Silbergründle

Useful Information

Location:	Grimmerswaldstraße, 77889 Seebach. (48.580295, 8.168116)
Open:	after appointment at the Touristeninformation in Seebach. [2022]
Fee:	Adults EUR 4, Children (3-11) EUR 2.50, Children (0-2) frei. [2022]
Classification:	Lead Mine Silver Mine
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Wolfgang Werner, Volker Dennert (2004): Lagerstätten und Bergbau im Schwarzwald Herausgabe durch Landesamt für Geologie, Rohstoffe und Bergbau, Baden-Württemberg, Freiburg im Breisgau, 2004, ISBN 3-00-014636-9.
Address:	Tourist-Information Seebach, Ruhesteinstr. 21, 77889 Seebach, Tel: +49-7842-948320, Fax +49-7842-948399. E-mail: Fachgruppe Bergwesen im Historischen Verein für Mittelbaden e.V., In der Grüb 4, 76593 Gernsbach. 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

12th century	beginning of mining.
1770s	end of mining.
1978	tunnels rediscovered.
1984	show mine opened to the public.
2005	The Oberer Stollen (upper gallery) and Unterer Stollen (lower gallery) opened to visitors.

Geology

Description

The "Silbergründle" ore mine above Seebach in the Black Forest is a historic mine. Mining in the Black Forest began as early as the Middle Ages, and a few mines are still being mined today. But the high-quality ores in relatively small veins, which were very valuable in the Middle Ages, are no longer economically relevant today. And so many mines were closed long ago, including the mines around Seebach. And over the centuries they fell into oblivion, only a few local legends and the names of parcels of land still point to the old mining.

In the 1970s, some citizens became interested in this mining past, interviewed older citizens and finally, in 1978, a first tunnel was rediscovered. The tunnel, which had been completely buried, was made accessible again through thousands of hours of voluntary work. In the process, evidence was found of even more extensive mining on the slope above. Over the course of several years, further galleries were found and uncovered. The oldest finds were almost 800 years old, the youngest 250. Historical documents on mining were never found, so all that is known today is based on archaeological evidence that mining probably lasted from the 12th to the middle of the 18th century. Probably with interruptions, about which nothing is known.

Today, the exhibition mine is located in the upper galleries. These are the oldest known parts of mining in Seebach. The mine is entered through an adit, you can see two shafts and a water-filled pit with a spring. Then the mine is left again through another gallery. The tour begins at the mine's visitor hut with an introduction. Here visitors are also provided with a helmet, lamp, rubber boots and a cape, but they are welcome to use their own rubber boots and rain jacket. Apart from the dripping water and some water on the trail, as well as the low temperature, there are no difficulties, and there is also no age restriction, which is quite unusual for show mines.

The show mine is run by a non-profit historical association from Seebach on a voluntary basis. This applies to all guided tours as well as to the necessary maintenance work. Entrance fees and donations are used to maintain the mine facilities and to make further galleries accessible. The mine has no regular open hours but is open on special evens, local festivals, and during the summer holiday programme.