Geopark LM 3 Englisch 2007.indd - Geopark Harz

World Cultural Heritage I
Rammelsberg Goslar
1
In contrast to the Upper Harz ore deposits,
the Rammelsberg ore was formed on
the ocean-floor together with the surrounding
sediments. The orebodies lie overturned,
that is to say “upside down” - a
result of the folding of the Harz Mountains.
The ores are rich in lead, zinc and copper
as well as other elements, among which
are cadmium, gold and silver. For the In the Rathstiefste Gallery
mine owners of the past, the foremost
interest was obtaining copper and silver,
and later lead; modern mining concentrated
on obtaining zinc and barite.
The Old Orebody was probably discovered
as early as the Bronze Age. Later- in
the middle ages and early modern times
– it provided the wealth of the German
kings, the Dukes of Brunswick and the
City of Goslar. During the high middle Rammelsberg banded ore
ages the major emphasis was on argentine
copper ore - so abundant that the
Ottonian and Salian emperors built the
largest of all their palatinates at the foot
of the Rammelsberg. Commerce in metals
secured the merchants of Goslar influence
in the Hanseatic League. During the
second period of prosperity in the
Rammelsberg in the 16th century, however,
the rights to the mines were taken by
Geology tour
the Dukes of Brunswick - to the detriment of the Goslar mine
owners, but not to the detriment of mining.
A final period of prosperity occurred in Rammelsberg mining
in the 20th century, after optimal separation of the finely
intergrown ore had been achieved. In 1988 the deposit was
exhausted; mining and ore dressing operations were shut
down. The Rammelsberg was the only ore mine works in the
world which had been in continual operation for over 1000
years. In 1992, together with the Old Town of Goslar, it was
entered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
When visiting the WELTKULTURERBE RAMMELSBERG one
encounters important mining monuments everywhere: mine
dumps from the 10th century, the Rathstiefste Gallery (12 th
c.), the Feuergezäher Vault (the oldest masonry-constructed
underground mine room in Europe), the Maltermeister Tower
(the oldest above ground structure of German mining), the
Roeder Gallery (19th c.) with its water wheels, and many
others. In four museum buildings permanent as well as changing
exhibits covering the life and work of man, modern art
- which open baffling approaches to the local work culture -
as well as geology and mineralogy are presented.
www.rammelsberg.de
+49 53 21-75 00
for English tours advance booking is required
Open daily
9:00 a.m – 6:00 p.m.
(except Dec. 24. and 31.)