Mining in the Schladming Tauern

Mining in the Schladming Tauern

Modern methods of geological research give even more understanding of the formation of mountain ranges, with their various forms and their abundance of natural resources.

The mountain ranges of the Enns vallay – the Tauern on the one hand and the limestone mountain range with its dominating Dachstein on the other hand – have different formation histories. The abundance of minerals in the Tauern mountains is a result of tectonic and physico-chemical activities in early geological times.

Supposedly, these natural resources of the Styrian and Salzburg Tauern mountains were discovered in the last couple of pre-Christian millenniums, when Celtic tribes ("Alauni", "Taurisci"), crossed Europe. More and more romanised Germans followed the Celts. During the centuries after the Migration period, mainly Slavic peoples settled in our valleys, followed by our ancestors of Franconian-Bavarian origin.

Each settlement followed up on the achievements and knowledge of their ancestors, such as the exploration and exploitation of the ore mines in the Schladming Tauern.

At that time – when the first written documents tell us about the existence of Schladming – the ore mines and thus future economic and social structures, were incentive enough to settle. There are more and more records from the 13^th century on, telling us, that Schladming became an important administrative centre with the necessary infrastructure for mining activity in the Tauern.

Mining silver, copper and lead ores stood certainly for wealth and economic influence. Also, documents regarding the mining activity (ownership structures, labour administration, statutory provisions) reveal that Schladming’s mining prosperity was between 1300 and 1500.

Outside influences ended this time of prosperity ruggedly and dramatically. Due to the peasant revolt, mining was disrupted. Once the political turbulences eased slightly, mining was reactivated, but did not bring back the former wealth. The mines were partly exhausted and the market for raw materials changed rapidly after the discovery and exploitation of America.

In the 18^th and 19^th century, main mined metals were nickel and cobalt. Cobalt became highly demanded by the colour industry; nickel on the other hand was used for metal alloys, allowing the producing of nickel silver (alpaca). A new, booming industry came out of this in the 19^th century, originated by Johann Rudolf Ritter von Gersdorff and Rudolf Flechner from Schladming: they started a modern dishes and cutlery production.

At the end of the 19^th century, exhausted mines, changed economic situation and nonetheless one or the other wrong managerial decision lead to an end of the mining activity and consequently its associated businesses.

Schladming and its inhabitants were mainly untroubled by a deep economic depression, thanks to the coincident beginning of the development of tourism and thus its infrastructural remodelling.

Independently of the ore mining tradition in the Schladming Tauern, on the north side of the valley (Schlepfleiten, Ramsau-Vorberg) some lignite deposits were discovered. The lignite mining however in the times between the both World Wars was rather an economic and social emergency program.

In the museum, we try to display this important chapter of Schladming’s socio-economic history with geologic and mineralogical materials.

Chronology:

• 1304 Duchess Elisabeth awards particular rights and freedoms to the miners of Schladming.
• 1408 Mining judge Leonhard Egkelzain writes with his councillors the “Schladminger Bergbrief”, a compendium of legal norms and process standards of mining, which were common at that time.
• 1525 Mining ceases due to the peasant revolt: reactivating mining activities a year later.
• Middle of  the 16^th century South German early capitalists (e.g. Lucas Sintzinger, merchant in Nuremberg); gradually expanded into the region, but also forces from surrounding areas: Duke  Ernst of Bavaria, elected Archbishop of Salzburg; the entrepreneurial  Weitmoser family from Gastein; Admont monastery etc.
• Middle of  the 17^th century European wealth in the Schladming mining: the Augsburg house Fugger, the Salzburg merchants Feuersenger etc.
• Beginning of the 18^th century Silver mining ceases
• 1746-1818 cobalt mining
• 1832-1875 Gersdorff-Flechner’s nickel mining
• 1903-1905 lignite mining of the "Ennstaler Kohlengewerkschaft" (Enns valley coal union)
• 1945-1947 last flare-up of lignite mining (Bergbauförderungs-GesmbH)

After World War 2: from about 1960 on, the mining area that has been mainly forgotten about was methodically explored by an ÖAV (Austrian Alpenverein) work group of cavers from Schladming. They made a large part of the mining area accessible and familiarised locals and guests with this important chapter of Schladming’s history, which has been almost suppressed.

In the meantime, there is a “Mining educational trail”, which gives a feel of the mining activity in the Obertal valley with guided tours through the mines and hikes in the mining area.

The town museum shows a large selection of finds from the area (geological, mineralogical materials, tools, transport vehicles and devices).

It is well known that the mining profession is one of the hardest possible. A miner works in a nasty environment, which is harmful to health and even terrifying. These conditions must have been particularly harsh in the Alpine mountains full of privation.

Being exposed to nature’s whims and imponderabilities, men turned to their religious and mythic imaginations.

Christianity tried at first, to eliminate the traditional pagan images or to refine them by converting them into shining Christian figures and traditions. In the course of the centuries, various Saints were introduced to offer comfort and shelter for any circumstance, profession and state of mind.

Saint Barbara for instance becomes the most adored patron of mining (her life story telling about a crisis situation as prisoner in the dark, deep tower). Our Slavic ancestors might already have admired the early Christian martyr Achatius, who is said to have been killed falling off the Ararat mountain for his strong believe. The Lutheran miners however, might have turned to the Prophet Daniel to avoid the Catholic institution of Saints.

In Daniels life there is evidence for God’s demanded search for the golden fruits as well the well-known episode of his most challenging trial (Daniel in the lion’s den).

Most of the traditional mining legends have been passed on orally and they mix myth and traditions.

To help understanding the following legend and popular story in the Schladming area:

Amongst miners, to deal fairly with nature was according to the code of honour. An outrage against nature was a particular punishable misdemeanour. On the other hand, there were no rational explanations for the many accidents and casualties in the miners' day to day lives, hence it was tried to unravel them by making up mythical stories. The following legend combines two narrative threads in one story: the motive of cruelty to animals, which is often told in Austrian, Southern German and South Tyrolean regions, while the motive of an ignored bird's warning is rather told in the mining areas of Central and Northern Germany.

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