Silver blessing pit

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Silver blessing
General information about the mine
DSC02756 - Silbersegen pit - Middle tunnel.JPG
other names Grube am Silberberg, Grube bei Espa, Grube bei Cleeberg, Grube im Amt Cleeberg
Information about the mining company
Start of operation before 1459
End of operation 1919
Funded raw materials
Degradation of Copper / silver / lead / gold
Geographical location
Coordinates 50 ° 25 '11.6 "  N , 8 ° 34' 37.7"  E Coordinates: 50 ° 25 '11.6 "  N , 8 ° 34' 37.7"  E
Silver Blessing (Hesse)
Silver blessing
Location silver blessing
Location Espa
local community Langgöns
District ( NUTS3 ) District of Giessen
country State of Hesse
Country Germany

The Silbersegen mine was a mine for copper , silver , gold and lead in the eastern Taunus . There was also a breakdown of iron in the same place. The mining area is located on the Gaulskopf mountain , which was formerly called Silberberg because of its rich ore finds. The mine works are located on the boundary between Cleeberg and Espa - which for decades led to considerable disputes between the royal houses that owned the districts .

Mining on the Gaulskopf is first documented for 1459, but probably already took place in Roman times. After longer interruptions, the end came in 1919. Two well-known heydays of mining are the first in the Renaissance period in the 15th and 16th centuries, the second in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Constant companions of the mining industry were property disputes and great difficulties with the groundwater, which threatened to let the mine workings sink .

Due to the complex ownership situation and political considerations, the mine had different names from the 15th to the 18th century: Grube am Silberberg, Grube bei Espa or Grube bei Cleeberg or Grube im Amt Cleeberg , and finally in 1855 Silbersegen mine. Older historiography sometimes confused these terms. The Amalia (later Amalie) mine, located on the same mountain on the Cleeberger side, which exploited the same vein, but was not formed until the middle of the 19th century, caused further confusion.

history

1459 to 1560 - beginnings and border dispute

Overview pits on the Gaulskopf (Silberberg)
Grube, Gaulskopf and Espa 1544

The beginnings of mining on the Gaulskopf (Silberberg) have not been handed down. There is evidence of finds of Rennofen slag ( iron ) in the mining area, which are referred to as evidence of Roman mining from the 1st to 3rd centuries. The Roman external border Limes ran past the Gaulskopf at a distance of only 3 km and further Roman mining has been documented in the region (e.g. Alte Kaisergrube ). It is therefore likely that mining on the Gaulskopf already took place in Roman times.

In 1779, Klipstein described that the mine in the “Amt Cleeberg” was already in operation before 1459. The main part of the mining took place in Espa area, only a small part in Cleeberg - the Cleeberg office was, however, many times larger and also considerably more important than Espa, so that Klipstein assigned the mining territorial to Cleeberg.

The constant disputes over ownership of the mine have been documented since 1460 and initiated the first phase of legal proceedings that lasted an entire century. The yield of silver was high and aroused desire, and gold was mined . From the year 1497 a "contract between Cleeberg" is handed down, which regulates the ownership and mining rights between various noble owners from the region. The Ganerbe from Cleeberg are also involved, for example Ludwig II von Isenburg in Büdingen - who also operated mining in his home territory near Hain-Gründau .

Mining regulations were issued in 1528, and mining seems to have stopped temporarily in the mid-1530s. From 1538 there were disputes over the mine ownership, the Counts of Cleeberg commissioned the mountain judge Bonifatius Wild to draw up an expert opinion. He determined that part of the mine was on Espaer Grund, which was given to the Lords of Frankenstein and Heusenstamm as a fief of the Archbishops of Bamberg . The value of the silver deposits was estimated to be so high that from 1541 even the Imperial Court of Justice in Speyer was called upon, the highest judicial authority in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation alongside the Imperial Court Council in Vienna .

