The Krunkelbach Pit (), also known as the Hans Paul Pit (''Grube Hans Paul''), was a
mine established to investigate a
uranium
Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
deposit in the
High Black Forest near the municipality of
Menzenschwand, today part of
St. Blasien in the county of
Waldshut in the south German state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
. Located on the edge of the
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
of ''
Feldberg'', operation of the mine was abandoned between 1961 and 1991 due to protests from local residents,
conservationists and
environmentalist
Environmentalism is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of Green politics, g ...
s as well as the
anti-nuclear movement
The Anti-nuclear war movement is a new social movements, social movement that opposes various nuclear technology, nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified them ...
. In the 1970s, plans to use water from the pit that contained
radon
Radon is a chemical element; it has symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive noble gas and is colorless and odorless. Of the three naturally occurring radon isotopes, only Rn has a sufficiently long half-life (3.825 days) for it to b ...
in order to build an exclusive
health spa around Menzenschwand, were cancelled. Since 2005, water from the
uranium ore deposit has been used to run a
radon bath in Menzenschwand.
Mineral diversity is very high: >95 minerals were found here. It is a type locality of
Arsenuranospathite,
Chadwickite,
Metakahlerite,
Metakirchheimerite,
Metauranospinite Pharmacolite.
References
Literature
* Armin Simon: ''Der Streit um das Schwarzwald-Uran. Die Auseinandersetzung um den Uranbergbau in Menzenschwand im Südschwarzwald 1960–1991.'' (=''Alltag & Provinz'', Vol. 11) publ. Arbeitskreis Regionalgeschichte Freiburg e.V. Donzelli-Kluckert Verlag, Bremgarten, 2003, .
* Helge Steen: ''Geschichte des modernen Bergbaus im Schwarzwald.'' Books on Demand, Norderstedt, 2004, .
* Gregor Markl, Stephan Wolfsried: ''Das Uran von Menzenschwand. Geschichte · Lagerstätte · Mineralien.'' Christian Weise, Munich, 2011, .
External links
* Peter Diehl:
Uranabbau im Westen Deutschlands' In: Bürgerinitiative gegen Uranabbau im Südschwarzwald, Bürgerinitiative Oberrothenbach (publ.): ''Tagungsband − Tagung der Bürgerinitiativen gegen Uranabbau in Europa.'' Zwickau, 1-3 August 1991.
*
Mineralienatlas: Uranlagerstätte im Krunkelbachtal bei Menzenschwand
Mindat - Typlokalität Krunkelbach Valley Uranium deposit, Menzenschwand, Black Forest, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
{{coord missing, Germany
Uranium mines
Geological type localities
Former mines in Germany
Grube Krunkelbach