The rectangular shaft before you is not as deep as it seems. This is J\u00e1ma V\u00e1clav a mine shaft in Orlov\u00e1. It’s a relic of a bygone era a testament to the hard work of miners. This seemingly ordinary hole in the ground tells a story. A story of coal and sweat ingenuity and hardship.
J\u00e1ma V\u00e1clav began its life in 1847. The digging started then. Two years later it reached a depth of 129.9 meters. Coal extraction commenced. The mine operated until 1882. For seven more years it served as a ventilation shaft for the nearby Layer mine.
J\u00e1ma V\u00e1clav holds a few unique distinctions. This mine was one of the first in Kladno to use horses for hauling. This was sometime between 1849 and 1852. Remarkably coke production was attempted here. This was unusual for the area. The first coke ovens appeared on the mine’s land in the mid-19th century. They were connected to the Vojt\u011b\u0161sk\u00e9 Ironworks.
The mine’s final securing took place in 2002. Imagine the effort involved in stabilizing a shaft of this depth. They used a gravel base and a sealed concrete cap. The cap included a control and backfill opening.
J\u00e1ma V\u00e1clav’s story is about more than coal. It is about Czech history industrialization and the lives of those who toiled in its depths. It’s a story etched in the very earth you stand on. A story waiting to be explored.