For this court process, which then lasted 19 years, Hans Döring - the court painter of the Solms Counts - made an artistically designed map (situation drawing) as an elaborately crafted, colored ink drawing, which is still preserved in the Wiesbaden capital archive today. The painting from 1544 bears the coats of arms of Frankenstein and Heusenstamm, it also shows the mine from the perspective of Espa - so that it is assumed that the lords of Espa are the clients. A year earlier, the owners of the Espa mine site had secured protection from the Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken , to whom they promised a quarter of the mine ownership in return - also for wood deliveries, as the forests on the mine had been ruined by mining and smelting.

The legal dispute finally ended in 1560 with the recognition of the Frankenstein-Heusenstamm property rights. The main delivery shaft, which in the painting was still referred to as "Farung Kauthe" (today's term: Schacht Fahrung ), was then named court (s) shaft. In the process it was shown as lying exactly on the boundary of the district, in fact it is 60 m southeast of it and thus clearly in the area of ​​Espa.

In the 16th century gold was mined in addition to silver, which was present in "no small traces". For the rest of the 16th century the mine was mostly in operation.

1600 to 1762 - devastation, second golden age, wars

Klipstein reports that in 1618, 72 quintals of ore, half of lead ore and copper ore were delivered to the smelter near Hain-Gründau (see also: Mining near Hain-Gründau ), a considerable distance of over 50 km at the time. The reason for switching to Hain-Gründau is unknown, it may have been due to property rights or the overexploitation of the forest near Espa. The smelting works consumed enormous amounts of wood and the forests around and on the Gaulskopf had already been cut down in the 16th century.

Mining continued successfully in the 1620s. In 1634 a new stamping mill was built and a new Pochweiher was created in the Kleebach valley to supply water power. The following year, the ravages of met Thirty Years' War and a plague - epidemic the region with high hardness. In the year of the plague of 1635, two thirds of all residents in neighboring Butzbach died. As early as 1637, in the middle of the war, attempts were made to resume mining. Bergmeister Elter inspected the pit and praised it as very promising. The owner, Landgrave Philipp of Hesse , however, considered the time premature because of the "always prevailing motibus with war pressures, including multiple passage" (hostile armies). It was not until 1662 that people started talking about mining again.

From 1683 it is reported that the mining industry was in heavy use. This continued for the next decades, the mining was particularly successful, for example from 1700 to 1710. At that time it was reported that "ores break on all roads, the most powerful one and a half shoes ". The on-site smelter could no longer process the amount and a second local ore processing facility with a smelter was in operation. The mining focus was now on copper and lead; Silver and gold were no longer found to a significant extent. During this heyday, Kuxe was also traded, for example by Christian Metzger from Frankfurt, who also sought a share in the mines in Hain-Gründau.

A pay slip is received from May 1704, there were 46 men and boys employed: 13 tusks, 16 reel workers, 4 boys, 1 tinsmith, 1 ore separator, 1 smelter, 3 forerunners, 1 punching machine, 2 screen washers and 4 boys in the washing plant.

Between 1706 and 1709 25,139 pounds of cooked copper and 1,938 pounds of lead were smelted. In 1718, the mine had to be stopped despite good ore finds, because Christian Metzger from Frankfurt, as the operator of the mine, had mismanaged.

14 years later, 14 years later, in 1732, the former man in charge of the mine, Peter Hellwig, asked the Prince of Nassau-Usingen to lend the mine. He called himself a Cleeberger mountain jury . He also provided an extensive description of the mine. This is in addition to the tunnels and shafts meantime intraday 6 mining levels and 5 blind shafts - enormous for the Taunus in this amount of time.

The mine remained in operation in the 1730s. Mainly lead and some silver were extracted - 55 g lead and about 1 g silver were melted from one kilogram of ore.

No reports have survived from the 1740s and 1750s. In 1762, the region became the scene of one of the last skirmishes of the early World War, the Seven Years' War , especially in the battle near Grüningen on August 25, 1762, a few kilometers away. The fighting troops then passed Butzbach and the mine in the following week and stood up penultimate battle, the battle of Johannisberg near Bad Nauheim on August 30th. Mining was not possible at this stage.

