Mining in Lusatia has not only shaped tradition but also the landscape of the region. In many places one encounters witnesses to past and present mining activities.
Not an unusual sight - post-mining landscape east of Cottbus
background
According to legend, it was the devil who once hid the coal deep in the earth from the Lusatians. The first lignite mines were built as early as the middle of the 19th century and thus contributed to an industrial boom in the region. In addition to mining, the cloth and glass industry also saw a steep upswing. In the former GDR, lignite was of decisive importance for energy generation and the chemical industry. The then Cottbus district was the center of the energy industry. Open-cast mines are still in operation today and extract coal for the generation of electricity.
The first lignite finds in Lusatia go back to 1789. These finds on the Butterberg near Lauchhammer, however, remained meaningless. 26 years later there was probably a mine near Klettwitz. However, the first coal mining itself took place in the Muskau fold.
Lignite mining around Döbern and Weißwasser
The region between Döbern and Weißwasser lies in the Muskau fold arch - a very interesting landscape formation. At that time the region consisted of small settlements. In addition to field and forestry, there were also some industrial operations such as glass blowing and cloth making. Glassmaking in particular has a tradition in Döbern to this day. At that time, wood was still used as a fire source. But the discovery of lignite brought some profound changes.
The lignite lay in seams of different depths, sometimes up to the surface of the earth. In 1843 the Julius mine near Wolfshain was opened. The Providentia mine followed three years later, followed by the Franz mine in 1851. In 1891 the railway line between Forst and Weißwasser went into operation and ensured a further economic upswing. The glass production has now also been carried out on a large scale.
Deep mining ceased in the 1950s. The pits Frieden, Julius and Conrad were the last of their kind in the Muskau Arch. This was followed by the development of the Trebendorfer fields in open-cast mining. Pit D was the largest in the fields. It is now known under the name of Halbendorfer See.
The large open-cast lignite mines in Niederlausitz
The beginning of the lignite industry in the Lower Lusatian mining area was at the end of the 19th century. At that time the first power plants were built. The first briquette factory was built near Domsdorf in 1882. The "Louise" (now the oldest briquette factory in Europe) still stands today - now as a museum. There you can now experience the old technology up close. Most of the coal was / is mined in open-cast mining. The largest area is in Lower Lusatia, and there is also the Upper Lusatian Revier in Saxony and Poland in the wide area surrounding the city of Zittau.
There are or were over 30 opencast mines in the Lusatian region, some of them in Poland. One of the oldest opencast mines is Werminghoff I. Its opening began in 1913. In its place is now the Knappensee. Today (2020) only the Jänschwalde, Welzow Süd, Nochten and Reichwalde opencast mines are still in operation in southern Brandenburg and northern Saxony. The annual production in 2009 was 55.7 million tons of raw lignite. Your coal supplies the Jänschwalde, Schwarze Pump and Boxberg power plants, as well as the Berlin-Klingenberg and Chemnitz heating power plants.
International building exhibition Fürst-Pückler-Land 2000-2010
The IBA Fürst-Pückler-Land was responsible for the structural change in the Lausitz lignite opencast mining area for 10 years. The project officially ended on December 31, 2010. All projects will be completed by 2012. 30 unique projects tell on site about the history of individual places, their influence by mining and their structural change with a view to the future. They offer visitors an interesting insight into the changes that the region has been subject to in recent decades - but not only that. There is technology to touch, nature to experience - interesting excursions for the whole family. At the end of the article there is a detailed overview of the IBA projects.
Fürst-Pückler-Weg - The more than 500 km long circular cycle path was initiated by the IBA in 2005 and leads on an interesting route through Lower and Upper Lusatia.
The Lusatian Lakeland
Many of the former opencast mines will be flooded after mining activities have ended. Thus, the region will develop into an extensive lake area and thus into an attractive recreational area - the Lusatian Lakeland. All larger usable bodies of water will in future have a total area of 13,178 hectares. Ten lakes will be linked by navigable links. The Cottbus Nord opencast mine is currently still flooded (since 2019) and does not appear on this list yet. After completion of the flooding, the Cottbus Baltic Sea will be the largest of the lakes from around 2030.
An F60 at work in the Jänschwalde opencast mine
Lower Lusatia: (from north to south)
- Schlabendorfer See (600 ha, flooding 2012) - It was created in the former Schlabendoirf Süd opencast mine and, in contrast to many other former opencast mines, was not flooded but fed entirely with groundwater. From 1976 to 1990, 171.2 million tons of lignite were mined here. Five places had to make way for the development: Gliechow, Pademagk, Stiebsdorf, Presenchen and Wanninchen. The main attractions today are the Schlabendorf am See marina and the Sielmanns natural landscape of Wanninchen.
