At the end of the 18th Century, the first underground mines opened in Haut-Martelange. Soon some companies were developed, belonging to several families and which, by the end of the 19th Century, performed a yearly production of around 6 million roofing slates. While in the beginning the slate was still dismantled using a pick and a hammer, the work was eased through pneumatic machines from 1900 onwards. Around the second half of the 19th Century, steam machines were used to transfer the rock to the surface, to pump the water and to power up various machines by transmission shafts in the workshops. After 1890 all the mines and living houses in Haut-Martelange were bought by the German brothers Rother. The production facilities were modernized and the site as well as the village ‘Haut-Martelange’ received its unique architectural image. The main purpose for all these investments were the favorable outlook to possible extractions of the slate and the connection to the small gauge railway ‘Jhangeli’ to assure the export of final products and import of new materials. Around 1900, Haut-Martelange was counting around 600 workers. 4 years later, they already erected their own energy center, so that with the help of the steam machines, they could produce their own electricity. During the 1st World War, the company could continue the extraction of the slate as they were considered being important for the war. From 1930 on, the sales started to stagnate due to the economic crisis. During the 2nd World War the company employed more workers than before, a tactic to avoid Luxembourgish workers being deported. Even some German prisoners of war needed to perform their labor service at the slate mine. After 1960 however, the collapse of the Luxembourgish slate industry had slowly arrived. New materials for roofing and the import of cheap roofing slates were the main concurrency of the domestic slate. 1986 the last Luxembourgish slate mine had to be shut down.

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