Untersberg marble ball mills
The Untersberg marble ball mills are ball mills at the exit of the Almbachklamm in Marktschellenberg in the Berchtesgadener Land district .
history
The ball mills were built in 1683 and are among the oldest commercial operations in Bavaria today. The marbles ( marbles ), once popular mainly as children's toys , were sent all over the world. Via Rotterdam and London they were mainly exported to the East and West Indies , about 600 to 800 and sometimes even 1000 quintals a year. They were welcomed as cargo by sailing ships, as their high density made them suitable as ballast . The last marbles went from here to London in 1921.
In the middle of the last century, the Almbach was still driving around 40 ball mills, to which a further 90 were added in the area. They were mainly run by poor mountain farmers . Today a ball mill is mainly operated as an attraction.
The ball mill
The ball mill is powered by the water of the Almbach. The lower fixed grinding stones are made of hard sandstone , the upper turntables are made of beech wood . The grinding time of the balls varies between two and eight days, depending on the size. This is followed by the fine sanding and polishing. Untersberg marble is used traditionally .
Coordinates: 47 ° 40 ′ 13.9 ″ N , 13 ° 1 ′ 51 ″ E
literature
- Romance and industry at the Kyffhäuser in the Alps . In: The Gazebo . Volume 5, 1867, pp. 73, 76–79 ( full text [ Wikisource ] - illustrated).
Web links
- The Untersberg marble ball mills . Website of the market town of Marktschellenberg
- Ball mill Marktschellenberg . In: Agricultural and cultural heritage database . Society for Agricultural History