Mine and Potash Museum

On the former estate of Amélie Zurcher, at the edge of the Nonnenbruch forest along the Basel-Benelux road, the Mine and Potash Museum is integrated into the historic Joseph Else site. This iconic location marks the discovery of potash in Wittelsheim in 1904, sparking an industrial adventure focused on the extraction and processing of sylvinite, a potash ore. The permanent exhibition, housed in the former miners' canteen, offers a journey through time: it covers the geological formation of the basin about 30 million years ago and its 20th-century exploitation by workers from diverse backgrounds. A mineralogy room highlights Alsace's importance in mining history, while another area traces the role of potash boilers, predecessors of modern miners who produced potassium chloride for the glass industry. The Joseph Else site preserves the authenticity of its origins with its characteristic early 20th-century architecture. Visitors can explore the mining site, the pump depot listed as a Historic Monument, and the Joseph Else and Graffenwald garden cities, significant testimonies to the mining social hierarchy. For a different experience, the museum also offers a trip to Graffenwald via Alsace's first railway line, opened in 1839 between Mulhouse and Thann, with a stop opposite the Miners' House.