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17 The new Steinberg tunnel Stud Name: "Neuer Steinberg - Stollen" because of the route in dense limestone Struck: around 1715 Length: 280 m Altitude: 862 m The New Steinberg tunnel was built under Emperor Charles VI. struck about 1715. In 1721, the new Steinberg tunnel - main shaft was already extended to 137 Stabel (163.3m). At that time, the main shaft was started on the left Ulm with the removal of a scoop, which was to remain the only construction of this tunnel. The new Steinberg tunnel - main shaft was 130 Stabel (155m) in the limestone, then followed up to the Feldort 108 Stabel (129m) poor, changing salt mountains. Shortly before the field site, a dig was sunk to the right into the Rabenbrunn tunnel. Due to the small extent of the salt mountains, no further constructions could be built in this tunnel, which is why it was abandoned in 1775. With the decommissioning of the pumping works in the new Steinberg tunnel in 1775, brine production in the Steinberg warehouse also ended. From this point in time, the extraction activities shifted entirely to the much more productive Pernecker camp. Until 1769, the center of Ischl salt mining was on the so-called Steinberg. The miner and the miner had their offices here. The ancient "Steinberghaus", mostly made of wood, which is not identical to the "Taxhaus", which is also located here and was demolished in 1821, had already fallen into disrepair around 1820. In 1821 - 1822 a replacement building was erected for the also dilapidated "Taxhaus", which was referred to as the "Mining Serviceman's House", "New Steinberghaus" or "Existing House" for short. Among other things, the existing, usable ashlars from the old, dilapidated Steinberghaus were used for the construction. The "existing house", which was only used as a woodworker's accommodation, fell victim to a fire in 1943. Sources used: Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian salt works from the beginning of the 16th to the middle of the 18th century", Vienna 1932 Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from 1750 to the time after the French Wars", Vienna 1934 Johann Steiner "The traveling companion through Upper Austrian Switzerland", Linz 1820, reprint Gmunden 1981 Michael Kefer "Description of the main maps of the kk Salzberg zu Ischl", 1820, transcription by Thomas Nussbaumer, as of September 13, 2016 Anton Dicklberger "Systematic history of the salt pans of Upper Austria", Volume I, Ischl 1807, transcription by Thomas Nussbaumer, as of 06.2018

20 The Emperor Franz Josef – Erbstollen Stud Name: "Emperor Franz Josef Erbstollen" Emperor Franz Josef I, reign 1848 – 1916 Struck: December 4, 1895 / Barbara Day – Information board at Ulm near the mouth hole Completion: 1906 Length: 2,860m Altitude: 503 m As early as 1807, it was proposed to drive under the existing Pernecker mine from the Trauntal, which is 180 m below, but this was initially omitted due to the difficulties of the long tunnel drive. A manuscript prepared by Michael Kefer on May 27, 1825 to the "Hochlobliche kk Allgemeine Hofkammer" contains a suggestion about "The last main underpass tunnel, namely from Ischl (market, Teufelsmühle, former bakery Vocktenhuber), not far from the Brunnleiten or from the Anzenauer Mühlbach .” Subsequently, four possible impact points were examined more closely. From the Teufelsmühle in Ischl: length of the Erbstollen 5,289 m, going under the Leopold Stollen by 204 m From the Rettenbach valley near Ischl: length of the Erbstollen 3,507 m, going under the Leopold Adit by 151 m From Lauffen vis a vis the train station: length of the Erbstollen 3,460 m, undercutting the Leopold Stollen by 190 m From the Brunnleiten: length of the Erbstollen 3,450 m, going under the Leopold Adit by 195 m Art objects salvage 1944/45 Proposals for the Salzberg Bad Ischl underpass tunnel, Bad Ischl Salt Mine Archive The projects were initially on hold and it was only in 1868 that this matter started to move again, when the task was to carry out the geological investigations of the Imperial Geological Institute ordered by the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Finance on all Alpine salt mountains and to examine the depth of the salt deposits with regard to their richness . At the Ischler Salzberg, the Dunajewski exploratory shaft was sunk from the Rosenfeldkehr in the Leopold tunnel to a depth of 94 m and another 250 m deep borehole was drilled from the bottom of the shaft. This