Zollverein

[tsawl-fer-ahyn, tsawl-fuh-rahyn]

noun

1. (in the 19th century) a union of German states for the maintenance of a uniform tariff on imports from other countries, and of free trading among themselves.

2. any similar union or arrangement between a number of states; customs union.

Zollverein

/ ˈtsɔlfɛrˌain /

noun

1. the customs union of German states organized in the early 1830s under Prussian auspices

Word History and Origins

Origin of Zollverein¹

1835–45; < German, equivalent to Zoll custom, duty, tariff + Verein union

Word History and Origins

Origin of Zollverein¹

C19: from Zoll tax, _toll ² + Verein union

Example Sentences

Built at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the Zollverein mine cemented Germany’s place as a coal behemoth.

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My parents and I drive to the Ruhr’s other crown jewel: the Zollverein.

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The Zollverein coal mine, where he worked in the area of Essen, Germany, was so clogged with coal dust, he remembers, that people would stir up a black cloud whenever they moved.

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Zollverein, like many former mines, is now also home to several businesses.

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Today, the scene at Zollverein is very different.

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