Besucherbergwerk Zschopau

Heilige Dreifaltigkeit Fundgrube


Useful Information

Location: Krumhermersdorfer Straße, 09405 Zschopau.
Krumhermersdorfer Straße, beim Zschopauer Sportplatz.
(50.7462118, 13.0862407)
Open: All year last Sat in month 10-16.
[2024]
Fee:
Classification: MineSilver Mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: T=8-10 °C.
Guided tours: L=250 m, D=45 min.
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:
Address: Altbergbauverein "Heilige Dreifaltigkeit Fundgrube" Zschopau e.V., Michael Rümmler, Gerbergasse 9, 09405 Zschopau, Tel: 0174-1656171. 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

1390 first written mention of mining.
1478 Heilige-Dreifaltigkeits-Fundgrube first written mention.
1493 Zschopau becomes Bergstadt (mining city).
1884 Heilige-Dreifaltigkeits-Fundgrube closed.
1990 mine reopened by the members of the association Gruppe Altbergbau of the Heimatvereins Zschopau.
1992 show mine opened to the public on the 700th anniversary of the city.

Geology

The dark mica schist contains silver-bearing galena. The most important ore-bearing vein was the Heilige-Dreifaltigkeits-Flache, which strikes from NW to SE and dips very steeply to the north-east. It is mostly between 25 cm and 2 m thick, according to old documents, there were also places up to 7.50 m thick. The galena normaly contained around 0.2 % silver, as well as chalcopyrite, pale ore and red galena ore, surrounded by snow-white to flesh-coloured barite, fluorspar, quartz and hornblende. The silver-bearing galena was not found in the vein, but in the form of individual druses or in a ribbon-like structure in the barite. Various oxide lead ores occur, above all green, brown, white and, very rarely, blue lead ore. These minerals have made the mine very popular with mineral collectors. The green lead ore in particular, pyromorphite, a chlorine-containing lead phosphate with hexagonal prismatic crystals, is still the target of more or less dubious mineral collectors today.

Description

The show mine is an annex to the Heilige Dreifaltigkeit Fundgrube (Holy Trinity mine), where silver was mined in the Middle Ages. It was the largest and best-known mine in Zschopau. As no uranium was found, the mine has been preserved as it was in the Middle Ages. The Dreifaltigkeits-Tiefer-Erbstollen (Holy Trinity adit) was used for drainage but also for extracting the ore. At the entrance to the show mine, visitors are given a helmet and protective clothing, including gum boots. The mine is secured, but the floor is covered with clay and water. In the entrance building, there is also a small collection of minerals and an exhibition on the history of mining in Zschopau.

The show mine dates back to the Middle Ages and was still being worked by hand with mallets and iron before the use of explosives. All the tunnels visited are over 200 years old. The show mine has no height differences, the only difficulty is the slippery floor and the narrow passages.

The show mine is located on Krumhermersdorfer Straße, near the Zschopau sports ground. The nearest car park is at the Zschopau sports ground, from there you cross the river Zschopau and turn right on the other side between the Steghaus, an old colliery building and the river. The mine is signposted from here.