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Matthias Reinhardt MINERAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Silberwiese mine, Oberlahr
The tunnel portal of the "Neuer Stollen" in the area of the old Silberwiese in June 2020.
The pit was first mentioned in 1795, but it is probably older. The ore mining increased from 1815 under Prussian administration. On March 30, 1827, the mine consolidated. In 1916 the shaft of the mine was created. It reached a depth of 520 m. Up to 400 members of the staff worked in the mine until it was closed on May 31, 1941. In 1926, 73,200 tons of iron ore were mined, the total output was 1.249 million tons. There was a 2 km long narrow-gauge railway to Oberlahr for loading the ore.
Two steam locomotives were in operation on it.
Corridor map of the Siegerland from 1910. The blue 1 marks the location of the "Neuer Stollen" tunnel portal of the Silberwiese mine shown above. The blue 2 shows the place where the shaft of the mine Silberwiese was sunk later around 1916.
Schematic representation of the most important civil engineering floors in the Silberwiese mine. With the neighboring Harzberg mine (closed in 1895), a connection was established from 1930 onwards via the 6 underground level. Until the closure of the Silberwiese mine on May 31, 1941, the ore deposits in the Harzberg mine were also mined.
Sketch was made by Peter Penkert, Fröndenberg .
Historical recordings of the
Silberwiese mine near Oberlahr.
All B / W photos from the Jürgen Kalscheid picture archive, Willroth
Overview of the Silberwiese pit. At the bottom left in the valley were the grate ovens.
Right half of the picture: The shaft system with winding tower and heap in the foreground.
The mine in Silberwiese. The grate ovens are clearly visible in the foreground.
Miners in front of the "Help of God gallery". This was a little below the shaft.
Transport of the pit timber for the expansion of the track underground.
Minerals from the treasure chamber "Grube Silberwiese".
Galena on quartz. Image width: 6 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Column-like boulangerite crystals in a quartz gland. Image width: 1.2 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt
Bournonite crystal on siderite. A coveted collector's item among mineralogists.
Image width: 2.2 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Yellow oxyplumboroméite next to coarse boulangerite. Image width: 3.5 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Anglesite crystal in limonite gland. Secondary formations have rarely been found in the dump area. Image width: 1.4 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Galena on siderite. Image width: 3.5 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Stalky boulangerite crystals sit on a rock crystal. Image width: 2.2 mm.
Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Thick-tabular bournonite crystal on siderite and quartz. Image width: 5 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
Needle-like boulangerite in a quartz gland. Image width: 4.2 mm. Collection: Matthias Reinhardt.
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