Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern

Useful Information

Location:	Hammerherrenschloss, Theuern. (49.386396, 11.910738)
Open:	APR to mid-DEC Tue-Sat 9-17, Sun, Hol 10-17. Außenstellen: APR to mid-DEC Sat 9-17, Sun, Hol 10-17. [2022]
Fee:	Adults EUR 2, Children (6-16) EUR 1, Children (0-5) free, Students EUR 1.50, Disabled EUR 1.50. Groups (20+): Adults EUR 1.50, Children (6-16) EUR 1. Guided Tour EUR 30. [2022]
Classification:	Iron Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Peter Wolf (1991): Regionen im Wandel. Ostbayerns Weg ins technisch-industrielle Zeitalter. Begleitband zur Ausstellung. 142 Seiten. Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern, Band 26, 1991. Die Oberpfalz, ein europäisches Eisenzentrum. 600 Jahre Große Hammereinung Katalog zu Ausstellung, 2 Bände. Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern, Band 12, 1987. Helmut Wolf : Das Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern Geowissenschaften. Nr. 12. 1994, S. 367–370. DOI Mathias Hensch (2005): Montanarchäologie in der Oberpfalz — von der Forschung vergessen?, Berichte der bayerischen Bodendenkmalpflege 43/44, 2002/3 München 2005, pg. 273-288. academia.edu
Address:	Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern, Schloss Theuern, Portnerstraße 1, 92245 Kümmersbruck, Tel: +49-9621-39-7930, Fax: +49-9621-37605-832. 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

1781	Hammerherrenschloss built.
1972	Bergbau- und Industriemuseum founded.
1978	Bergbau- und Industriemuseum opened to the public.
1996	Strommuseum Ostbayern eröffnet.

Geology

Description

The Bergbau- und Industriemuseum Ostbayern is located at the Hammerherrenschloss in Theuern. Its most important task is to research, document and present the mining and industry of Ostbayern (East Bavaria). Various rooms illustrate the topics mining and metallurgy, mineral resources, industrialisation of Eastern Bavaria, ceramics, glass and minerals of Eastern Bavaria. In addition, typical regional industrial monuments have been moved to Theuern: an iron hammer mill, a glass grinding and polishing plant, and a headframe with a machine house. The polishing plant houses the East Bavarian Electricity Museum since 1996.

The headframe with machine room of the closed mine Grube Bayerland near Waldsassen was built in the 1930s. In these decades the mining reached depths which made efficient elevators and a massive headframe necessary. Wooden headframes from this time are destroyed today, and this steel headframe is probably one of the last.

Due to rich and easily exploitable iron ore deposits, mining and iron smelting started in the Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) two millennia ago. The economic heydays were in the period from the 14th to the 17th century. The Upper Palatinate was the European iron centre for this period. The base of the iron industry was the Große Hammereinung (Great Hammer Agreement) of 1387, a contract that had cartel-like features. And so the strict regulations were finally responsible for the decline of the iron and steel industry. A second upswing was caused by the construction of the railway in the mid 19th century, when a modern iron industry was established in Haidhof, Rosenberg and Amberg. The ore production ceased in 1964 and the region underwent a major transformation. The Amberg Luitpoldhütte converted the plant to a foundry operation. The worldwide steel crisis led to a reduction in production of Maxhütte and finally to bankruptcy in 1987, and the closure of the last mine, the Grube Leonie in Auerbach. In 1990, operations were continued under the name "Neue Maxhütte", but in 2002 the Maxhütte went out of business for good.