showed that the Pernecker salt deposit reached at least another 344 m in depth. This proven depth of the salt storage was decisive for the final decision in 1890 to excavate a new underpass construction. From the four impact points for the Erbstollen, taking into account the hydroelectric power near the wild Lauffen, this tunnel was struck not far from the market town of Lauffen on the western slope of the Anzenberg with a projected length of 2,847.7 m. With a bottom rise of 2 per mil (2 m over 1000 m length), the same should meet the Distler shaft lowered by the Leopold tunnel, so that from its bottom to the horizon of the Leopold tunnel there is a mineable salt dome of 180 m thickness and 6 floors of 30 m height would result. From December 4, 1895, the Emperor Franz Josef Erbstollen was excavated from Lauffen. On September 22, 1906, after 2700 m in the Bilinsky bend, the breakthrough took place with the Distler shaft, which had meanwhile been sunk to a depth of 180 m. Two impact drills from Siemens and two from Halske with 4.5 hp were used to drive the tunnel. These drilling machines are operated by four workers, who usually drilled and shot the entire tunnel profile of 5.75 m² through 19 to 20 boreholes with a depth of about 1 to 1.1 m in an eight-hour shift. About 10.5 kg of dynamite was needed per shot. The average tunneling performance per shift was 0.9 to 1.0 m in length. The tunnel was driven in a rectangular shape, with a width of 2.5 m and a height of 2.3 m, the profile area was 5.75 m². After the end of the hewn shift, seven man haulers were used to bring the mountains to the surface in another eight-hour shift with 0.75 m³ iron tipping hoists. A power station was set up in Lauffen to supply electricity to the impact drills. A 23 hp Jounval turbine could set two dynamo machines in motion. The axis of the Erbstollen was designed in such a way that it would have met the Ausseer Salzberg below the Ferweger shaft in a straight line. The project to the Ausseer Salzberg was not realized, although the underground distance would have been only approx. 5000 m. Shortly after leaving the Pernecker salt dome at 3,672 m, there was a massive inrush of water from the limestone floe of the Raschberg, which could only be managed with great effort in 1919. Due to the low gradient of the tunnel, the large water masses could not drain off. The design of the tunnel portal by Bergrat Karl Balz Edler von Balzberg takes up the motif of ancient commemorative arches in terms of form and gesture. If you consider the fact that Emperor Franz Josef I himself opened the Erbstollen in the 50th year of his reign, the design intention of this monument becomes understandable. The portal of the mouth hole is made of true-to-size ashlar masonry made of Karbach marble and is over 10 m high. During World War II, in December 1944, two chambers were blasted out in the heritage tunnel, namely at tunnel meters 250 and 280. Larger-format salvage goods from the Führer collection were to be stored there, as there was no space in Aussee for larger pieces. Incidentally, the two chambers only housed art treasures temporarily and only during the worst crisis, as they proved to be too damp. At the end of 1989, the new above-ground facilities at the Kaiser Franz Josef Erbstollen were put into operation. The Kaiser Franz Josef Erbstollen runs roughly in a W – E direction. The so-called Vorhauptlager is located at the beginning of the Erbstollen between 0 and 1030 m. This is very rich in large masses of anhydrite and gypsum, which have also been mined on an experimental basis. The salt dome of the Vorhauptlager, which geologically belongs to the "Buntsandsteinhaselgebirge", is still unleached. An anticline rupture of limestone from the Totengebirgs nappe follows the pre-main camp. Only at 2782 m in the Erbstollen can you find the deposit limit of the Pernecker main deposit. The boundary to the Hasel Mountains is formed by dark grey-brown, chert-bearing Oberalmer Limestone from the Jura. Only the workers Blaschke (until 1983) and Vogl (until 2011, dissolution up to II. civil engineering) and the borehole probe BL 1/E (until 2011) were operated in the tunnel. The BL 1/E borehole probe was converted into a lintel before it was decommissioned. In February 2011, the underground brine production in the Bad Ischl mine, which was last operated in the II. Two sulfur springs were found in the Erbstollen at 2,366 m and 2,526 m. The state health resorts currently draw around 30 m³ of healing