Goldbergbaumuseum Goldkronach

Useful Information

Location:	Forstamtsgebäude, Bayreuther Straße 21, Goldkronach (50.009549, 11.685850)
Open:	APR to NOV Sun, Hol 13-17. [2022]
Fee:	Adults EUR 4, Teens (13-17) EUR 2, Children (0-12) free, Students EUR 2, Seniors EUR 2, Disabled EUR 2. Groups (8+): Adults EUR 3. [2022]
Classification:	Gold Mine
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Ingrid Burger-Segl (2011): Goldbergbaumuseum Goldkronach, Weiden 2011.
Address:	Goldbergbaumuseum, Bayreuther Straße 21, 95497 Goldkronach, Tel: +49-9273-502026.
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

29-SEP-1365	Cranach raised a city by the Burggraf Friedrich V. from Nürnberg.
~1400	gold mining mentioned.
1792-1806	heyday of gold mining under prussian government.
1793-1796	Alexander von Humboldt works as prussian mining clerk in Goldkronach.
1806	mining ends with French occupation.
1828	mining reopened by Bavarian state.
1865	mining ended.
1920-1925	mining by the Fichtelgold AG.
12-MAR-2004	Goldbergbaumuseum opened to the public.

Geology

The main dyke is running from north to south through the Goldberg, from the village Brandholz to the village Goldkronach. The gold bearing dykes are quartz surrounded by phylittic clay slate, diabas dykes and hyllitic gneiss. The gold ore is gold bearing pyrite (FeS₂) with a gold content of 400g to 1kg gold per ton ore. The dike contains a number of other minerals.

Description

The Goldbergbaumuseum (Gold Mining Museum) in Goldkronach is located in the former foretry building of the town. It is a typical franconian building made of reddish sandstone, which contains a collection on the mining history of Goldkronach. The history of the city is explained with models and documents. Then the gold mining underground and the panning of placer deposits is explained. One section is dedicated to the local geology, the next to the Medieval mining technology and the working conditions. The next topic is the processing of the gold, for gold leafs and coins. The experiments of the alchimists to produce gold are explained too. All over the exhibition there are replicas of mine tunnels, wooden lining, machinery and workshops.