Dusty whispers from a forgotten era cling to the Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht. This place stands as a silent sentinel. It reminds us of a brief but intense period of mining activity on the Schönberg.
The Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht marks one of two shafts. They served as entry and exit points for miners and materials. Imagine this peaceful mountain riddled with tunnels like a rabbit warren. Around 23 mine entrances dotted the landscape.
From 1937 to 1942 about one and a half million tons of ore-bearing rock were extracted. While significant this was small compared to the Ruhr region mines. The Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht played a vital role in this operation.
In 1920 a mining application deemed the iron content too low. It was just over 20%. But everything changed in 1937. Nazi Germany sought resource independence. The Four-Year Plan aimed to make the country self-sufficient in raw materials. Hermann Göring was in charge and had full authority.
The Schönberg’s ore became valuable due to its lime content. It served as a supplement for the quartz-rich iron ores of Salzgitter. One could call it iron-containing lime. Bollschweiler ore contained about 40% lime.
The Rohstoffbetriebe der Vereinigten Stahlwerke oversaw mining. They established an administrative office in Freiburg. A flurry of activity followed. Hundreds of test drills were made. Tunnels were blasted and dug. Shafts were sunk. The Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht became essential. Miners and other staff were recruited. Three independent mining areas emerged. They were the Nordfeld near St. Georgen. The Südfeld near Ebringen. And the Grube Steinberg near Bollschweil.
The first tunnel opened in 1937 at St. Georgen. Tunnels two to five followed. They opened on the Schönberg’s eastern side. Tunnel one served as a central collection point. The ore was loaded onto trucks. They transported it to Freiburg-Süd freight depot.
Later a prison camp housed forced laborers. Vereinigte Stahlwerke started construction. They did not bother with forestry permits. This became a pattern.
From 1938 the large mine site opposite St. Georgen station became the center. The 800-meter-long railway tunnel was completed in 1939. It transported ore via mine cars and diesel locomotives. Southeast of it the Mösleschacht was sunk. The Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht was built above it.
Its hoist carried one car or eight people at a time. It reached tunnel one on the first level. It reached the railway tunnel on the second. The mine railway ran across the track-covered mine site. The ore went to a crushing and screening plant. It was then loaded onto wagons and transported to the Ruhr.
Other facilities were needed. A residential barrack a canteen and workshops were built. A lamp room stored miners’ headlamps. Missing lamps indicated who was working underground. Storage facilities gas stations and offices were built. A large area was leveled for ore storage. Two striking concrete towers dominated the scene. The Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht stood tall. Dust and noise filled the air.
Mining ceased in 1942. By 1939 the mine employed over 900 people. By closing only about 100 remained. Higher-quality ores became available. The Paschke-Peetz process reduced the need for Schönberg ore.
Post-war many surface traces of mining disappeared. Above St. Georgen rubble was dumped. It dramatically changed the landscape. The Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht however remained a prominent ruin.
The iron tower of the Mösleschacht met its end. The hoisting machine went to the Teufelsgrund mine. The Mösleschacht was filled with waste material.
Today the Ruine Förderturm am Mösleschacht stands as a stark reminder of the past. It is a reminder of the industry that once reshaped this landscape.