Bergbaumuseum Fohnsdorf

Montanmuseum Fohnsdorf

Useful Information

Location:	Fohnsdorf. (47.2022642, 14.6829514)
Open:	MAY to OCT daily 9-17. Tours 9, 11, 13, 15. [2025]
Fee:	Adults EUR 12, School Pupils EUR 7. Groups (10+): Adults EUR 10, School Pupils EUR 6. [2025]
Classification:	Lignite Mine Replica Underground Mine Mining Museum
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	Ar=1,000 m².
Guided tours:	L=160 m, D=90 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Bergbaumuseum Fohnsdorf, Schacht 10, 8753 Fohnsdorf, Tel: +43-3573-4647, Tel: +43-699-17262810. E-mail: Gemeinde Fohnsdorf, 8753 Fohnsdorf, Tel: +43-3573-2431-234.
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

1670	beginning of mining east of Dietersdorf under Fürst Schwarzenberg.
1842	mine taken over by K.K. Montan-Aerar, coal used for iron furnaces.
1855	Graf Hugo Henkel von Donnersmark buys land and the right to mine it.
1857	start of Lorenz-Schacht und Josef-Schacht.
1869	mine bought by the Steirische Eisenindustriegesellschaft.
1870	railroad Zeltweg-Fohnsdorf-Antoni built.
1881	mine bought by the Österreichische Alpine-Montangesellschaft.
1882	start of Karl-August Schacht.
1884	start of Wodzicki-Schacht.
1913	two fuel driven locomotives with 8 horse powers.
1928	80 m high furnaces installed.
1940	water in the mine, 850 m deep, 750 liter/minute, 39 °C, 82 At pressure, in the Wodzicki Förderschacht.
1943	101 miners die in an explosion in the Karl-August Schacht.
1975	retraining centre built.
1977	part of the mine preserved as a monument.
1978	mine closed.
05-MAY-1983	Montanmuseum Fohnsdorf inaugurated.
1989	Opening of the 160 m long show mine.
2013	Opening of the Othmar Deutschmann Halle.
2017	Opening of the Mineralienschaustollen.

Geologie

The valley around Fohnsdorf has a kind of basin structure under a young layer of loose sediments with layers dipping to the south. Above mica schist and sandstone follows the coal seam, which in turn is overlain by marl schist. While the coal reaches the surface on the north side, it falls to the south, which required ever deeper tunnels for mining.

Description

The Fohnsdorf lignite mine was once the deepest lignite mine in the world. This is actually a curious superlative, because lignite is considered to be of inferior quality due to its low degree of coalification and is therefore mined in the cheapest possible way, i.e. usually in open-cast mining. The reason why mining was actually carried out here to a depth of almost 1000 metres can at best be explained by the location: the Erzberg is not far away and the coal was urgently needed for smelting the iron ore. One could therefore conclude that it was the locational advantage that made mining profitable. In the early days, the coal was used for the production of alum, and it was not until 1842, when the mine was taken over by K.K. Montan-Aerar, that the coal was used for smelting iron in blast furnaces. The coal was quickly mined out close to the surface and the first shafts were sunk. They were moved further and further south and became deeper and deeper.

As the depth increased, so did the problems. Not only were significantly larger hoisting machines required, but the risk of water ingress also increased. The most spectacular water ingress occurred in 1940, and it was not only the amount of water that was a problem, but also the high temperature of almost 40 °C. This required extensive damming work. Another problem with coal mining is explosive gases from the coal. Just three years after the water ingress, a massive explosion occurred in 1943. This killed 100 of the 123 miners in the mine.

Nevertheless, mining was profitable and continued until the 1970s. The construction of inclined shafts began in the 1950s and the mine was increasingly modernised in the 1960s. However, like everywhere else in Europe, coal mining came to an end in the 1970s and the mine was closed between 1977 and 1980. Of course, this also meant the loss of an important employer.

The Bergbaumuseum Fohnsdorf (Fohnsdorf Mining Museum) was founded in 1983 by Deutschmann, Köfl and Menapace. They wanted to preserve at least some of the equipment and machinery, but also created jobs for the former miners. The 160 m long show tunnel was added in 1989. This is a special feature, because in coal mining tunnels usually collapse after mining, and in most cases the collapse is even controlled. This is simply due to the fact that a large volume has to be excavated, resulting in very large, low and unsupported cavities. In order to avoid catastrophic ceiling collapses, one side is therefore dismantled and the ceiling is shored up in a controlled manner on the other side. As a result, however, coal mines have no underground show part because this no longer exists. This is why it is the same here as in other coal show mines, the tunnel was built later and is actually a replica.

The mining museum displays numerous exhibits from the coal mining era, including pictures, documents and old tools and machines. Various models of the mine and its machinery are impressive. The most spectacular is probably the twin tandem hoisting machine with 3600 HP, the museum is located in the machine hall of the hoisting shaft. It is somewhat curious that the size of the 1000 m² exhibition space is very much emphasised, but not the quality of the exhibition. Also curious is the fact that the museum can only be visited with a guide, so it is not possible to view the exhibition at leisure. Nevertheless, the most interesting exhibits are pointed out, including a real miner’s pneumoconiosis, probably the primary cause of death among miners.

The museum also has an open-air museum for larger machines and, of course, the iron winding tower. You can also see the oldest steam locomotive from 1889. Guided tours are probably not compulsory here, nor on the 3.2 km nature and history trail.