- Gräbendorfer See (547 ha, usable in 2007) - Since 2009 the Gräbendorfer See be used. It comes from the former opencast mine of the same name, which was opened up by mining in 1979. From 1984 to 1992 a total of 36 million tons of coal were mined here. The places Laasdorf and Gräbendorf disappeared completely, Laasow and Reddern partially. The lake is now a popular destination with beaches, a beach bar, a floating house and a diving school.
- Altdöberner See (879 ha, flooding 2017) - Activities at the former Greifenhain opencast mine began in 1936. The villages of Nebendorf and Neudorf gave way to opencast mining in the 1970s. The place Pritzen was originally intended for mining and now protrudes as a peninsula into the opencast mine or future lake, since it was decided in 1992 to end the mining activity. The lake is currently not yet usable and has also been closed off as there have been landslides in the past. What the final use will look like is still unclear.
- Ilsesee (771 ha, flooding in 2015) - Lake Ilse is located in the former Meuro opencast mine and is the westernmost of the lakes located on the border between Saxony and Brandenburg and connected by canals. The opencast mine was in operation from 1958 to 1990. It was named after the village Meuro on the southwestern edge of the mining area. 1,840 million cubic meters of overburden were moved and 300 million tons of raw lignite mined on an area of 3,583 hectares. The villages of Sauo, Rauno, Reppist and Bückgen had to give way completely to mining. In addition, there were parts of the neighboring communities. A total of around 4,500 residents were relocated. After the flooding, which began on March 15, 2007, the Ilsesee will be one of the larger in the Lusatian Lake District. A navigable canal under construction will pass under the railway and the B169 federal road and connect the lake with Lake Sedlitz.
- Sedlitz Lake (1,330 ha, flooding 2015) - At the end of its flooding, the Sedlitzer See will be one of the largest lakes in the Lusatian Lakeland. There are even plans for a landing pad for seaplanes and a floating jetty across the water. There are connections with the Geierwalder- and Partwitzer as well as the Ilsesee, the latter even navigable. Work on the mine began in 1921 Ilse Ost. In 1980 it was finally over. 267 million tons of raw lignite were extracted and delivered to the surrounding factories for briquetting.
- Senftenberger See (1,300 ha, usable since 1973) - The Senftenberger See is the best-known and one of the oldest lakes in the open-cast mining area. With its 1,300 hectares, it is one of the largest artificial lakes in Germany. It was created in the former Niemtsch opencast mine. It was opened in 1938. The first coal was mined two years later, but irregularly because of the war. From 1949 to 1966, a total of 160 million tons of lignite were mined. The Hammermühle Großkoschen and the Buchwalde airfield had to give way to the project, in addition to the relocation of trunk roads and the relocation of the river bed of the Black Elster. In the end, it was the latter that flooded the mine hole over the course of 5 years. The Senftenberger See has been one of the most popular recreational regions in southern Brandenburg since 1973. There is a total of 7 kilometers of bathing beach on the lake, which can also be accessed with motorized boats.
The old Tranitz post column, which had to give way to the Cottbus Nord opencast mine
Upper Lusatia:
- Partwitz lake (1,120 ha, flooding 2012) - Lake Partwitz is located in the far north of Saxony and comes from the former Skado opencast mine from which 238.9 million tons of lignite were extracted. It has been flooded with the water of the Scharzen Elster since 2004. In the future it will play an essential role in the tourist development of the Lusatian Lake District. It is connected to the Geierswalder See, the Sedlitzer See, the Blunoer Südsee and the Neuwieser See through artificial and navigable canals. There are already some projects. A riding stables will be expanded into a modern military equestrian facility and will enable national and international tournaments. A harbor and a beach have also already been created.
- Geierswalder See (620 ha, flooding 2005) - The Geierswalder See is already used for tourism. The body of water that emerged from the Koschen opencast mine has been flooded since 2004 and released in 2006. There is already a maritime center and a camping site at Geierswalde. At its western end is the "Landmarke", a striking observation tower, which is also nicknamed "Rusty Nail".
- Neuwieser See (632 ha, flooding in 2015) - The Neuwieser See is the remaining hole of the former Bluno opencast mine. The lake is up to 17 meters deep and for the most part will be used for nature conservation and the recreation of the landscape. There will be no human intervention, especially in the adjacent area in the northeast. A bathing beach and a quiet and development-friendly area are planned for the eastern edge.
