The shaft Puits Wendel 2 was part of the large mining complex Carreau Wendel in the Lorraine coal basin. The shaft was put into operation around 1911–1912 as an expansion of the earlier mining facilities in the area. As coal production increased, a second and larger shaft was required to handle the growing output.

Above the shaft a steel headframe was constructed with large winding wheels that powered the cages used to transport miners, equipment and coal. The coal extracted from deep underground was lifted to the surface through this shaft.

Next to the shaft stood the large coal washery, a substantial brick industrial building where the raw coal was processed. Inside the washery the coal was first crushed and screened. It was then washed with water to separate stone and other impurities from the coal.

After cleaning, the coal was sorted by size and quality before being stored in bunkers or loaded directly onto railway wagons. The rail tracks running through the complex connected the mine to the wider industrial network, transporting the processed coal to steel plants and power stations across the region.

Together, the shaft installation, the washery and the railway infrastructure formed the central processing area of the mine. For many decades large quantities of coal were handled here, playing an important role in the industrial development of Lorraine. Today the preserved buildings are part of Parc Explor Wendel, where the history of coal mining in the region is presented.