Freudenzeche pit
| Joys | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| General information about the mine | |||
| Mining technology | Civil engineering | ||
| Funding / total | 10,000 t of lead-zinc ore | ||
| Rare minerals | Annabergite , Gersdorffite , Sphalerite , Chalcopyrite , Galena | ||
| Information about the mining company | |||
| Employees | 80 | ||
| Start of operation | 16th Century | ||
| End of operation | February 15, 1954 | ||
| Successor use | Living room | ||
| Funded raw materials | |||
| Degradation of | Zinc, lead | ||
| Greatest depth | 113 m | ||
| Geographical location | |||
| Coordinates | 50 ° 46 '31.8 " N , 8 ° 11' 24.4" E | ||
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| Location | Steinbach | ||
| local community | Haiger | ||
| District ( NUTS3 ) | Lahn-Dill district | ||
| country | State of Hesse | ||
| Country | Germany | ||
| District | Dillenburg mountain area | ||
The Freudenzeche mine was a lead - zinc mine near Steinbach , a district of Haiger in the Lahn-Dill district . Lead sheen and zinc blende were dismantled . It already existed in the 16th century and was shut down in 1954.
16th to 19th century
The first phase of operation took place in the 16th century and mined the ores using a tunnel and a shaft. Bergverwalter Weigel described this old mine in 1850: "Mining took place on these corridors as early as the 16th century and the same can be seen through a 4 2 / 10- hole (approx. 9 m) deep shaft and through this not even by 3 holes (approx m) unterteufenden tunnels, which, however, only a short distance mobile is placed and from which a 4 Lachter (about 8 m) deep die on a hora 8 4 / 8 trending and southwest incident transition drilled been open-minded. "
Recommissioning in 1850
No reports have been received about mining in the 17th and 18th centuries, and a resumption of mining is only documented from 1850 onwards. The old tunnel was cleared with 3 men and a die was sunk . However, strong water inflows did not allow the work to continue. This attempt was stopped as early as the first half of 1852. Since a planned sale of the mine failed, the Steiger Schmidt and a Hauer decided to try again. A cross cut has now been driven from the tunnel into the rock. After a short time, however, this attempt also proved to be unfeasible, on January 24, 1853 it was canceled and the mine was temporarily shut down.
Two years later, Schmidt presented a new operational plan that provided for the further construction of the cross passage. In 1858 a second die was finally sunk from the bottom of the tunnel , again the miners were unable to cope with the clogging water masses, the die sank . In 1859 all work was stopped, from 1860 to 1862 the cross passage was extended in the hope of finding the ore. In the course of 1863, however, it became apparent that the expansion to date had not allowed a profitable operation. A new operating plan for 1864 provided for a new shaft in front of the tunnel mouth hole . This was started immediately and had at the end of 6 Lachter depth reached (about 12 m). The persistent problems with the dewatering could not be solved, so that the mine had to be closed again on September 1, 1865.
Industrialization from 1867
The sale of the mine in 1867 heralded the first successful mining period. The industrialist Ernest Morel from Liège initially took over the mine and sold it to AG Dewries in the same year. In August 1867 it started operations with major construction work. The 2 Lachter (approx. 4 m) deep die on the bottom of the tunnel was broken up for days and used as a delivery and pump shaft. A 66 m long section was driven from the bottom of the new shaft and a second section was driven on the 7-Lachter level. By the end of the year, 180 quintals of lead ore and 100 quintals of faceplate could be extracted. There were now 60 miners working on the mine and a processing plant was built. This was housed in a half-timbered house and consisted of three English type cases, three sinks, a grate wash, two mud ditches and flour, as well as swamps. The ores were separated by hand outside the processing building, and crushing also took place there. A third level was driven at a depth of 24 m and a second shaft was built. In 1871 the mine had to be closed for economic reasons and mining was not profitable.
From 1878 to 1881 Wilhelm Dulheuer from Bonn undertook exploration work as the new mine owner. Work was carried out again in the old tunnel and a mining shaft was built. The swamp of the deep soles was not started because of the high costs. The work was unsuccessful, so the mine was sold to the Hessian-Rhenish Mining Association.
It wasn't until 10 years after the purchase that the mining association began to open the mine. The drowned pit was to be pumped empty, a steam locomotive was specially set up for this . However, this was defective and the pit could only be swamped the following year. From 1893 new stretches were driven, and work was carried out on the 18 m, 30 m and 45 m level. In 1894 operations were suddenly stopped; The reasons for this are not known. The pit sank again.