water from the sulfur spring II, which emerges in the Erbstollen at 2525 m. It is a sodium - chloride - sulphate - sulfur spring (Glauber salt spring), which is processed in a medicinal water treatment plant installed by the state spa at the Erbstollen for the spa operation. Sources used: Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from 1750 to the time after the French Wars", Vienna 1934 Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from 1818 to the end of the Salt Office in 1850", Vienna 1936 Ischl home club "Bad Ischl home book 2004", Bad Ischl 2004 August Aigner "About the Emperor Franz Josef Erbstollen in Ischl", communications from the Natural Science Association of Styria, Vol. 41, Graz 1904 Friedrich Idam "Kaiser Franz Josef Erbstollen", manuscript Internet Leopold Schiendorfer "Perneck - A Village Through the Ages", Linz 2006 Leopold Schiendorfer, Thomas Nussbaumer "450 years of salt mining in Bad Ischl", Bad Ischl 2013 Katharina Hammer "Shine in the Dark", Altaussee 1996 This location is not currently open for visits as it is an active mining area. Kunstgüter – Einlagerung ab 12. Dezember 1944

18 The Rabenbrunn tunnel Stud Name: "Rabenbrunn - Stollen" as locality name Struck: 1692 Length: 1,116 m Altitude: 800 meters Since the old Steinberg tunnel was rich in salt, especially towards the depths, the Rabenbrunn tunnel was dug in 1692 under Emperor Leopold I in order to use it. The Rabenbrunn Stollen - main shaft was initially in gravel mountains, then a long stretch in solid limestone. The initial direction of advance was to the south-east, to undercut the old Steinberg tunnel. After 320 Stabel (381.4m) of tunneling, the direction of tunneling was to go under the New Steinberg - Tunnel pivoted to the east. After the construction of the connecting line with the same, the main shaft of the Rabenbrunn tunnel was swung back to the south-east to undercut the old Steinberg tunnel. In 1725, when the Rabenbrunn tunnel had already been extended to 913 Stabel (1088.3m), the first traces of salt were found. Initially, there was the hope of going under the rich dams built in the Old Steinberg tunnel. Therefore, several search routes were excavated, but without encountering rich salt agents. The salt was found everywhere only in such short resources that hardly a single pumping station could be built. In 1737 all hopes of finding salt mountains with the Rabenbrunn tunnel were finally abandoned. A mistake uncovered by the Starhemberg Commission in 1707 was the hasty opening of the Rabenbrunn tunnel to undercut the Old Steinberg tunnel, before a test dig from the Old Steinberg tunnel made sure that the Haselgebirge really was there. How right Starhemberg was proved later. For 20 years one had then continued to build and the Rabenbrunn - tunnel lengthened a total of 936 rods (1115.7m) without leaving the limestone; only at the beginning was the Haselgebirge, but only 21 Stabel (25.0m) in length. Because of these poor prospects and other, more important tunnel drives, further tunneling of the Rabenbrunn tunnel was stopped entirely in 1739. Only the main shaft, together with the small mountain house and the mountain forge that were built there, were still maintained. When the test drives carried out in the Old Steinberg tunnel to further uncover the salt mountains in 1751 on the Eysel bend and other places did not have any favorable success, the Old Steinberg tunnel and the Rabenbrunn tunnel were soon completely abandoned. Sources used: Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian salt works from the beginning of the 16th to the middle of the 18th century", Vienna 1932 Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from 1750 to the time after the French Wars", Vienna 1934 Johann Steiner "The traveling companion through Upper Austrian Switzerland", Linz 1820, reprint Gmunden 1981 Michael Kefer "Description of the main maps of the kk Salzberg zu Ischl", 1820, transcription by Thomas Nussbaumer, as of September 13, 2016 Anton Dicklberger "Systematic history of the salt pans of Upper Austria", Volume I, Ischl 1807, transcription by Thomas Nussbaumer, as of 06.2018

