St. Anna Fundgrube

Useful Information

Location:	From Wolkenburg follow the road Zur Papierfabrik towards Herrnsdorf. After the Bergamtshaus (former house of the mine management) park at parking lot. Follow Muldental-Radwanderweg to the mine entrance.
Open:	Easter Monday 10-16. Pentecost Monday 10-17. 03-OCT 10-16. 31-OCT 10-16. [2013]
Fee:	Adults EUR 3.50. [2013]
Classification:
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Arbeitsgemeinschaft Altbergbau & Geologie Westsachsen e.V., Bergamtshaus, Zur Papierfabrik 10, 09212 Limbach-Oberfrohna, OT Wolkenburg. E-mail: Request for tours: P. Schurmann, Tel: +49-3722-403495. 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

Geology

Description

The show mine St. Anna Fundgrube (Saint Anne Mine) is located south of Wolkenburg. It is a Medieval mine with the first mining phase between 12th and 15th century. The ore is located in a cleft or dyke and so the mine follows the dyke, which was almost completely removed by the mining operation. The typical thechnology of this early mining is locally called Strossenbau (stoping) and means different steps on which the ore was removed horizontally. Right at the entrance of the mine is an example for such an Strossenbau which is at least 13 m deep. The ground is still unknown, the lower part is waterfiled and has been explored by cave divers, but they have not reached the ground yet.

From the 15th century on a new mining technique became popular, called Firstenbau (overhand stoping). The Firste is the ceiling of the tunnel, and the ore was simply removed from the ceiling so it fell into the Hunt (trolley) simply by gravitation. This was the pro side, the con side was the need to fill in the floor continually or to build wooden walking bridges.