Besucherbergwerk Burgbergstollen

Useful Information

Location:	Burgberg Battenberg
Open:	MAY to SEP 1st Sunday in month 14-17. [2011]
Fee:	Adults EUR 2, Children (0-12) EUR 1. [2011]
Classification:	Manganese Mine
Light:	mineRS lamp
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Stadtverwaltung Battenberg, Herr Helmut Frank, 35088 Battenberg, Tel: +49-6452-9344-18. 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

1538	ming at Battenberg first mentioned.
1748	mining for siver and other ores mentioned.
1839	Christian Frank from Hatzfeld gets the permission to mine for Braunstein.
1850	tunnel built by the merchant Benedikt Blumenthal.
1863	mining rights transfered to the Gewerkschaft Burgberg from Siegen.
1893	modernizations and tunnel system enlarged.
1900	mine closed.
1944/45	used as air raid shelter.
2000	show mine opened to the public.

Geology

Description

The Burgbergstollen (castle rock tunnel) is located in the eponymous Burgberg, a conical mountain with a ruined castle on top, northwest of the town Battenberg. Mining is mentioned first in 1538, but it seems various attempts to mine silver or other ores were fruitless. What workers was the mining of Braunstein (brown rock), a medieval term used for all the brown manganese minerals. Manganese was needed for iron smelting, the addition of manganese made the iron stronger without making it brittle.

The mining of Braunstein starts in 1839, after Christian Frank from Hatzfeld received the permission, to mine for Braunstein. He starts mining in 1840, but it is not known how successful and how long he mined. The next one was the merchant Benedikt Blumenthal from Rennertehaus, who started the tunnel in 1850. In 1863 he died and the mining permission is taken over by the Gewerkschaft Burgberg from Siegen. The mining is intensified in 1893 with numerous modernisations. Dynamite and mine trains are used and the tunnel system is enlarged. But this takes only a few years, and in 900 the mine is closed.

Because of its location close to the city of Battenberg the tunnel was used during World War II as an air raid shelter. It was developed for this purpose. But after the war it was abandoned and soon forgotten. The local Heimatverein (heritage club) renovated the mine with the honorary work of its members and reopened it as a show mine in 2000. The protective coat and helmet are provided, the visitors also get mineRS lamps.