Zuid-Limburg demands compensation from former coal mine operators
Municipalities in Zuid-Limburg are calling on private companies that once profited from coal mining in the region to offer compensation for the long-term social and economic damage caused by the closure of the mines in 1975, NOS reports. The appeal has received strong local support and is aimed primarily at two powerful Dutch business families.
When the mines shut down 50 years ago, some were owned by the Dutch state, which provided economic aid to the region. Others, however, were privately operated by four companies that never offered any form of compensation to the communities left behind.
The issue has resurfaced following research by Marc Hermans, a native of Limburg, who investigated the private mining operations and concluded that the companies failed to take any responsibility for the aftermath. “They made a lot of money,” Hermans told NOS. “Then it’s important that you also provide some aftercare to the population.”
Hermans’ call has struck a chord across Limburg, particularly in the Parkstad region. The mayors of the seven Parkstad municipalities, including Heerlen, support the initiative. “We have a shared history with these companies,” Heerlen Mayor Roel Wever said. “So let’s see if we can also develop a shared future.”
At its peak, the coal mining industry brought economic prosperity to Zuid-Limburg. But when the mines closed, the region plunged into economic decline. Approximately 75,000 people lost their jobs, prompting many to leave the area. Those who stayed reportedly witnessed wealth turn into poverty. Heerlen, once one of the richest cities in the Netherlands, now struggles with widespread socioeconomic problems that are still evident today.
Hermans said it was “immoral” that the private mine operators never offered compensation. “They closed the book and never looked back at the region where they bore responsibility for 75,000 employees.”
His view is echoed by former coal miner Jo Wiertz, who now leads tours in Kerkrade’s historic coal mine. “After the closure, we never heard from them again,” he told NOS. “We were just abandoned. And that’s still how we feel.”
Nancy, a volunteer with a food aid group in Heerlen, said the effects of the mine closures are still visible today. “They took off with the capital,” she told the newspaper. “We’re the ones left with the mess.”
Mayor Wever stressed that compensation discussions must begin with dialogue. “What we need to do first is just start the conversation,” he told NOS. “That’s why we sent the invitation.” The municipalities have not yet received a response, but Wever remains hopeful.
The letter was mainly addressed to two families who privately operated the Limburg mines. One of them, the Van der Vorm family, now holds a majority stake in HAL Investments. However, a spokesperson for HAL Investments told NOS that neither the firm nor its legal predecessors ever invested in Limburg’s coal mines.
The other mining family, the Wendels, did respond to NOS. “The closure of the mines was carried out with the utmost respect for our former employees and under the best possible conditions,” the family said. “We believe we did what was necessary, and did so with humanity and under exemplary financial circumstances.”
Today, the Van der Vorm family derives most of its wealth from the port of Rotterdam, where it engages in philanthropic work, including supporting cultural projects and buying up the debts of struggling families. Hermans believes a similar debt-relief fund could benefit Zuid-Limburg.
“The mine in Kerkrade was personally owned by Willem van der Vorm,” he told the newspaper. “If there is a moral debt to the dockworkers in Rotterdam, we believe there is also a moral debt to the miners. After all, the roots of that family’s wealth lie in this mine.”
