Rammelsberg

The Rammelsberg is a mountain on the northern edge of the Harz range, south of Goslar in Lower Saxony. It stands 635 metres high and has been the site of a silver, copper and lead mine for over a thousand years. Mining began in the late 7th century and continued without interruption until the mine closed in 1988. The mountain’s ore deposits formed on the sea floor in the Devonian period and were later folded into their present position. The mine’s long history reflects advances in mining technology across many centuries.

The mine’s importance is recognised by its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. Written records from the 10th century mention silver mining under Emperor Otto the Great. The nearby Imperial Palace of Goslar, built in 1005, became a centre of royal power partly because of the wealth from Rammelsberg. In the 16th century Duke Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel expanded operations and introduced gold extraction. During the Second World War the Nazis enlarged the site for their war economy under the Rammelsbergprojekt.

Visitors today find a museum inside the historic mine with surface buildings designed by Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer. The site includes a hillside processing plant and the Rammelsberg shaft. Underground tunnels preserve the workings of a mine that once produced zinc, lead, copper, gold and silver. Above ground, the museum displays industrial equipment and tells the story of a thousand years of mining. The surrounding Harz landscape adds to the setting of this industrial heritage site.