Rosenhöfer Kehrradstuben

Similar to the Ottiliae shaft in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the Rosenhöfer shaft is also part of the Oberharz Mining Museum as an outdoor site. The Rosenhöfer sweep wheel rooms are well preserved as components of the former Upper Harz underground water management system, whose Thurm Rosenhof pit is considered the oldest mine in Clausthal. Built in the 17th century, the round wheelhouse appears to visitors like a mighty tower, rising 24 metres into the depths. Exactly here, at the lowest point of the Rosenhöfer wheelhouse, once stood the mighty waterwheel, which served to drive the hoisting equipment. More precisely, it was used to drive the pit cage (sweep wheel) and the water pumps (artificial wheel). The uniqueness of the wheelhouse is mainly due to the fact that there is no other example of this type and size in the whole of Europe.

The so-called Rosenhöfer Gangzug is known as the nucleus of Clausthal mining and was operated continuously without interruption from the beginning of the 16th century until the 20th century. As the sweep was once in danger of being buried by falling overburden, a ring of walls was built to protect it. As the spoil heap grew, the wall ring grew to its current height of 24 metres, turning the above-ground structure into an underground one.

Visitors and tourists can expect a real little adventure here. Via stairs and ladders they are led into the depths of the Rosenhöfer Kehrradstuben, from where the centuries-old architecture can be marvelled at with the naked eye.

The oval wheelhouse not far away, on the other hand, was built in the 19th century and was described by contemporaries as "the most beautiful in the whole of the Harz" because of its ground plan, which was walled in with hewn natural stone, and is a proud 15 metres high. Unfortunately, it cannot be visited at the moment. One of the future tasks of the Oberharz Water Management World Heritage Site is to make it possible to visit it in the future.

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