Mass and weight: With the sedentary peoples and with the shift from hunting and fishing to agriculture and animal husbandry, the need for suitable measurement systems grew. The earliest weights and units of measurement were based on measurements of body parts and the natural environment. Early Babylonian , Egyptian , and Bible writings show that length was first measured using arm, hand, or foot measurements. Time was divided according to the orbital periods of the sun , moon and other celestial bodies. If you wanted to compare the volume of containers such as bottles or clay jars, they were filled with plant seeds, which were then counted. Our current knowledge of early weights and measures comes from a variety of sources. Archaeologists have recovered some early standards that are kept in museums today. Comparison between the dimensions of buildings and descriptions by contemporary authors can provide more information. Length measurement: Measuring lengths is one of the most important tasks of a mark cutter. The oldest form of length measurement came from the Romans and affected limbs of the human body, such as arms, hands, feet or crotches. When a person spreads out both arms, the result is a measurement of about 1.70 to 1.90 m long, which was referred to as a "fathom". The "Klafter" was divided into 6 equal parts, which were called "foot" or "shoe". The "foot" was again divided into 12 equal parts, which were called "inches" or "thumb widths", following the duodecimal division. The lengths of the fathom system varied greatly locally and regionally. Only the Viennese fathom was an exception, since it was used from the 16th century. remained practically the same length. The fathom/feet/inch system was used as a technical measurement system exclusively in construction, mining, military and surveying. It was never used in the textile trade. In addition to the cord measure, the "cubit" appears again and again as another measure of length. Although the "cubit" as a forearm length represented a natural archetype, so to speak, its length varied astonishingly from region to region. For example, lengths in the range of 0.765 to 0.802 m were referred to as "Wiener Ellen". The "cubits" were not evenly divided, like the "fathom" by "foot" and "inches". They had an uneven division, mostly into 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32 parts of the "cubit". These parts did not have their own name. The system of cubits was exclusively a trade measure, predominantly a cut goods measure for textiles. There were in Europe until the 18th century. many hundreds of different cubit lengths, which made trade and communication very difficult. Nevertheless, the "Elle" was valid until the end of 1875. The linear dimensions valid in mining were determined by measuring sticks decreed by the sovereign and were only valid for the respective district. In the Salzkammergut, each salt mine originally had its own "staff". To standardize the measuring system, the emperor introduced the "Österreichisches Kammergutstabl" with a length of 1.195 m. The "stick" was divided into 8 "eighths", the "eighth" again into 6 "inches" and 2 "eighths" made 1 "shoe". In 1768, Empress Maria Theresa issued "the introductory patent for the Viennese weight and measure". The now legal "Viennese units" only slowly began to establish themselves in the Salzkammergut. The "Kammergutstabl" was not replaced by the "Wiener Klafter" until 1838. The meter, which is still valid today, was introduced at the Austrian salt works on January 1, 1876. Cord, shoe and inch measurements: 1 Austrian mile 7.585km 1 Viennese fathom (°) 1,896m 1 Linz fathom (°) 1.816m 1 chamber goods fathom (°) 1.785m 1 Hallstatt mountain fathom (°) 1,991 m 1 Viennese shoe or foot (') 31.60 cm 1 Kammergut shoe or foot (') 29.75 cm 1 Vienna inch ('') 2.63cm 1 Kammergut inch ('') 2.48 cm Length measurements for textiles: 1 Gmundner Elle 0.795 m 1 Viennese cubit 0.778 m Length dimensions in mining: 1 Bergstabel Chamber Estate 1.195 m 1 Ausseer Bergstab 1.179m 1 Hallstatt and Ischler Bergstabel 1.192 m 1 Hall mountain table 1.169 m 1 Salzburg mountain table 1,199m Length dimensions for wood: 1 stick of spruce or fir wood 6,807m Area measurement: Cord, shoe and inch measurements: 1 Austrian square mile 57.54 km² 1 Viennese square fathom 3,596 sqm 1 Viennese square foot 999.3 cm² 1 Vienna square inch 6.939 cm² Room measurement: From the High Middle Ages to the 18th century. it was customary for us to put up publicly accessible standards, stone masses and scales so that the merchants and weavers could compare their own measurements and on the other hand the buyers could check for themselves whether they had received the correct measurement. A measure patent issued by Emperor Maximilian II in 1570 ordered the public attachment of the "land measures" (fathoms and cubits) to town