page_title: History of coal miners
section_title: West Europe
hierarchical_section_title: History of coal miners / West Europe
caption_attribution_description: English: Overview map of coal mining areas in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Northern France Nederlands: Overzicht van steenkoolmijngebieden in Belgie, Nederland, Duitsland en Noord-Frankrijk Deutsch: Uebersichtskarte von Steinkohlrevieren in Belgien, Niederlande, Deutschland und Nord Frankreich Français&#160;: Carte des zones de mines de charbon en Belgique, Pays-Bas, l'Allemagne et Nord de la France
context_page_description: People have worked as coal miners for centuries, but they became increasingly important during the Industrial revolution when coal was burnt on a large scale to fuel stationary and locomotive engines and heat buildings. Owing to coal's strategic role as a primary fuel, coal miners have figured strongly in labour and political movements since that time. After the late 19th century coal miners in many countries were a frequent presence in industrial disputes with both the management and government. Coal miners' politics, while complex, have occasionally been radical, with a frequent leaning towards far-left political views. A number of far-left political movements have had the support of both coal miners themselves and their trade unions, particularly in Great Britain. In France, on the other hand, coal miners have been much more conservative.
caption: Historical coalfields of Western Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and Northern France
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