Štola Země zaslíbená

Promised Land Tunnel

Useful Information

Location:	Mědník. Tours start in the Mědník information center in the Mědník restaurant.
Open:	MAY to JUN Sat, Sun 11-17. JUL to AUG Tue-Sun 11-17. SEP to OCT Sat, Sun 11-17. [2020]
Fee:	Adults CZK 80, Children (5-14) CZK 60, Children (0-5) not allowed, Seniors (60+) CZK 60, Students CZK 60. Photo permit CZK 30, Video Permit CZK 50. [2020]
Classification:	Copper Mine Silver Mine Iron Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	T=6 °C.
Guided tours:
Photography:	with permit
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Štola Země zaslíbená Mědník Měděnec, OS Historické doly Mědník Měděnec, Nádražní 266, Měděnec 43184, Tel: +420-739-040671. 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

10th century	first mining in the area.
1446	first written mention of Měděnec.
1520	Měděnec becomes a town with the privilege of free purchase of silver.
mid 16th century	mining of chalcopyrite and pyrite for the vitriol smelter in Horní Halža.
1588	to fight the decline of mining Měděnec was equipped with additional rights like brewing, a municipal spa, a municipal salt chamber, weekly markets, the right to move freely and transfer assets.
1646	Count Šlik receives mining and coinage law from Ferdinand III..
18th century	decline in local mining, partly because of lack of wood.
19th century	lace making develops.
03-JUL-1856	19 houses including the brewery, the church and the town hall burned down.
01-AUG-1872	Northwest Buštěhrad Railway opened.
1930s	many mines went corrups after great economic crisis.
1958	construction of the Měděnec mine complex decided.
1964	Měděnec mine complex started.
1992	iron ore mines closed.
1994	GARMICA starts mining and processing of muscovite struts.
31-JUL-1998	end of all mining activities.
2009	association for the show mine founded.
2019	inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Geology

The Saxon-Thuringian region is part of the Variscan Mountains, an orogeny which happened 350-300 million years ago. The metamorphic rocks are migmatites with lenses of eclogites, amphibolites, marbles and skarns. The copper skarn horizon (Lorenz and Hoth, 1968) occurs in three levels. The middle level was the economic the most important in which the deposits of magnetite ores were mined. The lower subhorizon contains ores in the form of copper, lead and zinc sulfides (Cu-Pb-Zn). Magnetite-pyroxene-garnet skarn lenses were mined for chalcopyrite with silver content and for the magnetite ore with average iron content of 37-44%.

Description

The small mining town of Měděnec is one of several such town which were founded in the early 15th century because of the mining in the Czech part of the ore mountains. A similar development had already happened inthe German part before. In the second half of the 15th century mining flourishes and the towns get basic town rights. But at the end of the 16th century the mining stagnates and to fight the decline the town is equipped with additional rights, like brewing, a municipal spa, a municipal salt chamber, weekly markets, the right to move freely and transfer assets. But during the 30 Years War the mining towns suffered badly. Because of their freedom as miners they had adopted the protestantism and were now re-catholicized. The consequences of the were devastating for the town and for the status of the miners. They became a mere workforce divided into three categories: miners, auxiliary workers and boys. Even women were employed in the processing of ores. It took 100 years until the town reached its pre-war importance again.

The mine flourished again until the mid 18gth century. There was again a recession, partly caused by the lack of wood. The people had to look for other sources of income, and the production of lace, ornaments, toys and wooden clocks became such an alternative. Mining almost ended after the world economic crisis in the 1930, but was revived during the war. Later modern mining was started during the socialist era of the Czeck Republic, which ended in the 1990.

The Štola Země zaslíbená (Promised Land adit) was one of many abandoned mines in the area. In 2009 the OS Historické rudné doly Mědník Měděnec was founded for the creation of a mining museum. They reopened the Promised Land adit and the Feldstollen. They are also working on opening the Earth Promised gallery. The show mine is completed by a small museum of Mining and Life in Měděnec. It is dedicated to the 20th century mining history. And then there is the Mědník Měděnec Information Center, which also sells local minerals. The mining related sites of the area were finally listed in the UNESCO WHL in 2019.