Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Mining maps and plans
of the Main Chamber –
Count Office in Banská Štiavnica
Inscribed 2007
What are they
Almost 20,000 maps and plans from the 17th century
to the beginning of the 20th relating to mining in
the territory of the former Austro-Hungarian empire.
These complement the surviving mining works in
Banská Štiavnica and its surroundings, which have been
inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since
1993.
Why were they inscribed
These irreplaceable documents are important for the
history of mining and metallurgy at the global level,
especially for the development of mining cartography
and surveying instrumentation.
Where are they
State Central Mining Archives, Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia
Banská Štiavnica, now in Slovakia, has long been an
important mining town and a centre for the administration
of the industry, most signifi cantly through the Main
Chamber – Count Offi ce (MCHO). In 1762 the Mining
and Forestry Academy, the fi rst world’s mining university,
was established here by Empress Maria Theresa. New,
more effi cient mining methods and technical devices
were created and, in 1786, an international scientifi c
association for mining development was founded in
the town. The surviving mining works were inscribed on
the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993.
� A plan of shafts designed by court watchmaker
Artz for the Spitaler Gallery, Lhotka, 1770.
The archives of the MCHO, the most signifi cant authority
for mining, metallurgy and minting in the Hungarian
part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, contain a collection
of almost 20,000 items from the 17th century up to the
early years of the 20th century. The maps and plans display
underground mining works as well as above-ground
structures in the mining regions of Slovakia, Hungary,
Transylvania and Slovenia. Some of the maps display
mining works and other technical facilities, including a
unique system of water reservoirs in Banská Štiavnica and
its surroundings. The collection of maps also contains
examples of new patterns for drawing mining maps
and construction plans designed in the 19th century
by Gabriel Svaiczer and Anton Péch of the MCHO. The
work of mining surveyors was carried out according
to these patterns both in the Austro-Hungarian empire
and Germany. New methods developed in Banská
Štiavnica were implemented in many other countries by
the thousands of students from throughout Europe who
studied at the Mining Academy from 1764 to 1918 and
took their new skills back to their own countries.
� Part of mining works in the Vyhne region,
using the new mapping techniques developed in
the mid-19th century in Banská Štiavnica.
230 Mining maps and plans of the Main Chamber – Count Office in Banská Štiavnica