The story of the Rande loading dock: when the Vigo estuary worked for Nazi Germany
Leaving Vigo in the direction of Redondela, we cross under the Rande Bridge, the colossal work that presides over the Vigo estuary and turns the landscape of the area into an unmistakable picture. The bridge was opened to traffic in 1981, a relatively recent event, but the area that gives it its name has a history that goes back a long way.
The Meirande museum, located near Rande, at the foot of the coast, treasures the memories of the famous battle that took place there. In 1702, there was a major confrontation between the Franco-Spanish troops against the English and Dutch armies. This conflict is part of the War of the Spanish Succession and it is said that it left hundreds of sunken treasures in our estuary.
However, this is not a report dedicated to the battle of Rande, but to another element also of war origin located in the same area, whose history is much more unknown: the old Rande loading dock.
A loading dock connected to Lugo
An imposing cement structure rests in the place of Cabanas (Redondela). In the background you can see the cove of San Simón and the island, another place that has been the protagonist and witness of history; in this case, history of the 20th century.
That sturdy building under the Rande Bridge, although it looks neglected today, was a bustling loading dock with activity. This raised walkway over the sea made it possible to unload and transport the production of the Freixo mines, in Monforte de Lemos.
The Rande loading dock was built between 1924 and 1926 as an initiative of the Minerales de Hierros de Galicia SA company. The material reached Redondela by rail from the O Canabal station in Lugo.
Once there, the wagons crossed a concrete cantilever, unloaded the load in some conduits and it was directed to the ships by means of a conveyor belt. The final destination of those vessels was, in most cases, Germany.
From Vigo to Nazi Germany
The Freixo mines, as explained by the Galician Association of Industrial Heritage (Buxa), had been exploited for centuries. The first documents recovered indicate that in the 15th century the site was worked for Pedro Álvarez Osorio, the first Count of Lemos.
Already in the 20th century, the person in charge of the Freixo mines was Mr. Frederic Wilhelm Cloos, known as Guillermo Cloos, a German engineer and vice-consul of Germany in Monforte de Lemos.
Cloos controlled mining production to supply iron to the German country during the First and Second World Wars. According to information from Buxa, under the command of the engineer, the Freixo deposit employed some 300 workers.
During World War II, the Rande loading dock worked at full capacity, supplying the Third Reich with metals such as tungsten. The collaboration of Minerales de Hierro de Galicia SA with the Nazi government earned it entry into several black lists created by the United States.
The Freixo mine closed at the end of the war, and although in 1948 it was taken over by other owners, it ceased its activity permanently in 1958. The same thing happened with the loading dock, which was dispossessed of its main client, Germany. The time it was active transported about half a million tons of materials.
The other landing: Coto Wagner
Do not confuse Mr. Cloos loading dock with the other structure that stands on the San Simón cove, more striking and also with an abandoned appearance, covered with rust.
This facility belongs to a loading area after Rande, the Coto Wagner loading area. The latter was built in the mid-1960s by the Ponferrada Mining and Metallurgical Society. Its name, Wagner, comes from the Leon deposit where iron and tungsten were exploited, and its name was an ode to the homonymous composer.
The Galician Official Mining Chamber explains that the Coto Wagner loading dock exported materials to Germany, France, England and the Netherlands. According to the Chamber, ships of up to 45,000 tons could dock, which were loaded at a rate of 2,000 tons per hour.
Coto Wagner was in operation for a whole decade and shipped more than four million tons. It closed in 1974.
The facilities at present
Both loading bays are currently completely inactive. Rande's looks even more worn over the years. Only the main concrete structure remains standing, hollowed out where the wagons passed, and a booth.
On the other hand, the Coto Wagner loading dock is also abandoned. Its presence occupies a larger space, still raised above the waters of the estuary. It is made up of three metal platforms, connected by a metal structure that previously housed the conveyor belts.
In recent years, the demolition of Coto Wagner has been debated. In 2020, the Rande European Heritage Association issued a letter against its demolition, citing the historical and cultural value of the facility. The proposal had the support of other organizations such as Vigo Industrial, the Museum of Science, Technology and Industrial Archeology of Catalonia or the International Committee for the Conservation and Defense of Industrial Heritage, among others.
The Redondela City Council also took a position in favor of conserving the Wagner loading dock and asked that it be considered a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC).
