The history of the museum collections extends back into the 19th century, to a time before the establishment of the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum itself. In 1868, the Westfälische Berggewerkschaftskasse [Westphalian Miners’ Union, or WBK] created a permanent exhibition of “Miners’ Utensils”, containing demonstration materials used in Westphalian mining schools for the training of miners.

The collections have been continuously expanded since that time, and a shift in requirements means new focuses are applied to the inventories.

Through its national and international activities, the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum has been able to extend its mining history collections beyond the German-speaking regions. So, as well as describing the main aspects of mining within the region, it also highlights the trans-regional developments in mining engineering and culture, beginning from the birth of mining activities right up to the modern age.

Another focus aspect of the institution’s collections are mineralogical raw materials, mineral specimens, fossils (petrification) and rocks, mainly sourced from the aforementioned regions but concentrating on the hard coal deposits of the Ruhr Area. These collections also date from far back into the 19th century.

At the uppermost level, these museum collections are grouped into one of eight collection focus areas, although some objects may be found in more than group, depending on their contextual significance.