halls or churches and the installation of stone "landmasons" in market squares. In earlier times up to the 19th century. Grain was not traded by weight but by volume. In Austria, the "Metzen", a so-called dry capacity measure, was generally used as a measure. The Metzen was canceled and fully counted. Cord, shoe and inch measurements: 1 Vienna cubic fathom 6.82m³ 1 Vienna cubic foot 31.59 dm³ 1 Vienna cubic inch 18.28cc Room dimensions for wood: 1 pan Widholz (firewood) spruce or fir 398 m³ 1 pan Widholz beech 341 m³ 1 Rachel Widholz (1/48th of a pan) Spruce or Fir 8.3m³ 1 Rachel Widholz Beech 7.1 m³ Capacity for brine: 1 bucket 56.57 dm³ or 56.6 l 1 March to 180 buckets 10.18m³ 1 room for 2,000 buckets (until 1677) 113.14m³ 1 room for 4,320 buckets (until the 18th century) 244.38m³ 1 room for 3,240 buckets (from the 18th century) 183.29m³ Capacity for grain: 1 Gmundner Metzen (until 1752) 62L 1 courage to 30 Gmundner Metzen 1,860L 1 Stockerau Metzen (from 1752) 61.49L Weight measurement: As the oldest measuring instruments, scales have been in use for more than 7,000 years. The most original form is the equal-armed beam balance, which was used until the 19th century. was in widespread use. From the 15th century princely cementation offices existed as predecessors of today's calibration offices. As princely officials, the Zimenter had to periodically calibrate scales, weights and length scales, i.e. to check that they corresponded to prescribed original models. After the check, the Zimenter attached an official mark. In 1777, Empress Maria Theresa ordered in a "Cementation Patent" that lengths, weights and scales be checked every two years. Stone weights were not allowed to be used because of the high risk of fraud, and they were also not allowed to be provided with a cement stamp. General weight measurements: 1 hundredweight Vienna (q) 56kg 1 Viennese pound 0.56kg 1 loth 1.75 dkg 1 pinch 4.38g 1 quintal (salt works from 01.01.1876) 100kg Weight measurements for salt: 1 load of salt (100-115 pounds over time) 56.6-64.4kg 1 cartload of salt (115 pounds circa 1769) 64.4kg 1 pound fodder = 240 pieces fodder of salt 15.46t 1 Schilling Fuder = 30 Fuder salt 1.93t 1 barrel of salt (hundredweight barrel) 61.6kg 1 cup of salt 7.16kg 1 Bohemian runner (150 Viennese pounds) 84.0kg Metric system: The first defined metric system was introduced in France. In 1791 the intention to create such a system was legislated; it was introduced in 1793 at the time of the Jacobin Reign of Terror . For the first time in history, an artificially developed system of measurements was introduced. The decimal metric system was introduced with the aim of creating a system of measurement "for all time, for all peoples". The original meter , which was created as a reference, is kept in Paris. The first metric system was based on centimeters , grams and seconds ( cgs system , c for centimeter) and these units were very useful in science and technology . Later metric systems were based on meter , kilogram and second ( mks system ) to be more manageable for practical applications. In technology and industry, the technical system of measurement was created, which had the meter, kilopond (formerly: force kilogram), second and degree as the basic units. Metric units have spread all over the world, first to non-English speaking countries but more recently there as well. The metric system was slow to be adopted in France, but scholars and engineers considered its adoption as an international system desirable. On 20. On May 18, 1875, an international treaty, the Meter Convention , was signed by seventeen states. Various organizations and laboratories were formed to create and maintain a unified system. The meter was introduced at the Austrian saltworks on January 1, 1876. The metric system is simpler than the old units of measurement because different sized units are always smooth powers of ten of other units. This relationship between the units leads to easy conversions from one unit to another in the decimal system . The currently predominant form of a metric system is the International System of Units (SI – System). It was founded in 1954 - not yet under its current name and initially with only six base units - and is also based on the meter, kilogram and second, but also contains other base units for temperature , electric current , luminous intensity and amount of substance. Sources used: Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from the beginning of the 16th to the middle of the 18th century", Vienna, 1932 Franz Kieninger "Forestry since the 14th century", company newspaper Österreichische Salinen, 3rd JG, 4th H, Vienna, 1930 "Brine and salt", Bad Ischl exhibition, catalogue, Bad Ischl, 1987 Anton Dicklberger "Saline history of Upper Austria", transcription by Thomas Nussbaumer, Weitra, 2018 Alois Fellner "Mining Dictionary", Vienna, 1999 Harald Witthöft "From the mountain measure in the Schwazer Bergbuch", Der Anschnitt 60, Bochum, 2008 Wikipedia "Weights and Measures"

