Montanmuseum Turrach

Useful Information

Location:	Turrach 24a, 8864 Turrach. (46.960599, 13.882730)
Open:	MAY to SEP Fri 14-15:30. [2025]
Fee:	Adults EUR 10, Children (13-16) EUR 8, Children (6-12) EUR 6, Children (0-5) free, Seniors (65+) EUR 8. Groups (5+): Adults EUR 8. [2025]
Classification:	Iron Mine
Light:	Electric Light
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Alois Rohregger (1938): Monographie über Turrach Iris-Verlag, 1938 Ferdinand Tremel (1957). Murau als Handelsplatz in der frühen Neuzeit Sonderbände der Zeitschrift des Historischen Vereines für Steiermark 3 (1957), S. 56-77. pdf
Address:	Montanmuseum Turrach, Turrach 24a, 8864 Turrach, Tel: +43-650-4212002. E-mail:
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

1256	Iron ore mining first mentioned in documents.
1657	Prospector and copper smelter Rupert Aigner from Walchen near Öblarn discovers the spathic iron ore deposits.
1823	Peter Tunner the Elder becomes mining administrator in Turrach.
1826	New blast furnace built by Peter Tunner the Elder goes into operation.
1863	The first Bessemer converter on the European mainland.
1909	Iron and steel production and ore mining discontinued.

Geology

Description

The Turrach Mining Museum is dedicated to local iron ore mining, iron smelting and forging. That is why it is also called the Wood and Iron Mining Museum. The building in which it is located is a beautiful, listed wooden building. The ores mined in Turrach were iron ores. The wood from the trees around Turrach was used to make hollow logs, which were used to smelt the iron ore. There was an ironworks in Turrach. Although it was not large, it was quite significant, as it had been using a Bessemer converter since 1863. The original is in the Technical Museum in Vienna, and a full-scale replica is here in the museum.

The village of Turrach is located at 1,300 metres above sea level and owes its existence to mining and the associated iron production. Turrach was first mentioned in documents in connection with iron ore mining as early as 1256. At that time, however, it was probably on a very small scale. In 1661, Johann Adolf Fürst zu Schwarzenberg brought various methods of iron smelting to Turrach. A blast furnace was built and a profitable combination of iron mine and ironworks was created. Before the Industrial Revolution, this plant was one of the most important. Afterwards, it was a small business and fierce competition eventually led to the closure of the ironworks in 1909. As a result, the iron mine no longer had any customers and also closed. When the smelter was in operation, between 800 and 1,000 people worked in iron production. In 1869, the village had 1,400 inhabitants. After the only employer had closed down, the people had to move away. Today, only 120 people still live in the village.

The prospector and copper smelter Rupert Aigner from Walchen near Öblarn discovered the Turrach iron ore deposits in 1657. He brought it to the attention of his son-in-law, Konrad Straymayer, who reported the discovery to his lordship in Murau. A year later, mining began and the ore was roasted and smelted in Turrach. About two-thirds of the pig iron was further processed in the Schwarzenberg hammer mills in Murau.

The heyday of the ironworks began with the Austrian pioneer of ore processing, Peter Tunner the Elder (*1786-✝1844). He had already invented a process for processing fine ore, which had not been possible before. In a flame roasting furnace, over 22 tonnes of fine ore were roasted for 24 hours and then fed into the blast furnace for smelting. In the neglected location of Turrach, he initiated the modernisation of ore mining, ore processing and ore roasting. This was followed by the construction of a new blast furnace, 11 metres high with an outer shaft made of quarry stone masonry, a lining shaft and a core shaft lined with wear lining. It stood in the centre of the village.

The next Peter Tunner (*1809-✝1897) was his son, who followed in his footsteps. He was the first in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to introduce first the Bessemer process and then the Siemens-Martin process for producing steel. These are two very similar processes in which air is blown into the molten ore to change the carbon content. They are used to produce high-quality steel. When the first Bessemer converter was installed in Turrach on 19 November 1863, it was the first on the European mainland.

Normally, we only include show mines and museums that have at least one replica tunnel. After all, showcaves.com is dedicated to underground attractions. We have made a small exception here because it deals with very important aspects of mining.