Refers to the location of extraction, often in or under mountains.
• Das Werk: (The work, plant, factory) - Here means a production site, a facility, or the result of labor.

Trivia

• The world's deepest mine is the Mponeng gold mine in South Africa, reaching over 4 kilometers deep.
• Many former mines, like the Zollverein Coal Mine in Essen (a UNESCO World Heritage site), are now important industrial monuments and cultural venues. (Viele ehemalige Bergwerke, wie die Zeche Zollverein in Essen (UNESCO-Welterbe), sind heute wichtige Industriedenkmäler und Kulturstätten.)
• The patron saint of miners is Saint Barbara. (Der Schutzpatron der Bergleute ist die Heilige Barbara.)