Hoher Wasserstollen - höchster Stollen am Ischler Salzberg 11 b The stone main channel "Between the mountains" The Ischl salt dome has the shape of a flat wedge that tapers upwards and inclines towards the north, which strikes from east to west. In the area of the Reinfalzalm, the salt-bearing layers bite out to the surface. As the wedge-shaped deposit is tapered upwards, the upper adits were a major disappointment. The north-south extent of the salt deposit was only 40 m, the east-west strike around 250 m. In this small salt deposit, the leach works quickly reached the overburden and thus water-bearing limestone layers. The penetration of so-called scour water repeatedly led to extensive factory collapses, which, due to the small thickness of the overlying layers of cover, continued into the day area of the Reinfalzalm and into the area "between the mountains" south of the Reinfalzalm. The surface water collected in the resulting caverns ("Pingen") and penetrated unhindered into the pit areas with sometimes devastating consequences. As early as 1600, the need to collect surface water in wooden gutters in order to quickly drain it away from the collapsed areas of the Reinfalzalm and thus prevent further damage in mining was recognized. In 1738 there was a catastrophic flood in the Streybel and Seitzen weir in the Frauenholz tunnel. For this reason, an inspection was held on April 16, 1738, at which it was decided to dig a new water tunnel (middle water tunnel) in the Reinfalzalm area to search for the waste water and to extend the existing drainage system. However, the hoped-for success did not materialize, since fresh water entered the Frauenholz tunnel unhindered until the construction of a water pit in the Lipplesgraben tunnel in 1769. This water scour was successfully driven underground into the almost 15 m deep Pinge, which is still clearly visible in the area today, to drain off the water. The drainage system at the Reinfalz was expanded in 1746 and 1741 in order to be able to safely drain the harmful surface water above the salt storage. In 1769 Hofkammerrat Gigant found the surface water that had penetrated the Frauenholz tunnel well summarized in the Lipplesgraben tunnel. To protect the salt storage against the sedimentation of rainwater, the surface area was already criss-crossed by a dense network of drainage ditches and side channels, the ongoing maintenance of which, however, required great expense. In order to reduce this, the Verwesamt decided in 1795 to give up that part of the drainage system that ran over lettuce, i.e. water-impermeable ground, and where there was no longer any fear of the further penetration of surface water. A major repair of the then already 1,125 fathoms (2,133.54 m) long main and side gutter system, which was partly made of batten and partly consisted of wooden gutters, was carried out in the years 1830 - 1831. In 1843 there were again extensive factory collapses at the Ischler Salzberg. The Erlach works in the Frauenholz tunnel and the Mohr and Freund works in the Elisabeth tunnel collapsed, allowing large amounts of polluted water to penetrate from the surface layers. In addition to the excavation of the Keel rubble in the Amalia tunnel for direct underground exploration of the waterways, it was also decided to further expand the water channels on the Reinfalzalm above. In order to reduce the repair work and the associated costs for the extensive water channel, this was made from hand-hewn limestone blocks instead of wood from 1840 when repair work was required. The standard cross-section of the cuboid drainage system was set at 20 cm deep and 45 cm wide. The first cuboid drainage system was built between 1840 and 1850 over a length of 92 fathoms (174.48 m) from the Reinfalzanger to the Niederes Wasserstollen. In 1892, the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Finance approved the construction of a workers' accommodation hut made of stone masonry as a replacement for the wooden