Grube Samson

In the western part of the Harz Mountains in St. Andreasberg lies the Samson mine, which is one of the most important mining monuments in Europe. Silver ore was primarily mined here for almost 400 years. The mine comprises 42 drifts and has a depth of about 840 metres. Forty years after the mine was closed, the Mining Museum was opened. In 2010, the Samson mine was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Upper Harz Water Regal. In addition to the Upper Harz Water World, the Old Town of Goslar and the Rammelsberg mine are also part of the World Heritage Site.

History of the Samson Mine

Mining in St. Andreasberg has its beginnings in the late 15th century. It is not possible today to determine exactly when mining first took place at Samson. Conjectures suggest the early 16th century. Whereas in the early days the mine alternated between peak phases and complete standstill, silver production increased to two tonnes per year for the first time in the 18th century and even reached three tonnes for a time in the 19th century. In addition, rare minerals were found in the Samson mine. These included dialectal antimony, calcite crystals and samsonite, which was first discovered in the mine in 1910 and named after it. In the same year, the mine closed for economic reasons, as the silver yield had dropped to only 90 kilograms by then.

The Samson mine today

Nowadays you can visit the Samson mine on a guided tour. This is particularly worthwhile because the building ensemble of the Samson mine is the last completely preserved mine in the Upper Harz region. The highlight of any guided tour is the visit to the 12-metre artificial wheel, which served as the drive for the driving art. The driving art was installed in the Samson mine in 1837 and is now the last of its kind. It is still operated regularly down to a shaft depth of 190 metres. At the end of the tour, you will be taken to the mining museum, where you can learn more about the history of mining and the Samson mine in particular. You can also visit the adjacent Harzer Roller Museum, which focuses on the canary, and the Catharina-Neufang mine opposite.


Copyright notes:
- Image 6 (workforce 1910) - Unknown author, published before 1927 and therefore in the public domain according to Wikimedia Commons
- Image 7 (Pyrargyrit) - Wikimedia User Ra'ike 2008, licensed under Creative Commons 3.0
- Image 8 (cavern power plant) - Wikimedia User JuTe CLZ - Free to use

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