A new attempt by the mining association began in May 1897, and the operating plan provided for a new extraction shaft with a depth of 110 m. In the following year it was already 75 m deep and a new level started at 52 m. A steam pump was set up there to tame the water masses. Another year later, another level was started at 83 m depth. A breach from the 83 m to the 52 m level meant that the ore was crossed over a length of 200 m. The veins were between a few centimeters and 1 m in thickness. The mining association considered the expected ore quantities to be too small. That is why the mine was shut down in December 1900, despite the high investments.
Ten years later, the mine was put back into operation, now under new ownership, the Dulong mine administration in Gießen. The pit was emptied again and the 83 m level continued. A year later, the work was stopped because the funding was too low. In order to meet the war-related demand for metals, the mine was bought back by the Hessian-Rhenish Mining Association in 1916, and the mining association was merged into the "AG für Bergproduktehandel und Montanindustrie" in the same year. The pit was drained again immediately. 80 employees worked on all levels and from the deepest a 28 m deep die was sunk. Just one year later, all work was stopped and the pit sank again. In 1918 the mine was sold to private individuals who, however, did not start operating.
Long-term closure from 1918
As part of the National Socialists' efforts to achieve self-sufficiency, the mine was to be reopened in September 1934 by the United Freudenzeche and Eichartsberg Union. The union assumed more than 15,000 m³ of minable ore . An operating plan was submitted to the mining authority in Weilburg, but work did not begin. Before the end of the war , there was a second attempt at the mining authority in 1944, which pointed to the low stocks and enormous costs, so that no operation was started.
In February 1949, the union again expressed interest in dismantling and informed the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Wiesbaden: “Freudenzeche is a fully developed mine with a 84 m deep, 5 × 2 m diameter shaft that has three levels, namely 30 m , 52 m and 82 m level. Each level is driven about 200 m in the corridor. The mine is open; A pure zinc-lead wall of 18,000 t of pure ore is ready to be mined and ready to be mined. The reserves are sufficient to supply a flotation with 100 t of ore for 1½-2 years, during which time new explorations can take place in the further proven ore, so that any overexploitation is avoided .... The average content can .... with approx . 20% lead and zinc are accepted "
Funding period from 1951
On June 1, 1951, the mine was put back into operation after more than 30 years of inactivity. At the end of the pit was up to a depth of 78 m from the water liberated , 30 m and 52 m sole aufgewältigt . The daytime facilities underwent extensive renovations and new buildings. A new machine house and a transformer station were built. The pump shaft was a wooden headframe , a loading bridge and a crushing plant built. The main shaft was deepened to 113 m and a new level was set up there. For the year 1953, a production of 2218 t of raw ore is documented. This year the union was taken over by the "Rhein-Wied AG for mining and metallurgical products". This continued the work and took up grants of 500,000 DM from the Marshall Plan . Despite this financial support, the mining had to be stopped on February 15, 1954, because the passage means became numb, i. H. Hardly any minable ores were found.
The headframe was demolished in 1954 and the site was sold to a private individual. Most of the daytime facilities were canceled. The buildings of the colliery house, the machine hall and the boiler house have been preserved as a single ensemble. The colliery was converted into a residential building. The former clarification ponds have been converted into fish ponds.
See also
swell
- ^ S. Weiß: Mineralfundstellen, Deutschland West . Weise, Munich 1990.
- ^ Ernst Frohwein: Description of the Dillenburg mountain area . Bonn 1885.
- ^ A b c Rainer Slotta: Technical monuments in the Federal Republic of Germany . tape 4/1 . German Mining Museum, Bochum 1983, ISBN 3-921533-25-2 , p. 354 .
- ↑ a b c d Rainer Slotta: Technical monuments in the Federal Republic of Germany . tape 4/1 . German Mining Museum, Bochum 1983, ISBN 3-921533-25-2 , p. 355 .
- ↑ a b Rainer Slotta: Technical monuments in the Federal Republic of Germany . tape 4/1 . German Mining Museum, Bochum 1983, ISBN 3-921533-25-2 , p. 356 .
- ^ Rainer Slotta: Technical monuments in the Federal Republic of Germany . tape 4/1 . German Mining Museum, Bochum 1983, ISBN 3-921533-25-2 , p. 358 .