tunnel hut built in 1567 on the Lipplesgraben tunnel. At the end of 1905, the total length of the drainage system was 1,103.00 m. Of this, 201.30 m were made of wood and 901.70 m of ashlar. From 1913, prefabricated concrete elements began to be used instead of the laboriously hand-made ashlar blocks. The so-called "cement channels" with two different standard profiles (45 or 35 cm wide and 20 cm deep) were manufactured in the Perneck tube works not far from the Leopold tunnel. In the years 1913, 1917 - 1918 and 1918 - 1919 another 135 m of the wooden gutter were replaced by cement gutters. From 1924, as a result of renewed factory collapses, extensive subsidence and landslides occurred in the south-eastern area of the Reinfalzalm. By 1927, an area of more than 9,500 m² was in motion. This also affected the stone main drainage system, which was destroyed over a length of around 150 m. As a replacement, two inexpensive wooden gutters were built parallel to the destroyed main gutter. Until 1950, the "Stone and wooden water channel between the mountains" was repaired annually by the Ischl salt mine. The construction crew lived in the tunnel hut near the Lipplesgraben tunnel. After the completion of the maintenance work on the water channel, the tunnel hut was leased from the salt pans to the Upper Austrian Cave Researchers' Association. In the course of the construction of a forest path "Between the Mountains" at the beginning of the 1970s, large areas of the stone main drainage system were destroyed or covered over. In May/June 2020, members of the IGM were able to uncover this mining historical monument, which is important for the Ischler Salzberg, over a length of approx. 100 m with considerable effort and only by hand. Sources used: Ischl home club "Bad Ischl home book 2004", Bad Ischl 2004 Anton Schauenstein, "Denkbuch des Österreichischen Berg- und Hüttenwesen", Vienna 1873 Michael Kefer "Hand Karten des Ischler Salzberges", 1829, Transcription Nussbaumer, April 30, 2019, Archiv Salinen Austria Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from 1750 to the time after the French Wars", Vienna 1934 Carl Schraml "The Upper Austrian Salt Works from 1818 to the end of the Salt Office in 1850", Vienna 1936 NN "Water channel made of ashlars", Ischler stock book no. 50, transcription Thomas Nussbaumer, 01 07 2018, archive Salinen Austria Ischler Salzberg, Rinnwerk Reinfalz, 1907, plan archive Salinen Austria, archive number BI - 35 - 13214 Alfred Pichler "Lipplesgrabenstollenhütte", LVFH Upper Austria, Linz, 2003

Ischl and the salt The blessing of the coveted mineral salt lay over the entire Salzkammergut. Hence the name, which is made up of the words Kammergut and Salz. A chamber estate is a region that is directly owned by the sovereign, in this case the archdukes of the House of Habsburg. In contrast to Hallstatt and Bad Aussee, the salt deposits in Bad Ischl were discovered relatively late. Of course, the area around Ischl had long been recognized as being salt-prone, but there was a special economic need to open up the mining. In July 1563 the foundation stone was laid for the start of salt mining in Ischl. The first tunnel was opened in the village of Perneck. The more favorable location for transport, as well as the untouched forest occurrences and the probable inability of the Hallstatt Salt Mine forced the Ischl Salt Mine to be founded. 8 years later, in 1571, the first brewhouse for salt processing was founded in Bad Ischl. For generations of people from Ischl, salt became the most important economic basis. In addition to the previous transport, now also in direct production in the Salzberg Perneck. In 1595 the then Emperor Rudolf II commissioned the construction of a brine pipeline from Hallstatt via Goisern to Bad Ischl. Forty kilometers long and perfectly adapted to the terrain, this was the world's first pipeline. In the 17th and 18th centuries there was a crisis in the salt trade in the Salzkammergut. At the beginning of the 19th century, salt began to be used for health purposes. So it happened that in 1821 a medical delegation from Vienna, headed by Dr. Wirer, after Ischl to Dr. Goetz travelled. Together they decided to found a health resort. As the most important remedy, in addition to sulfur from a spring in the Salzberg and mud, the main focus was on the Ischl salt. For example, one method of respiratory recovery was saline inhalation. For this purpose, galleries were built for the spa guests over steaming salt pans.

