19-Lachter-Stollen


Useful Information

Location: In Wildemann, upper part of the town, signposted from the Bohlweg, parking in the Bahnhofstraße.
(51.823601, 10.281986)
Open: 07-JAN to 29-JAN Tue-Sun 11.
30-JAN to APR Tue-Sun 11, 14.
MAY to 04-NOV Tue-Sun 11, 14, 15:30
05-NOV to 24-DEC Sat 14, Sun 11.
25-DEC to 06-JAN daily 11, 14.
Additional tours at Holidays and in Holidays.
[2014]
Fee: Adults EUR 6, Children EUR 3,50, Students EUR 4,50, Harzgastkarte EUR 5,50, Kurkarte EUR 5,50.
Groups (20+): Adults EUR 5,50, Children EUR 3.
[2014]
Classification: MineSilver Mine MineAdit
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: L=8,800 m, T=8-10 °C.
Guided tours: L=500 m.
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: 19-Lachter-Stollen, Am Sonnenglanz, D-38709 Wildemann, Tel: +49-5323-6111.
Kurverwaltung Wildemann, Bohlweg 5, 38709 Wildemann, Tel: +49-5323-6111, Fax: +49-5323-6112.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1551 adit started, but abandoned soon after.
1570 adit continued.
1690 adit completed.
1924 mine closed.

Geology

The adit is located in greywacke, which contains some polymetalic ore dykes.

Description

The 19-Lachter-Stollen was built in the Middle Ages to drain the higher mines of the Harz, mainly the Clausthal and Zellersfeld mines, by using gravity. The most important of those mines was Grube Caroline.

The draining was called lösen in the local miners' language, a word which actually means dissolve or solve in German. Probably the word was used to explain that the drainage solves the biggest problem in mining, the groundwater. This mine was called Wasserlösungsstollen (adit, drainage tunnel) by the local miners. The Lachter is a medieval mining measure, which had different length in different areas, in the Harz it was 1.92 m long. So 19 Lachter are 36.48 m, we can only guess that this was the level or depth of the tunnel, but we actually do not know how the mine got this name.

The adit was built manually with Schlägel und Eisen (hammer and pick), which are two similar looking tools, both looking like hammers. The one with two flat sides was used as a hammer, the other one as a chisel, sharpened on one side. The men were able to build 1 m of tunnel per man and per shift. The main purpose of the tunnel was the drainage, so it was started at a nearby low point in the valley at Wildemann. For here it was directed to the higher mines with the slope necessary for the water to flow. It was not built along the ore rich clefts, like the other mines. Nevertheless, the adit was used to mine ores, which were found accidentally, especially behind the shaft Ernst-August.