Royal Friedrich Mine

History

Tarnowitz saw heavy mining from around 1490 to 1600, but that activity faded during the 1600s. In the 1700s, Friedrich Wilhelm von Reden carried out a survey for minerals across Silesia. In 1784, the first ore was found in the Rudolphine and Anton shafts near Tarnowitz, prompting the creation of a new mine to bring back the local industry. The ore sat in Muschelkalk rock formations.

The mine opened in July 1784 as a state-run operation, at first without a formal name. It was called Friedrich Wilhelm for a short time, then renamed Friedrichsgrube in 1786, the same year the Friedrich Smelter started up. On 19 January 1788, the first steam engine in the Kingdom of Prussia began working at the mine, brought over from England to run the drainage system.

A second engine, built locally, was added soon after. Crown Prince Frederick William visited in August 1788. On 4 September 1790, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe toured the mine and the smelter with Duke Carl August, making three sketches of the pumping equipment.

In 1803, the first mining school in Upper Silesia opened on the mine grounds. Silver and lead mining in Tarnowitz ended in 1912. On 5 September 1976, sections of the mine opened to the public as a museum. On 9 July 2017, the old Friedrich Mine site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Historic Silver Mine, Drainage System, and Underground Water Management of Tarnowskie Góry.