How long has mining been around? The question "When did mining start?" is not easy to answer, since written records go back barely 1 millennium. To answer the question "What was before?" one has to rely on archaeologists and often on dedicated miners who are looking for traces of the past. People have known how to use the natural resources of the Alps for at least 6000 years . That's how old Austria's oldest mine is in Mauer near Vienna , where flint was mined. 12 m deep shafts, stretches and cross passages as well as large heaps still bear witness to the activities of Stone Age miners. A number of copper mines from Schwaz in Tyrol via the Kelchalm near Kitzbühel to Mühlbach am Hochkönig were already in operation in the Bronze Age 4000 years ago . A total of 3.3 million tons of raw ore were extracted and around 50,000 tons of copper were smelted. Eastern Alpine copper production was of European importance. 3000 years ago, salt was mined in Hallstatt . And in Roman times, Noric iron from Carinthia and Tauern gold were coveted trade products. Evidence of early mining activity is the glacier man "Ötzi" . Extremely high concentrations of copper and nickel were found in the hair of the man who died 5,300 years ago. This suggests that Ötzi worked in ore smelting . In addition, Ötzi was armed with an East Alpine copper ax. Also in other parts of the world there are interesting, sometimes much, much older traces of mining. The oldest pit map, for example, dates from the time of the Egyptian ruler Ramses IV, who lived 3,300 years ago. It shows roads, gold mines and miners' dwellings. In North America from 3000 - 1200 B.C. About 500,000 tons of copper ore were mined by an unknown people on the Isle Royale in Michigan. However, the associated copper was never found. Where the not inconsiderable amount of copper went to will probably remain a great mystery of archeology. The world's oldest traces of mining can be found where mankind originated - namely in Africa. Unfortunately, much of the past lies in the dark on the black continent. Records from the pre-colonial period are practically non-existent. Most finds of prehistoric mining were only made in the course of modern large-scale mining. The roots of classic mining lie in southern Africa in the Ngwenya Mountains in today's Swaziland. It is home to one of the oldest underground mines in the world, dating back an incredible 43,000 years . The object of the extensive mining, which reached a depth of up to 30m, was hematite in the form of silvery micaceous iron mica. The iron ore was crushed in stone mortars and probably used for cultic-cosmetic purposes. There is no doubt that the Stone Age hunters rubbed their faces, hands and bodies with mineral paints and then made the cave paintings, which are still colorful today. During the nearly 20,000-year mining period, several thousand tons of ore were mined in the Ngwenya Mountains. As a last example, I would like to mention the discovery of a Rhodesia man, a 200,000-year-old early human form . Bones and teeth of this early human have been discovered in a limestone cave opened up by mining at Broken Hill in Zambia. The living space of this man was unique: Zinc and lead phosphate crystals literally littered the ceiling of his den. So there is a suspicion that he really is the oldest miner in the world! Mining has shaped the fortunes of people for thousands of years. Without it, progress and prosperity would be unthinkable. Miners can rightly be proud of having inherited a profession that is thousands of years old.

25 The mine locomotive: The Ruhrthal mine locomotive with serial no. 2947, Type G 22, service weight 5,160 kg was made in 1951 by the Ruhrthaler Maschinenfabrik in Mülheim an der Ruhr / Germany built. On February 8, 1952, it was delivered to ÖSAG in Bad Ischl and then pulled up from the Au with several teams of oxen and the entire Salzberg workforce to the Maria Theresia tunnel. Until the Jenbacher mine locomotive was purchased in 1982, the Ruhrthaler was the only locomotive in use both for transporting materials and for visiting the Maria Theresia tunnel. From 1982 until the cessation of foreign traffic in 2000, the Ruhrthaler served exclusively as a reserve machine. In August 2009 I was able to buy the Ruhrthal mine locomotive that had been parked for 9 years at the station in the Maria Theresia tunnel. After a thorough restoration, it is now operational on my property. I managed to save this rare piece from scrapping and make it accessible to the public. Good luck for Eric Ramsauer Technical details:

Pressestimmen zur Bergsäge Pressestimmen zur Bergsäge beim Maria Theresia Stollen

Mountain houses near Empress Maria Theresia – tunnels After the attack on the Empress Maria Theresia Stollen, which was called Kaiser Franz Stollen until 1808, with great solemnity on September 26, 1775, the kk Ministerial - Banko - Hof - Deputation approved the construction of a mountain house on Steinbalfen with a resolution of February 25, 1782 , the later so-called "Old Mountain House". The building, which was built in 1783, originally contained one large and two small servants' rooms and a kitchen on the ground floor, on the first floor two master rooms, a kitchen and a room with a chamber for one spectator. The construction costs were 2,693 fl 30 kr. (in 2020 approx. €53,900 monetary value according to the “Historical Currency Calculator”, www.eurologische.at ). The core substance of the Old Theresia Berghaus took up a floor plan area of 15.2 x 9.8 m, reached an eaves height of 6.9 m and a ridge height of 10.7 m. The double roof truss was covered with larch boards and in the eaves area with sheet metal strips . The living conditions can be illustrated by the fact that 24 servants slept on the ground floor on 44.5 m², while the viewer alone had a 18.5 m² bedroom at his disposal. As early as 1784, the mountain forge was built as the second mountain building directly at the mouth of the Maria Theresia tunnel.

Gasthaus zum Salzberg Monday/Tuesday rest day

Frauen- und Kinderarbeit im Salzberg Women and child labor in salt mining