1766 to 1919 - Increasingly unsuccessful attempts

At an unknown point in time in the 1750s or 1760s, the mine fell into the open and nothing was mined. It was not put on record again until 1766, when the princely Solmese stable master Susewindt and the cabinet secretary Schwanitz were enfeoffed , who were already successfully digging in the Philippseck pit 5 km away .

A period of intense activity follows, the old tunnels, floors and shafts are exposed again with great effort . Lead and copper ores are found, silver is no longer mentioned. The inflowing groundwater and the bad weather are of great concern . Around 1774 a new tunnel was started as a remedy (the now called Tiefer tunnel near Weiperfelden, the previous deep tunnel was renamed the middle tunnel) in order to master the penetrating water masses. However, as early as 1775 Schwanitz and Susewindt gave up their efforts.

Not until 1822 is there any new news about the mine. The name Silberberg has disappeared, the mountain is now called Gaulskopf. Bergmeister Menzler from the Duchy of Nassau reports on the request by Mayor Ehrhardt zu Weyer to encourage the mine . In the following years, not much seems to have happened, because Weyer did not submit another request for encouragement until 1835, whereby it was noted that the mine had been in the open for a long time and was no longer in the books. Mining must therefore have ceased at an unknown point in time between the middle of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. In this year 1835 there was suddenly a strong interest in the mine, because the coal and steel industrialist Friedrich Buderus tried to bring it to Weyer for only one month. The expansion of the mine was awarded to Weyer, who, however, did not make progress with the dismantling. In May 1836, Buderus again submitted a request for a mutation, which was refused.

In August 1840, a new ore deposit was discovered on the northern flank of the Gaulskopf, this was later exploited by the Amalie (or Amalia) mine - so that for the first time in history there should be two independent mines on the Gaulskopf.

In the following decades there were repeated attempts at dismantling, but ultimately they were unsuccessful. The last attempt in 1919 was also unsuccessful, so that mining at the Silbersegen mine was finally stopped.

Deposit

Three "in hora 7 to 9" sweeping quartz - and dolomite - transitions with a thickness of the ore-bearing layers of up to 6 meters formed the deposit . The mined veins were therefore much more extensive than in the rest of the eastern Taunus, where usually only layers less than 1 m thick were found. Lead luster , copper pyrites , pyrite , pale ores and gold were found. As the articles found there was malachite , zinc flower and calamine .

Mine buildings and day facilities

f1Georeferencing Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap

Pit plan from 1856
Court shaft, pinge with a diameter of 20 m

There were three tunnels and two main production shafts , as well as at least six production levels (two above and four below the base of the middle tunnel). In addition, a large number of small shafts that were not drained directly via one of the tunnels . Finally, numerous shafts that were sunk on the tunnels to provide them with light and air (so-called light holes and weather shafts):

stollen

  • Upper gallery: built before 1544, probably as early as the 15th century or earlier, the oldest gallery in the mine. Length 295 m, mouth hole at 390 m above sea ​​level , brings about 40 m depth in the mining area. Located in Espaer district. Construction time several decades. With at least seven light holes at a distance of 27 m. Already collapsed before 1856, the chain of pings of collapsed light holes that runs up the slope is still clearly visible. Mouth hole: position , light holes I to VII: position , position , position , position , position , position , position
  • Middle tunnel, built before 1662, it had a length of 30 Lachter (approx. 60 m) in this year with the name Tiefer tunnel, because the current Tiefen tunnel did not yet exist, renamed to the current name at the end of the 18th century. Length over 700 m (1856), plus numerous crosscuts, mouth hole at 360 m above sea level, brings a depth of 70 m to the mining area. Located in the Cleeberger district and parallel to the Cleeberg-Espa border, only changing to the Espa side shortly before the mining area. Construction time several decades. The mouth hole is still intact and the tunnel was still accessible in the 1980s. Orifice: location , weather shafts: location , location , location
  • Deep tunnel, started around 1775, mentioned again in 1855. Length 69 m, never reached the mining area and could not contribute to the water solution . The mouth hole is still preserved, but cased. Located in the Cleeberger district. Oral hole: location

