Grube Anna-Elisabeth

Besucherbergwerk Schriesheim

Useful Information

Location:	Talstraße 157, 69198 Schriesheim. North of Heidelberg A5 (E35) exit Ladenburg-Schriesheim, L536 to the village, turn right on B3, then left on road to Altenbach. On the left side. (49.477917, 8.673611)
Open:	18-MAR to 04-NOV Sun, Hol 11-16. [2022]
Fee:	Normale Führung: Adults EUR 7, Children (4-14) EUR 5. Erlebnis-Führung: Adults EUR 11, Children (12-14) EUR 8. [2022]
Classification:	Silver Mine Alum Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	T=12 °C.
Guided tours:	Normale Führung: D=75 min. Erlebnis-Führung: D=135 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	L.H. Hildebrandt (2004): Die Geschichte des Silber- und Vitriolbergwerks Schriesheim bei Heidelberg, Schriesheimer Jb. 2004 :69, 104. P. Levin (1975): Über eine gangförmige Vererzung bei Schriesheim im SW Odenwald, In: G.C. Amstutz, S. Meisl, E. Nickel (1975): Mineralien und Gesteine im Odenwald. Aufschluss, Sonderband 27, S.255-62.
Address:	Besucherbergwerk Grube Anna-Elisabeth, Talstraße 157, 69198 Schriesheim, Tel: +49-6203-68167, Fax: +49-6203-660186. 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

1473	first written mention, silver mining.
1545	mine closed first time.
1701	mine reopened, mining of iron and copper vitriol ores.
1782	Sudhaus for the production of vitriol erected.
1817	mine closed.
1943-1945	used as air raid shelter.
1985	protected as historic monument.
1987	opened to the public.

Geology

The deposit is hosted in granite, the iron and copper sulfides came from a large tectonically brecciated zone. It was formed by the Upper Rhine Rift which created a fracture zone with massive faults. They were the reason for magma intrusions which formed the granite. The heat created convection in the groundwater and the formation of hydrothermal polymetallic ores. A large 4 m wide baryte-fluorite vein contains pyrite, galena and silver ores. At a late stage veinlets of purple fluorite with pitchblende and silver-cobalt ores were formed.

Description

The Grube Anna-Elisabeth was first mined at about the same time the nearby castle Strahlenburg, the landmark of Schriesheim, was built. The castle was built by the Knights von Strahlenberg with the revenue of the mine. The remaining silver was used to buy the surrounding villages of Altneudorf, Vorderheubach, Hinterheubach und Heiligkreuzsteinach. But when the silver ore was exhausted the mine was closed.

The second mining era was more than 150 years later, but then a different ore was mined. Iron sulfate or iron vitriol (FeSO₄) was used for the production of ink. Unfortunately this was not very profitable. But this changed when the Saxon miner Eugen Schulmeister started to mine copper vitriol in the rear part of the mine in 1780. Because of the high quality of the ore, there was a good revenue for some decades.