Alles kommt vom Bergwerk her

Summer course, to be taught in Freiberg, Germany

July 2009

Kevin and Sylke Boyd

Envt1xxxx, Sci2xxxx

Alles Kommt Vom Bergwerk Her – A Journey to the Roots of Modern Science

General information	Why is it interesting?	Expectations to students
Program description	Course setting	Assessment
Program objectives and courses	Course Calendar	Things to be aware of if traveling to Germany

16^th-century developments in the mining and refining of ores of silver, tin, cobalt and other; the influence thereof on the rise of modern chemistry, geology and physics; the political and economic setting in which these developments occurred.

Why you would take this class if you are interested in

Chemistry	History
Geology	Mathematics
Environmental Studies and sustainability	Physics
Economics or Political Science	German Language
Forests, Mountains And Hiking	Art And Art History
Study Abroad	Women’s Studies

General Information:

Place: Freiberg and other places in the Erzgebirge, Saxony, Germany

Date: Three-week summer course, July 5 – July 26, 2009

Participants: 18-23 students, UMM and Central College Iowa, general education

Instructors: Sylke Boyd, Asst. Professor of Physics

University of Minnesota-Morris, Morris, MN 56267, USA,

sboyd@morris.umn.edu

Kevin J Boyd

Central College Iowa, Pella, Iowa, USA

Guest Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Helmuth Albrecht and co-workers,

Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Bergakademie Freiberg

Faculty members from the Department of Geology, Bergakademie Freiberg

Herr Hermann Meinel, Museum Uranbergbau, Schlema

Texts: Excerpts, available on reserve in the library from:

Georgius Agricola, De re metallica, 1556,in English translation by Lou and Herbert Hoover, 1914

Lazarus Ercker, Treatise on Ores and Assaying, 1580, in English translation by A. G. Sisco and C. S. Smith, 1951

Ulrich Rülein von Calwe, Ein Nützlich Bergbüchlein, ca 1500, in English translation by A. G. Sisco, 1949

Anonymous, Probierbüchlein, ca 1520, in English translation by A. G. Sisco, 1949

Other articles and publications

Program description

The course takes us into the world of 16^th-century silver and tin mining in Saxony and Bohemia. The Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) are a region of lovely, rolling, forested mountains with deep valleys, many rivers and picturesque villages and towns, whose ridge forms the modern boundary between the German Saxony and the Czech region of Bohemia.

. Silver had been found in the region of Freiberg already in the year 1168 A. D., leading to the boom town of Freiberg. The following 200 years are characterized by an increasing number of sensational silver and tin finds allover the Erzgebirge, and a surge of small mines and town foundations rivaled only by some more recent North-American gold rushes. These early years of Erzgebirge mining lead to the need for instruction and knowledge: how to find the ore, how to pull it out of the Earth, how to process it, how to do so safely, and how to run this business in a profitable manner. The Berggeschrey (mining boom), which followed the finds of huge silver deposits, peaked the time of Renaissance-Humanism in Europe in the late 15th century and through the 16th century. This era saw momentous developments in astronomy, mathematics, botany and anatomy; the invention of movable letters in printing and thus the ability to spread knowledge easily; Luther’s reformation; a rise in economic and political power of the mercantile class in cities; and a change from a religious to a more secular view of the world. It was a time in which natural philosophy transformed –through economic need- into applied science, resulting in the development of modern chemistry, geology and physics.

Altar painting in St Annen church in Annaberg, Hans Hesse

The course explores these developments in the region of Saxony through the works of two Saxon-born scientists, each of whom made important contributions to the systematic development of mineralogy and mining technology. Georgius Agricola (born in Glauchau, Saxony,1494; died in Chemnitz, Saxony, 1555) contributed early systematic treatments of mineralogy (De naturum fossilium, 1527) and mining technology, refining techniques, and mining law (De re metallica, 1556). The latter was translated into English by Herbert C. Hoover and Lou Hoover in 1914. Lazarus Ercker (born in Annaberg, Saxony, 1530; died in Prague, Bohemia, 1594) wrote a comprehensive treatise on ores and assaying in his native German Beschreibung Allerfürnehmisten Mineralischen Ertzt und Bergwercksarten (1580) which may be considered the first textbook in the chemistry of ore analysis and smelting. In fact, only a few examples of the original books survive since his work has been extensively used as handbook in smelters and workshops, and thus most copies of the book were damaged through heavy use.

We will study parts of their works, visit mines and technological monuments. With the economic and political setting in mind, we will explore the conditions under which the surge toward modern science became reality. What was the thought on origins of ores before 1500? Why was it necessary to revise and abandon these views? What distinguished the new scientific method from the previously held views? What drives human invention? Which struggles are involved in sustaining an 800-year history of co-existence of natural environment, human civilization and intense exploitation of natural resources in this region?