Shafts

  • Court (s) shaft: old main shaft of the upper gallery, located in the Espa district. Location: ⊙
  • The deposit was developed through at least 39 further shafts, these are at the coordinates: ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙ , ⊙

Ore processing

At the beginning of the 18th century, the yield was so good that two ore processes and two smelters were in operation:

  • Location of ore processing Espa: location (field name: Silberwiese).
  • Location of the Weipersfelden smelter: location , (field name: Unter der Schmelz).
  • Location of the Cleeberg smelter: Location (field name: Schmidtwiese, derived from "Schmiede")

Web links

Commons : Grube Silbersegen  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 522 .
  2. ^ Philipp Engel Klipstein: Mineralogical letter . tape 1 . Giessen 1779, p. 46 f . (Klipstein's life data: 1747 to 1808).
  3. ↑ Klipstein, Philipp Engel. Hessian biography. In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).
  4. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 518 .
  5. ↑ Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 1 .
  6. ↑ a b Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 2 .
  7. ↑ a b c d e Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 520 .
  8. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 514 .
  9. ↑ Hans Döring: inspection card for the Reich Chamber of Commerce . 1544 (Hessian Capital Archive Wiesbaden: Dept. 3011/1, No. 6920Ü and 10727H).
  10. ↑ Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 3 .
  11. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 521 .
  12. ^ Carl Köbrich: The mining of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Brief overview of the historical development and current status of mining, metallurgy and saltworks . Darmstadt 1914, p. 25 .
  13. ↑ a b Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 523 .
  14. ↑ a b Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 8 .
  15. ^ Rainer Slotta: Technical monuments in the Federal Republic of Germany. Metal ore mining. Ed .: German Mining Museum. tape 4 / II . Bochum 1983, p. 393 .
  16. ↑ Ursula Braasch-Schwersmann : Butzbach . In: Hessisches Landesamt für historical Landeskunde (Hrsg.): Hessischer Städteatlas . Marburg 2005, ISBN 3-87707-643-2 , p.  9 ( lagis-hessen.de [PDF]).
  17. ↑ Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 11 .
  18. ^ Carl Köbrich: Hessian ore deposits. 1. The non-ferrous ores . Darmstadt 1936, p. 49 .
  19. ↑ a b c Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 13 .
  20. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 524 .
  21. ↑ Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. Appendices 3 and 4 .
  22. ↑ a b c Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 14 .
  23. ↑ a b Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 527 .
  24. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 528-532 .
  25. ↑ Rainer Jakobus: The ore veins of the eastern Taunus . In: Geological Yearbook Hessen . tape 120 . Wiesbaden 1992, p. 153 .
  26. ^ Hans-Jürgen Wilke: Mineral Findings - Hesse . tape 7 . Christian Weise, Wiesbaden 1979, ISBN 3-921656-09-5 , p. 102 .
  27. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 526, Fig. V.25 (The mine plan from October 1856 (Fig. V.25) shows the tunnel already completely broken.).
  28. ↑ Irmgard Färber: History of mining on the Silberberg near Espa / Weiperfelden . Ed .: Geo-Zentrum Taunus / Wetterau - The geological working group Bad Homburg. Bad Homburg 1990, p. 9 .
  29. ↑ a b c d Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 516 .
  30. ↑ a b c description .  Hessian field names. In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).
  31. ↑ Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 537 .
  32. ↑ a b Karsten Porezag: Copper ore mining and copper smelting around Wetzlar 1607 - 1897 . tape 2 . Wetzlar 2017, ISBN 978-3-87707-117-5 , pp. 534 .