- Bluno South Sea (350 ha, flooding 2015) - The Blunoer Südsee is the former opencast mine Spreetal / Nordschlauch. Later he will have connections to the Partwitzer, Neuwieser and Sabrodter See. Initial concepts want to provide good opportunities for surfing on the lake; apart from passenger ships, motor boats will not be permitted. There may also be islands for vacation rentals and events.
- Sabrodter See (138 ha, flooding 2015) - The Sabrodter See is a residual hole which also arises from the opencast mining activities of Spreetal, such as the Blunoer Südsee. It will also be connected to the Bergener See. A youthful, sporty concept is being considered with options for motor boats and jet skis. There are also sports and golf resorts with hotels and a wellness park.
- Bergener lake (133 ha, flooding 2015) - The Bergener See also belongs to the Spreetal open-cast mine. Lignite was mined here from 1955 to 1983. It consists of two parts and, with wetlands and open land, mainly serves as a retreat for rare birds, animals and plants.
- Spreetal lake (540 ha, flooding 2015) - The history of the Spreetaler See goes back to 1906, when the Hope III mine was opened. It was supposed to deliver coal for factories in Spremberg. In 1915, the Brigitta mine, which was renamed Spreetal in 1948, follows in the immediate vicinity. In 1983 coal production was over, which was continued in the nearby Spreetal / Northeast until 1991. The Spreetaler See emerged from it. After the rest of the hole had been rehabilitated, flooding began in 1998. There will be a bridge to the neighboring Sabrodter See, which will also have been flooded in 2015. In contrast to many other lakes, motorized water sports are even possible here. There will be a corresponding water sports center on the northwest and north banks. A water sports holiday center is also planned on the south-west bank.
- Amber lake (445 ha; flooding 2006) - The Bernsteinsee is also known as the Burghammer reservoir and has been completely flooded since 2006. Here there will only be gentle tourism on two sections of the beach.
- Knappensee (286 ha; usable since 1953) - The Knappensee is one of the oldest opencast mining holes in the region and has been a popular and well-known excursion destination southeast of Hoyerswerda since it was flooded. It comes from the former Werminghoff I opencast mine, which started operations in 1913. It was flooded from 1951 to 1953. The water comes from the Hoyerswerdaer Schwarzwasser and the Koblenzer Graben. A dam now surrounds the popular sports water, which can be circumnavigated for 8 kilometers by bike or on foot.
- Gray Heron Lake (138 ha; flooding 2005) - The Grauhreihersee also comes from the Werminghoff I opencast mine. However, it cannot yet be used. The body of water owes its name to Germany's largest gray heron colony, which has 700 breeding pairs here. You can catch a glimpse of the lake from the former Knappenrode briquette factory. As an energy factory, it is now a museum and a very interesting industrial monument
- Silbersee / Mortkasee (315 ha; usable since 1972) - The two lakes are also known as the Lohsa 1 reservoir and the remaining holes from the Werminghoff II open-cast mine Low water increase. It has also been a popular bathing and camping area for a long time.
- Dreiweiberner lake (286 ha; usable since 2002) - The Dreiweiberner See has been a popular bathing lake for a long time. From 1984 to 1989, a total of 14 million tons of lignite were mined in the opencast mine of the same name. Dreiweibern is a district of Lohsa on the northern edge of the lake. A bike path leads around the lake. There are also two developed bathing beaches. In its quiet location, it is still an insider tip.
- Lohsa II reservoir (1,070 ha; flooding 2013) - The Lohsa II storage basin is the remaining hole of the opencast mine of the same name (also Werminghoff III) and will be one of the largest lakes in the region after it has been completely flooded in 2013. 300 million tons of raw lignite was once mined here. Its history began with the Werminghoff opencast mines (1933) and the Glückauf mine (1948). Coal was mined here until 1984.
- Scheibesee (660 ha; flooding 2012) - The place of the same name had to be devastated in 1986 for the Scheibesee and the Scheibe opencast mine. Lignite was mined here for 11 years. A special feature is that the shore region of the lake consists of a natural relief. The actual dump site is lower. In the future there will be bathing beaches in Burg, Riegel and Tiegling, the rest will be left to nature. The lake will also have no connection to other lakes in the region and will be reserved for gentle tourism.
- Bärwalder See (1,285 ha; flooding in 2008) - With its almost 13 km², the remaining hole of the Bärwalde open-cast mine is the largest lake in Saxony. Since 2008 the lake has been flooded with water from the Spree. In 1976, the mining of lignite began and lasted until 1991. 185 million tons were mined during this time, which were mainly supplied to the Boxberg power station. The tourist development is now taking shape. At Boxberg there is a beach and the landscape artwork “Ohr” with a circular path and a theater in the auricle. The lake can also be circumnavigated by bike.
