Hoffnungsstollen Todtmoos

Useful Information

Location:	Parkplatz Bergwerk, Zellermoosstraße 3, 79682 Todtmoos. At Todtmoos, southern Schwarzwald (Black Forest). From Bad Säckingen along the Rhein north through Wehr. (47.744434, 7.985744)
Open:	MAY to OCT Thu, Sat, Sun, Hol 14-17. NOV to APR Sat, Sun, Hol 14-17. [2023]
Fee:	Adults EUR 4, Gästekarte EUR 2, Children (6-16) EUR 2, Children (0-5) free, School Pupils EUR 1, Students EUR 1, Disabled EUR 1. [2023]
Classification:	Iron Mine Nickel Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=8 °C.
Guided tours:	L=500 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:	partly
Bibliography:
Address:	Tourist-Information, Wehratalstr. 19, 79682 Todtmoos, Tel: +49-7654-12068-540, Fax: +49-7654-120689-9549. E-mail: 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

1798	Todtmoos-Mättle first written mentioned.
1835	Vitriol plant at Schwarzenbach closed.
1934	intensive prospecting activities.
1937	work ended, mine finally closed.
1988	mine cleaned for the construction of a show mine.
16-JUN-2000	opened to the public.

Geology

In the Todtmoos-Mättle open cast mine, large quantities of Magnetkies (Pyrrhotite, Fe₈S₉) were mined. Later, nickel ore was mined underground. The ores are hydrothermal gangue mineralisations in granite and white, light and dark gneiss. The origin of the ores and also the heat for the hydrothermal convection was a norite intrusion.

Description

The show mine is called the Hoffnungsstollen Todtmoos (Todtmoos Hope Gallery), which is already an indication that mining was probably based primarily on hope, rather than on actual ore bodies. Mining in Todtmoos began in 1798, when two locals found lumps of ore on their meadows and immediately secured mining rights. They mined Magnetkies (Pyrrhotite, Fe₈S₉) in an open pit for a few years. This ore was processed in the vitriol smelter in Schwarzenbach until it was closed in 1835.

Originally, the nickel ore which also occurred was considered waste, because there was no use for nickel. However, with the development of methods for hardening steel by adding nickel, it became more valuable and was also processed. When the vitriol smelter was closed, the opencast mine was also closed. Instead, however, the nickel ore was mined underground on a low scale. The deposit was not very productive, and the value of nickel was not very high. Hopes of finding silver, as in other mines in the Black Forest, were never fulfilled. So mining was never very intensive, and even an intensive prospecting of the deposit in 1934 by the National Socialists was rather sobering. This led to the closure of the mine before the outbreak of the Second World War. In fact, many of the tunnels were not actually mining tunnels at all, but prospecting tunnels, which unfortunately never opened up the hoped-for ore nests.

The development of the mine into a show mine is thanks to Karl-Heinz Tartsch, a resident of Todtnau, who wanted to preserve and develop the mine. A small group of volunteers opened and secured the partially collapsed and partially flooded galleries. In addition to volunteer work, considerable private donations, but also financial support from the municipality, the state and the EU were invested. The show mine was finally opened in 2000 after 12 years of securing work. Today it is run by the Todtmoos Tourist Information Office. A special lower tunnel is also accessible to wheelchair users, although not the entire show mine. Sturdy walking shoes or gum boots and hard-wearing clothing are recommended. Helmets are provided.