Bergbau-Schaustollen Max

Useful Information

Location:	Theodor-Heuss-Straße 2, 92237 Sulzbach-Rosenberg. A6 exit 65 Amberg West, B299 to Amberg, B85 to Sulzbach-Rosenberg, B14 towards city center, turn right on Rosenberger Straße. (49.494955, 11.757407)
Open:	After appointment. [2023]
Fee:	Adults EUR 3, Children (7-16) EUR 1.50, Children (3-6) EUR 1. Groups (10+): Adults EUR 2. [2023]
Classification:	World War II Bunker Replica Underground Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=1 h.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Bergbau-Schaustollen Max, Gelände der Villa Max, 92237 Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Tel: +49-9621-63472. Tanja Weiß, Tel: +49-9661-52597. Siegfried Scholz, Tel: +49-9621-63463. Peter Ostermann, Tel: +49-9661-9455. Andreas Hubert, Tel: +49-9621-607504. Tourist-Information SulzbachRosenberg, Luitpoldplatz 25, 92237 Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Tel: +49-9661-510-110. 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

1305	extraction and smelting of ores documented.
1341	Sulzbach and Amberg joined together to form the first investment, manufacturing, sales and tariff cartel, the Hammereinigung (Hammer Association).
1348	Citizen of Sulzbach enfeoffed with the ore mountain on the Eichelberg.
1940/41	on order of Flick air raid shelter built.
1959	on order of Flick converted into a mining gallery.
31-MAR-1977	Mining in Sulzbach-Rosenberg ends.
1994	converted into a show mine on the initiative of the town curator Karl Grünthaler and the 1st chairman of the Stiber-Fähnlein Klaus Faltenbacher.
1996	show mine opened to the public.

Geology

The Cretaceous iron ore deposit is shaped like a diapir. With iron contents of about 47 %, this is the richest iron deposit in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Description

The Bergbau-Schaustollen Max (Show Mine Max) is located on the site of Friedrich Flick's former residence, now Villa Max. The villa was the residence of the industrial magnate Friedrich Flick and was known as the Flick Villa. The tunnel was built in 1940/41 by miners as an air raid shelter on the orders of the then Maxhütte and mining director Flick. Again on the orders of Friedrich Flick himself, it was converted into a mining tunnel in 1959. After that, he used it for many years as a wine and storage cellar. By this time, Flick was once again one of the richest men in West Germany. He again owned 100 companies with a turnover of around DM 8 billion.

Iron was probably smelted in the Sulzbach area more than two thousand years ago. On the plateau in front of Sulzbach's main castle, archaeologists found remains of smelting furnaces for non-ferrous metals from the 9th/10th century. The towns of Sulzbach and Amberg joined forces in 1341 to form the first investment, production, sales and tariff cartel, the Hammereinigung. This monopoly dominated the market for centuries. The citizens of Sulzbach were enfeoffed with the ore mountain on the Eichelberg in 1348. Charles IV was a patron of Sulzbach and promoted it by granting further mining and customs freedom. The Upper Palatinate was a rich land for three centuries until the 30 Years' War (1618-1648) almost completely destroyed the mining industry. The economy did not recover even after the war and so the sovereigns tried to revive the economy. The Duke of Sulzbach founded a blast furnace in Weiherhammer in 1717, and there was also private investment again. But the big boom came with the industrial revolution, which not only created a demand for iron, the railway also allowed the transport of coal and iron. In 1853, the Maxhütte was founded. In 1856, the Royal Chamberlain Count von Poninsky bought various ironworks in the region and merged them. Several mines were opened and a cable railway transported the ore to the blast furnace. And even after the Second World War, the economy quickly recovered. It was only when high-quality ores became cheaper on the world market that the mines were no longer economically viable and were closed. The last one was closed in 1977.

The Bergbau-Schaustollen Max thus represents a reproduction of the operating mining industry of the 1950s, which flourished during the times of the German Wirtschaftswunder. The lighting at that time still consisted of carbide lamps, electric lamps with lead batteries were not yet used, as evidenced by the collection of carbide lamps. Tools and machines from this period are also presented. Of the three mining museums in the Upper Palatinate iron district, this is the only one with a real show mine, even if it is only a replica. As it was on private land, it was not open to the public for a long time. It was not until 1994 that it became a show mine on the initiative of Karl Grünthaler, the town's local historian, and Klaus Faltenbacher, the first chairman of the Stiber-Fähnlein. The Stiber-Fähnlein is an association of people interested in history in Sulzbach-Rosenberg. Many former miners helped on a voluntary basis or donated furnishings and equipment. Two years later, the show mine was opened. However, it does not have regular opening hours, it can only be visited by appointment.