Besucherbergwerk Wismutstolln

Bergbauflächendenkmal Erzberg - Besucherbergwerk Wismutstolln Biensdorf - Altbergbau Hülfe des Herrn Fundgrube

Useful Information

Location:	Biensdorfer Str. 10, 09244 Lichtenau. A4 Ausfahrt 71 Chemnitz-Ost, am Sonnenlandpark Lichtenau rechts ab, durch Merzdorf nach Biensdorf. (50.932780, 13.013500)
Open:	Besucherbergwerk Wismutstolln: All year Sat 9-15, last tour 14. Altbergbau Hülfe des Herrn Fundgrube: only by appointment. [2022]
Fee:
Classification:	Copper Mine Lead Mine Silver Mine Uranium Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	Besucherbergwerk Wismutstolln: L=200 m. Altbergbau Hülfe des Herrn Fundgrube: MinAge=16.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Besucherbergwerk Wismutstolln, Biensdorfer Str. 10, 09244 Lichtenau, Tel: +49-37206-71502. Hülfe des Herrn Alte Silberfundgrube e.V., Albert-Schweitzer-Straße 16, 09669 Frankenberg/Sa. E-mail: Lutz Mitka, Tel: +49-171-894-3913. Christiane Schröder, Tel: +49-37206-715-02.
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

1756	Johann Hussar, the so-called "Hussarsteiger" (miner), works a day shaft with a farmhand to a depth of a few meters.
1781	Mining in Biensdorf by the company "Hülfe des Herrn Fundgrube".
1789	End of mining in Biensdorf.
1790	Mining in Krumbach.
1830	End of mining in Krumbach.
1949-1951	Uranium prospecting by SAG Wismut.
1986	Bergbauverein (mining association) founded.
1993	Wismutstolln opened as a show mine.
1996	Huthaus reconstructed.
2022	Wismutstolln closed for renovation.

Geology

The rock found here belongs to the slate mantle of the Saxon granulite mountains. It consists mainly of strongly decomposed phyllitic schists. Veins contain mainly barite, calcite, chert and quartz, rarely also fluorite, but also ores such as chalcopyrite, copper pyrites, malachite, linarite, azurite and very rarely galena. This means that primarily copper, lead and silver were mined. The veins are about 10 cm thick and were only profitable when mined manually during the Middle Ages.

Description

The Besucherbergwerk Wismutstolln (Wismutstolln show mine) near Biensdorf has several names, or rather there are several interesting objects in a very small area. These are grouped together in the Bergbauflächendenkmal Erzberg (Erzberg Mining Site Monument), a kind of freely accessible open-air museum with various mining installations. The two show mines, on the other hand, are only accessible with a guided tour. The site was opened up to visitors by the non-profit association Hülfe des Herrn Alte Silberfundgrube e.V. who operate the shoe mine since then. It is located in a wooded area, a flat hill at Biensdorf, near Lichtenau.

The pits and slag heaps of a late medieval mining area are preserved in the forest. During mining, hundreds of pits with short galleries were created to follow the scattered ore veins. Most of the pits were backfilled or used as waste pits, but some were reopened during the last decades. The Hülfe des Herrn Fundgrube pit was created in the 18th century to mine the ore veins. The pit's Huthaus was rebuilt by the association. The Wismutstolln (bismuth gallery), which was excavated in the 1950s to explore for uranium ores, is much younger. However, SAG Wismut's uranium prospecting was unsuccessful, so no uranium was mined here. The tunnel is named after the mining company and there was actually no bismuth at all. The name of the company was a Cold War code name to disguise that it actually mined uranium for Russia.

The Wismutstolln is relatively young and was therefore relatively easy to excavate. That is why this gallery was first opened as a show mine. It is accessible to everyone at ground level and without protective clothing. The Wismutstolln cut through the Hülfe des Herrn Stolln, which thus became accessible. However, since it is an ancient mine, the development is much more difficult. Since 1998, the mining association has been clearing it up, and it is partly accessible to visitors. However, the development is not like that of a show mine, the gallery has merely been made safe. There are no trails and no electric light. Visitors need appropriate clothing and rubber boots, a helmet and headlamp, and must be able to cope with low and narrow galleries.