Panorama: You can scroll the picture horizontally.
Image: Knappensee - Panorama 1.JPG
The Knappensee - residual hole of the oldest opencast mine Werminghoff ITechnical sights
Technical sights
Bucket wheel excavator at Gut Geisenhof
- The conveyor bridge F60, Bergheider Strasse 4, Lichterfeld. Tel.: 49 3531-60800, Fax: 49 3531-08012. in Lichterfeld is certainly the most impressive evidence of mining engineering. With a length of 502 m, a height of 80 m and a width of up to 240 m, these conveyor bridges are the largest moving industrial machines in the world. They were made in Lauchhammer. There are a total of five copies of their kind. Three are currently working in the Jänschwalde, Nochten and Welzow-Süd opencast mines, and one will resume operations in Reichwalde. The F60 in Lichterfeld is now a visitor mine and can be climbed with a guide.
- Briquette Factory Louise, Louise 111, Cathedral Village. Tel.: 49 35341-94005, Fax: 49 35341-94894, Email: [email protected]. Europe's oldest briquette factory went into operation in 1882 with 2 presses, 4 plate dryers, 4 flame tube boilers and a chimney. The last briquette is pressed on November 18, 1991. In the meantime, the system has become a technical monument with rebuilt and functional systems. It offers guided tours including the commissioning and demonstration of 12 systems. The offer also includes hikes in the post-mining landscape.Open: Apr-Oct: daily 10:00 (last tour 16:00); Nov-Mar: Mon-Fri, Sun 10:00 (last tour 15:00); Dec-Feb: by arrangement.Price: Admission: 5.00 / 2.50 (adults / students).
- Plessa adventure power plant, At the power plant 1. Tel.: 49 3533-60720, Fax: 49 3533-607272, Email: [email protected]. - In 1926 the construction of the lignite power station began. After a construction period of one year, the first stage of expansion was connected to the grid with a voltage of 60kV. The early shift on April 14, 1992 was the last during the plant's operating hours. It has been a technical monument since 1985. Guided tours through the facility are offered on a regular basis.Open: Mon-Sun 10: 00-15: 00.
- Saxon Industrial Museum, Knappenrode Energy Factory, Ernst-Thälmann-Straße 8, 02977 Hoyerswerda OT Knappenrode. Tel.: 49 3571-604267, Fax: 49 3571-604275. - In the energy factory you can experience Saxon industrial history up close. The visit includes a tour of the historic factory and a trolley ride through the museum grounds.Price: € 7.00 / 5.00 (adults / children up to 6 years).
- 1 Bucket Wheel Excavator 1473.
- Northwest of Senftenberg There is still an old bucket wheel excavator of the type SRs 1500-1473 north of the Hörlitz district. It was built in 1964/65 and worked in the Meuro opencast mine and was moved to this location in 2003 and handed over to the neighboring communities. Since then it has served as a landmark and technical mining monument. It has a total length of 171.5 and a height of approx. 50 meters. The mining equipment weighs in at an impressive 3850 tons. The paddle wheel measures 12.5 meters in diameter. It is a technical monument that has now been left to decay. Danger! In the vicinity of the device there is therefore a risk of death as a result of parts collapsing or rivets flying around, which can cause serious injuries even at greater distances. - 2 Klettwitz shaft drainage system. - Between 1964 and 1966, this shaft was built, which descends 63 meters into the second brown coal seam. From there, horizontal stretches were driven laterally into the seam by Bergleiten. There are so-called driving and swamp routes. The latter served to drain the seam. A section of such a route can be seen on site next to the headframe. In 1981 the shaft was taken out of service and filled. Since 2000 it has served as a mining monument for the community of Schipkau.Open: Every 2nd Sunday of the month 10: 00-12: 00.
Museums and cultural sites
Gut Geisendorf
- Niederlausitzer Heidemuseum, Castle District 3, Spremberg. Tel.: 49 3563-602350, Fax: 49 3563-602353, Email: [email protected]. - The museum reports on the relationships between people and their culture and nature in the Lower Lusatian landscape, which is characterized by mining.Open: Tue-Fri: 9 am-5pm; Sat-Sun: 14: 00-17: 00.Price: € 2.00 / 1.00 (adults / min.).
