The Caroline Pit (german: Grube Caroline) in the Eberbächle, a side valley of the Brettenbach, is an old

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

mine in

Sexau Sexau ( Low Alemannic: ''Säxoi'') is a village in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Geography Sexau is at the beginning of the valley "Brettenbachtal". It is located on the crossing from the region of the Black For ...

in the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

which is open to the public as a

show mine A mine, i.e. an industrial facility for the underground extraction of mineral commodities, has three operating phases: it may be open or running, or closed or it may be a working museum. Most mines are simply closed once they are no longer produc ...

. In 1987, volunteers began to uncover the pit and maintain it. It lies within the mining region of Sexau and

Freiamt Freiamt is a town in the district of Emmendingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russi ...

. The oldest parts of the Caroline Pit date with some certainty to the 11th to 13th centuries, but these are the uppermost levels. There are no definite clues to older operation, for example in Roman times. The majority of the pit's buildings and structures, including the shafts and galleries date to the 16th century. Especially noteworthy is the original forging die on the sixth level of the mine which has survived with its wooden frame and winch supports; it has been dated dendrochronologically to 1528/30. The last significant phase of operation took place between 1771 and 1794. The name of the mine also dates to this period: it is named after Caroline Louise of Hesse (1723–1783), the wife of the

Margrave of Baden The Margraviate of Baden (german: Markgrafschaft Baden) was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire. Spread along the east side of the Upper Rhine River in southwestern Germany, it was named a margraviate in 1112 and existed until 1535, ...

, Charles Frederick. Grube Caroline in Sexau, Bergwerkhütte.jpg, Smeltery Grube Caroline in Sexau, Zugang.jpg, Entrance Grube Caroline in Sexau, 2014 errichtetes Pochwerk mit Wasserantrieb.jpg, Replica stamp mill

Literature

*''Die Erz- und Mineralgänge im alten Bergbaurevier „Freiamt-Sexau“ (Mittlerer Schwarzwald)'' (Abhandlungen des Geologischen Landesamtes Baden-Württemberg 14), Freiburg i. Br., 1994. *Wolfgang Werner, Volker Dennert: ''Lagerstätten und Bergbau im Schwarzwald.'' Herausgabe durch Landesamt für Geologie, Rohstoffe und Bergbau, Baden-Württemberg, Freiburg im Breisgau, 2004, , pp. 219-230. *Haasis-Berner, Andreas: ''Gold und Silber lieb' ich sehr...'' Die Geschichte des Bergbaus rund um den Kandel (Elz-, Glotter-, Simonswälder- und Brettenbachtal)
Online

External links

Website of the show mine
{{Show mines in the Black Forest Show mines Silver mines in Germany Former mines in Germany Black Forest Tourist attractions in Baden-Württemberg