We will reside in the town of Freiberg, Saxony, and have close contacts with faculty and students from the University of Technology Bergakademie Freiberg, which is the oldest school of mines in Europe, founded in 1765. In collaboration with the Freiberg Institute for History of Science and Technology, we will have the opportunity to do archival work in the university library as well as visit an active archeological dig for a recently found site of a 16th-century liquation smelter in the town of Chemnitz.

In this course you will explore mines, 16th-century facilities of ore-processing industry such as water-driven hammers and ore-washes, 16th-century water management systems including reservoirs and trench systems, experience living and working conditions of miners through several centuries, visit significant sites of art history, study the environmental impact of mining and the recovery from it. We will enjoy the food and culture of the region, as well as the rich natural beauty of the Erzgebirge.

The title of the course “Alles kommt vom Bergwerk her” refers to the belief that wealth and prosperity for the people as well as the state arises from the metals of the mines, but we would extend this statement to include significant progress in our understanding of the natural world in the things that arise from the mines.

Program Objectives and Courses:

The course enables students to:

Form an understanding of the interaction between societal development and the development of new ideas in science and technology, exemplified in a region which experienced a boom of mining development in the 16^th century.
Gain insight into the systematic presentation of geology and metallurgy as it arises from mining through the works of Agricola and Ercker. This includes the acquisition of context-related knowledge in geology, chemistry and physics as it arises.
Visit several mines and technological sites; observe living and working conditions; become acquainted with works of art and places of political and religious importance in the 16^th century.
Observe the development of follow-up industries after the ore deposits became uneconomical to further harvest.
Appreciate the challenges faced if humans conquer new aspects of the world, discover engines of human invention and hopefully enhance the understanding of the challenges currently faced by our own society.

You can participate in this program by registering for either of these courses:

Envt1xxx Land and People in the 16th-century mining region of the Erzgebirge, Saxony

Study of the works of Georgius Agricola and Lazarus Ercker as examples for the emergence of applied chemistry through economic need during the 16th-century; site visits to mines and ore processing technological sites of the period. Emphasis on political, economical, cultural and environmental implications encountered in a region with an ongoing 800-year history of mining.

Sci2xxx The Roots of Modern Science in 16th-Century Mining

Prerequisites: Chem1101 or Phys1101

Study of the works of Georgius Agricola and Lazarus Ercker as examples for the emergence of applied chemistry through economic need during the 16th-century; site visits to mines and ore processing technological sites of the period. Emphasis on the chemical, physical and geological aspects of mining and ore-processing technology in a region with an ongoing 800-year history of mining.

Course setting:

The Bergakademie Freiberg is the oldest school of mines in Europe. The school is located in the mining town of Freiberg, which allows easy access to several sites associated with our topic.

The course activities will include lectures, guest lectures, group discussions and field trips. There will be approximately one site-visit per day. A few visits, such as to the major cities of Dresden or Leipzig, will be optional.

Expectations to students

Participation in all class activities

Follow rules of the sites, respect places.

Course may be physically demanding. Be prepared to walk a lot (up to 10 miles a day), including underground. Some trips will involve moving through fairly narrow, underground passages.

Read and understand the assigned materials.

Keep an open mind, and observe a lot of things outside of the scope of the course. This experience exposes to a lot more than just 16^th-century mining.

Enjoy boat tours underground, a beautiful landscape, the local food, …

Assessment:

The grade will be assigned according to performance in the following components:

Journal; 20 %: students will have a journal, which should contain a daily reflection, as well as an assembled time line of topics or places visited
Challenge sheets, 20 %: Each visit or tour will be accompanied by a challenge sheet, which contains questions or challenges specifically adjusted for the particular site.
Participation in discussions,20 %
Final essay, 40 %

Lecture topics

I Time and Place:

General Geography of Saxony and the Erzgebirge

Geology of the ore deposits in the Erzgebirge

Saxony and Bohemia at the time of Renaissance-Humanism

Who owned what in and around the mines?