- Gut Geisendorf, 03103 Neupetershain. Tel.: 49 35751-125-75, Fax: 49 35751-125-76. - Gut Geisendorf sees itself as a cultural forum for Lusatian lignite. It houses exhibitions and concerts such as the Geisendorfer Musiksalon, literary forums such as the Geisendorfer Literature Forum and citizens' get-togethers take place here. It also hosts art events and quite celebrity guests. The Geisendorf estate itself was first mentioned in a document in 1455, the foundation stone for the manor house was laid around 1600, and the owners later changed several times. The subject of lignite first came up in 1852 when the landowner first tried to drill. The last landlord was Hansen Burscher von Saher auf Straussdorf in 1937. After fleeing the Allies and implementing the land reform, it became state property in 1945. In 1992 it came back into private hands and was acquired by LAUBAG in 1996. It is being extensively restored, is now on Brandenburg's list of monuments and serves as a culture forum - as the last building in what is now the former town of Geisendorf. On the ground floor there is a foyer as well as a salon for poetry and a salon for music. There are also two representative rooms for presentations and events. The first floor shows the history and perspectives of Lusatian lignite mining in five rooms.Open: Tue Wed: 13: 00-18: 00, Thu Fri: 10: 00-16: 00 (restoration break: July-August, closing for season preparation: December-January).
Memorial sites and documentation about submerged places
- Disappeared places (Community center of the Horno district, Forst (Lausitz)). - The exhibition documents the history of the 136 places in Niederlausitz that had to give way in whole or in part to the opencast mines.
- 3 Tranitz Memorial. - The Tranitz Memorial is located in the forest in the “Cottbus Nord” opencast mine. The post stone of the village is here. The location of the former village pub is marked with a sign. The journey is arduous and there is nothing more to see. If you still want to stop by, it's best to get on the (sturdy) bike. The start is on the country road that runs between the “Cottbus Nord” and “Jänschwalde” opencast mines. The junction is signposted halfway. Now it's a long way on unpaved split roads to the memorial.
- Reppist Memorial. is located three kilometers north of Senftenberg. The place almost completely disappeared as the Meuro mine progressed.
- Further information is available from List of abandoned locations in the Lausitz coal area in Wikipedia.
Viewpoints
Cottbus-Nord opencast mine
Viewpoints
View of “Cottbus Nord” Merzdorf observation tower
- On the remains of the village Lakoma there is a lookout point. Currently (2011) the conveyor bridge is moving exactly at the height of this view, so that one gets a direct insight into the mining process. You leave Cottbus on the B168 towards Guben. 1km behind the city area (before the Willmersdorf district) turn right at the traffic lights. Next to the two or three remaining houses there is a small parking lot and the lookout point.
- In the northeast of Cottbus, in the district Merzdorf there is an observation tower. This was built as part of the International Building Exhibition 2010 and offers a view of the entire site of the opencast mine. It is 34 meters high and there are 173 steps to climb. After the flooding, the south beach of the Cottbus Baltic Sea is located at its foot.
- The second observation tower of the future lake is opposite in the amusement park of Pond land on the Bärenbrücker Höhe. It is 57 meters high and has 272 steps (entry 2.00 euros).
Active opencast mine Welzow Süd
- A lookout point is located on the southern edge of the open pit. It can be reached via the premises of the Vattenfall company west of Spremberg (via the small district of Pulsberg).
- This is right on the edge of the opencast mine Gut Geisendorf. It belongs to the city of Neupetershain and houses the Lusatian lignite culture forum.
Former Meuro opencast mine
- A lookout tower is located south of the former open-cast mining site in Hörlitz. 51 ° 31 '54 "N.13 ° 57 ′ 1 ″ E
- To the west of Sedlitz is the Reppist vantage point at the southeast end of Lake Ilse.
Former Sedlitz opencast mine
- 4 Rusty Nail. - The 30 m high landmark, inaugurated in October 2008, stands on the southeastern shore of Lake Sedlitz. The structure consists of 111 tons of weatherproof structural steel and cost € 1 million. You can get there over 162 steps freely accessible, climb the steel colossus. From up here you have a beautiful view of the Sorno Canal and the surrounding lakes and forests of the Lusatian Lake District. The tower was built as part of the international building exhibition Fürst-Pückler-Land.
Exploring the mining region
Bike paths
Lower Lusatian mining tour - The Niederlausitzer mining tour has a total length of 510 kilometers and reports a lot about mining and its landscapes.
Old mining tour - The local cycle path tells about the history of mining in the Muskau Arch on display boards.
Geology tour - The geology in the unique Muskau fold arch is exciting. Well documented on many boards, the traveler learns more about the geological relationships.
Web links
- LMBV planning concept - Water management planning concept of the LMBV for the area of the opencast mines in the Lausitz.
- IBA-SEE 2010 - Projects of the International Building Exhibition (IBA) Fürst-Pückler-Land 2000-2010
