Weissenberg (Hayn)
Weißenberg , originally called Wittenberg , was a mining facility west of Hayn (Harz) in the county of Stolberg , today a district of the municipality of Südharz in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt .
history
Mining was already practiced here in the late Middle Ages . The mine on the Wittenberg was first mentioned in 1392 , when Landgrave Balthasar of Thuringia was recognized by Count Heinrich zu Stolberg as lord of the lord and he, as supreme liege lord, claimed the mountain shelf over all gold and silver ores found. Gold and silver were only to be used in the Sangerhausen Mint .
Landgrave Friedrich of Thuringia, who was open to new ideas in his youth, announced in Gotha on July 25, 1428 that he would resume the mine on the Wittenberg, probably in order to upgrade his position vis-à-vis Elector Friedrich II. Of Saxony through the hoped-for income from silver mining want to build. But since it was too remote for him, he had asked Count Botho zu Stolberg , for whom this mine was more favorable, to take over its operation. The landgrave regulated the modalities of ore mining in detail. The Wettiner wanted half of the yield and the mountain tenth for himself . He granted the other half to Count Botho and the other parties involved. The extracted copper and steel ores should also belong to the Stolberger . The operators were allowed to melt and smelt silver ore for six free years, but then deliver it to the mint in Sangerhausen. In the same year, Count Botho entered into closer personal relationships with Landgrave Friedrich.
On April 2, 1429 Count Botho stayed in Gotha and is referred to as the Landgrave's court master for the first time. With that he had taken over a permanent office in the entourage of the Landgrave. In the coming months he traveled through Thuringia with the landgrave's court camp. Far from home, probably in Weimar, he received news of the death of Count Heinrich von Wernigerode, whose possessions he now inherited, in June 1429. This made him one of the most powerful counts in the Harz and northern Thuringia, which is probably why Landgrave Friedrich von Thuringia was not averse to keeping him at his side as court master.
In 1712 the "White Mine" was operated here, which means that the name Weißenberg instead of Wittenberg became naturalized.
At the beginning of the 19th century, pinging passages from this lead- gloss mine, which had already fallen into disrepair, could be seen in the landscape. The ores here were quite rich, but somewhat rigid . The last circumstance is said to have been the cause of the succumbing.
literature
- Erika Lorenz: Bergwerkmuseum Grube Glasebach Straßberg , published by the municipality of Straßberg, 1995.