Pohronské múzeum Nová Baňa

Useful Information

Location:	Ul.Bernolákova 2, 968 01 Nová Baňa. (48.424028, 18.640294)
Open:	JUN to SEP Mon-Fri, Sun 10-18. OCT to MAY Mon-Fri 9-17, Sun 13-17. Last entry 1 h before closing. [2020]
Fee:	Adults EUR 2, Children (16-18) EUR 1.50, Children (6-15) EUR 1, Children (0-5) EUR 0.50, Students EUR 1.50, Seniors EUR 1.50, Disabled free. [2020]
Classification:	Mining Museum
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Pohronské múzeum v Novej Bani, Ul.Bernolákova 2, 968 01 Nová Baňa, Tel: +421-45-685-5178, Tel: +421-45-685-7834, Fax: +421-45-685-7178. 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

1345	Nova Bana becomes a free royal and mining town and received market law, sword law, and milestone law privileges.
1664	city destroyed by the turks.
1722	first steam engine on the European continent built by the English engineer Isaac Potter.
1887	mines closed due to unprofitability.
1952	Municipal Museum established by the initiative of antiques collector Anton Solčanský.
1988	became a regional museum.
2012	mining exhibition renewed with the financial contribution of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic.

Geology

Description

The Pohronské múzeum Nová Baňa (Pohroia Museum at Nova Bana) is a regional museum with various collections of art and history. It was founded as a Municipal and art museum in 1952, but became a museum for the region Stredné Pohronie which surrounds Nova Bana, and has today more than 12,000 items in its collection. One exhibition is dedicated to the local mining history. Another is about the Pútikov vřšok volcano near Tekovská Breznice, the youngest volcano in Slovakia and Central Europe. The last eruption was around 130,000 years ago. The museum is located at the former town hall building, a gothic building from mid-14th century, rebuilt in the middle of the 18th century.

The mining is based on volcanic activities in the area, which caused the formation of ore veins containing gold and silver. In the vicinity of Nova Bana three deposits exist, Novobanské, Rudniansko-brežské and Pukanecké. Quartz veins with finely crushed grains of ore minerals, sulphides, especially gold-bearing pyrite and silver sulphosalts. The surrounding rocks are rhyolites, andesites and basalts. The area is also famous for its non-metallic minerals like quartz, chalcedony and jasper.

The mining exhibition contains mining tools, various types of lamps and functional models of mining equipment. There are models of mines, so-called mine in a bottle or bottle of patience, containing multi-storey scenes depicting the work of miners.

The ores were discovered in the 14th century and they were very profitable, the mining settlement Nová Baňa grew into a city. It became a free royal and mining town in 1345 and gradually received market law, sword law, and milestone law privileges. In the second half of the 14th century Nová Baňa became one of the seven mining towns of Horná Hora. But the destruction of the city by the turks, the plague, and uprisings during the 17th century nearly depopulated the city. And the increasing amount of groundwater in the mines almost ended the mining. In 1722 the first steam engine on the European continent was built by the English engineer Isaac Potter. A model of this atmospheric machine is on display in the exhibition. Sumping allowed further mining, but mining was not as important any more, and the mining activities decreased continually. The mines were finally closed in 1887.