Haspelknecht - Ruhr Valley Expansion

Coal mining has now become an inherent and lucrative business for farmers in the Ruhr valley. Industrialization is slowly beginning in this region. The tunnels are dug deeper and longer, which is made possible by the use of iron. Water channels are implemented to help drain the pit water. A considerable part of the population earns their living exclusively by coal mining and delivering the "black gold" to peddlers and the first coal barges cruising the river which gives its name to the valley and the whole area - the Ruhr.