Title: Regional Profile Report - Central Europe

3.2. Mining and its impact on regional development
3.2.1. Character of Mining
The FLOEZ region contains the heart of the former, so-called coal-mining-region Zwickau-
Lugau-Oelsnitz. The output area consists of two districts located in the ore mountain basin
(Erzgebirgisches Becken). The mining began in the district of Zwickau in the 14 th century,
while in the Oelsnitz area mining only took place in the 19 th and 20 th century. During the age
of Industrialisation the mining and connected industries made this area one of the most
important industrial regions in central Europe.
The material extracted in the FLOEZ district was hard coal. During the mining period from ca.
1346 to 1978 an amount of 207 million tons of coal was extracted at the district “Zwickauer
Revier”. In the district “Revier Lugau-Oelsnitz” an amount of 142 million tons was extracted
during the mining period from 1844 to 1971 32 . At the beginning of the mining activities the
coal was exploited in small shafts near the surface, while from the 19 th century onwards
underground mining became the only mining technique in both mining districts. The depth of
the shafts reached from 8 to 1200 m, with the main difficulty being the irregularities in the
beds of coal with faults of more than 130m 33 . With the end of mining in the Lugau-Oelsnitz
district in 1971, fine mechanics (accounting machines) were established as a substitute
industry. In the district of Zwickau mining expired in 1978 and the shutdown of the coking
plant “August Bebel” in Zwickau, marked the closure of the last mining related industries in
1992.
32 Sächsische Landesstelle für Museumswesen, Bergbaumuseum Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge, Sächsische Museen, Band
12, 2001, S. 17
33 www.bergbaumuseum-oelsnitz.de/
Regional Profile Zwickau-Lugau-Oelsnitz
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