Štola Jana Evangelisty

Saint John Evangelista Adit - Johann-Evangelista-Erbstollen

Useful Information

Location:	Northwestern slopes of the Křížová hora (mountain of the cross). Lužické hory (Lausitzer Gebirge) near Jiřetín pod Jedlovou (Georgenthal).
Open:	MAY to OCT
Fee:
Classification:	silver
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	L=640 m.
Guided tours:	L=360 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Informacní střediska, Jiřetín pod Jedlovou, Tel: +420-412-379-336.
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

1474	first written account of mining in the area.
1484	mining permission for marshal Hugold von Schleinitz.
1509	King Vladislaus gives mining permisssion to Heinrich von Schleinitz.
1539	Georg von Schleinitz build a new tunnel called St. Christoph.
1548	mining village Georgenthal (today Jiřetín) founded.
1599	outbreak of pestilence, mining ends.
1612	mining reactivated.
1650	mining ended again.
1780	the new owner of the dominion, Alois v. Liechtenstein reopens the St. Christoph mine.
1781	Štola Jana Evangelisty started.
1804	mines closed.
01-MAY-1935	opened as a show mine.
1939	closed because of World War II.
1999	opened as a show mine.
2019	inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Geology

On the northwestern slopes of the Křížová hora the phyllitic greywackes contain calcitic and silicatic dykes. These dykes contain sometime a low grade chalcopyrite with silver, copper, and tin, or galena which is a lead ore. Later also vitriol was mined.

Description

In the area around Jiřetín (St. Georgenthal) various mining orientated tourist sights exist. First there is the show mine called Štola Jana Evangelisty. Then there is a mining trail through údolí Milírky and an exhibition in the local mining museum. In the area a low grade polymetallic ore with silver, copper, lead and tin was mined during Medieval times.

Mining started probably in in the 15th century. In 1474 the Saxonian sovereigns Ernst and Albrecht allowed a man named Heinrich Keller mining and collection of gold for three years. Ten years later King Vladislaus II. called Jagellone allowed marshal Hugold von Schleinitz and his sons the mining for 15 years. King Vladislaus gives mining permisssion to Heinrich von Schleinitz. St. Christoph tunnel is started and the mining village Georgenthal founded by Georg von Schleinitz. Mining was not very successful, but it reappeared various times through the centuries.

1780 the new owner of the dominion, Alois v. Liechtenstein the St. Christoph mine reopened the mines and founded the new St. Johann-Evangelista-Stollen. At this time the area belonged to Saxonian sovereign, and so all names are German. However, today the area belongs to the Czech Republic, and thus we list it with the Czech version of the name.

The Štola Jana Evangelisty is all together 640 m long, with side tunnels, 360 m of it was developed as a show mine. The visitor enters the main tunnel, which is 440 m long, and follows it to the south. There are several side tunnels, but they are rather short. The longest one is some 20 m long. In the middle of the main tunnel lies a small chamber, called the Chapel, from wich a 90 m long tunnel branches of towards southwest. 55 m behind the chapel a side tunne branches of, which connect this tunnel with the Saint Christoph tunnel. This connection was made mainly for air circulation.