Georgius Agricola and Lazarus Ercker (biographical)

II Science and Technology:

Science and Philosophy in the 16^th century – in particular methods and views relevant to mining (including Berg- und Probierbuechlein)

Series of shorter units, following (in essence) the structure of De re metallica:

Prospecting and surveying

Mining: fire mining, stabilization, water management, ventilation

Separation: crushing, roasting

Assaying: methods of purification, probieren

Smelting: production

Measures and weights

III Peripheral Culture

Traditions associated with mining, follow-up industries, forestry, art, organ building

(this part may be administered as the run of the course allows, but should be synthesized in the final essay)

Schedule

Sunday	7/5/2009	Flight to Leipzig Arrival in Freiberg, Pension Hubertushof (home for three weeks)
Monday	7/6/2009	Campus tour in Altstadt with student prison, Hauptgebäude and Winkler laboratory (discovery of Germanium and pioneer of environmental chemistry); Campus tour on modern campus with Weißbachsammlung (fluid dynamics technology)
		Lecture: World cultural heritage in the mountain region Erzgebirge
Tuesday	7/7/2009	Town Freiberg: Tour of St Annen Dom with organ music, Golden Gate (12^th century), tulip pulpit by Hans Witten, altar by Lucas Cranach Museum with exhibits on town history and mining history Tour of town
		Lecture: Geology of the Erzgebirge
Wednesday	7/8/2009	Teaching and show mine Reiche Zeche: special tour through 6 centuries of mining (narrow spaces, ladder and elevator travel, 5 hours)
		Evening lecture
Thursday	7/9/2009	Train to Altenberg, Eastern Erzgebirge: tin-mining region, active for 600 years Break-in crater Pinge Showmine Neubeschert-Glück Stolln (1h) Bergbaumuseum Altenberg with tin ore processing (Stamping mill and ore washing technology, water driven)
Friday	7/10/2009	Mineral Collection of the Bergakademie Freiberg – guided tour and individual time to visit International Student Evening with Freiberg students
Saturday	7/11/2009	Trip to Olbernhau, Erzgebirge: Saigerhütte (copper/silver separation by liquation) from the 16^th century Water-driven Copper hammer work
Sunday	7/12/2009	Open
Monday	7/13/2009	Trip to Geyer, hike along educational trail to Ehrenfriedersdorf (5 miles): Break-in crater Pinge in Geyer Hike along Röhrgraben (ditch for water management to power mine equipment, 16^th century) Geyerische Teiche (oldest dam and reservoir in Europe, 16^th century, has swimming beach) Greifensteine (granite outcrops, great for climbing) Ehrenfriedersdorfer St. Nicholas Church – altar by Hans Witten
Tuesday	7/14/2009	Train to Chemnitz: Schloßkirche and museum Chemnitz Guided tour of the townhall (where Agricola was mayor) Active archeological digging site for the Kupfersaigerhütte (copper liquation smelter) 16^th century
Wednesday	7/15/2009	Train to Annaberg-Buchholz: St Annen Church (16^th century) with altar painting on mining by Hans Hesse – guided tour Erzgebirgsmuseum mit Gößnerstolln – a mine right below the streets of town, museum with exhibits on the early mountain law (Annaberger Bergordnung) Adam-Ries-Museum, Overnight stay in Annaberg
Thursday	7/16/2009	Frohnauer Hammer – water-driven hammer work, master house and carving exhibit Show mine Dorotheastolln with boat tour underground Overnight stay in Annaberg
Friday	7/17/2009	Bus trip to Pobershau, Erzgebirge: Show mine Molchner Stolln – with water-driven multi-stage water lifting pump recreating one from the 16^th century Small hike to Grüner Graben (17^th-century mining-related water management ditch) and Katzenstein (just a nice rocky view point with several legends to tell) Bus back to Freiberg
Saturday	7/18/2009	Open
Sunday	7/19/2009	Open
Monday	7/20/2009	Open
Tuesday	7/21/2009	Bus Trip to Schneeberg: Show mine Weißer Hirsch Evening guest lecture Overnight stay in summer camp Kiez at Filzteich, Schneeberg (has beach for swimming)
Wednesday	7/22/2009	Hike a long educational trail in Schneeberg (4 miles): Stamping mill Siebenschlehener Pochwerk Many 15^th and 16^th century shaft houses, adits, ditches and other sites covering intensely exploited silver and cobalt reserves Overnight stay in summer camp Kiez at Filzteich, Schneeberg
Thursday	7/23/2009	A day on uranium mining by the Soviet-German company Wismut: Schlema: Uranium Mining Museum (history of Soviet involvement, art, recovery of landscape) Wismut mine Pöhla-Globenstein – 20 min drive on train into mine, modern water treatment ponds Overnight stay in summer camp Kiez at Filzteich, Schneeberg
Friday	7/24/2009	Bus trip back to Freiberg
Saturday	7/25/2009	Open
Sunday	7/26/2009	Departure from Freiberg Flight from Leipzig

On open days you may decide. We propose visits to Dresden, Leipzig, Meissen, Augustusburg, Oberwiesenthal, etc. or just rest. We will offer some excursions on these days, but you may make other choices as well.

Page maintained by Sylke Boyd

Last updated: 8/28/2008 1:40 PM