!!!Erzberg, Steiermark
Erzberg Mountain (upper Styria, in the Eisenerz Alps), alt.
1,466 m, also called "Steirische Pyramide" (Styrian pyramid); the
largest open-cast ore mining site in Central Europe and the largest
deposit of siderite (FeCO<sub>3</sub>) in the world. Because of the
aggregation of siderite with low-iron ankerite the iron content ranges
between 22 % and 40 %. From a geological point of view the
mountain Erzberg is part of the greywacke zone, which contains
limestone and slaty rocks from the Palaeozoic period and extends from
Lower Austria to Tirol. There is evidence of ore mining at the Erzberg
dating back to the Romans ("iron from Noricum", approximately
4%%sup th/% century A.D.), and further evidence of ore mining from
the year 712, the first documented mention dating from the year 1171.
A show-mine was established in parts of the deep mine, which was shut
down in 1986, there are 30 "adventure stations" in 4 km of
tunnels on 2 levels. In the 19%%sup th/% century, under Archduke
Johann the Erzberg gained in importance. In 2000 the deposit content
amounted to approximately 140 million tons of utilisable
siderite. In 2000 mining activity, which was carried out by
VOEST-ALPINE Erzberg Ges.m.b.H., took place in an open cast mine with
25 stories, each having a height of 24 m.
1.3 million tons of ore per year is mined, with an average
iron content of 33,6 %; first the ore is separated from barren
rocks and then transported by railway to Linz and Donawitz for
smelting ( VOEST-ALPINE STAHL AG).
!Literature
G. Sperl, Montangeschichte des Erzberggebietes nach
archaeologischen und schriftlichen Dokumenten, 1988.
%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Erzberg,_Steiermark|class='wikipage austrian']
%%
[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]