Silberhütte (Harzgerode)
Encyclopedia
Silberhütte is a village in the borough of Harzgerode
in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
. Its name means "silver works", a place where silver ore is smelted.
valley of the Lower Harz.
s, where ore won from the surrounding mines was processed. The artificial channel built to supply water to the works (from 1904 known as the Silberhütter Kunstgraben) is the longest in the Lower Harz Pond and Ditch System at 25.5 km. Ore was processed all year round in four smelting
furnaces, two sulphur furnaces and a vitriol works. The smelter produced up to 1.6 t of silver and 870 t of lead annually.
A powder mill
was opened in 1790 which supplied hunters as well as the surrounding Lower Harz mines. The mill was destroyed in 1898 by an explosion, but was immediately rebuilt. From 1893 it also took on the production of fireworks
- the firm exists today as the Pyrotechnik Silberhütte (a subsidiary of Rheinmetall
Waffe Munition). The factory carried out trials in 1928 with rocket-powered railway vehicles. In the first test the Eisfeld-Valier Rocket I by Max Valier
attained a speed of 253 km/h - then a world record. However the vehicle leapt the rails in the third test and was completely destroyed.
The village church was built in 1932 and is made entirely of spruce wood.
, in which four bronze bells hang, Silberhütte is also home to the Unterharzer Waldhof, a recreation and exhibition complex about forestry
. This is located on the terrain of the old wood mill - which in turn was built on the site of the old silver works. The Waldhof Festival (Waldhoffest) takes place every year with steam engine haulage. The Silberhütte Waldhof is No. 174 in the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking network.
In the area around Silberhütte lies two of the ponds of the Lower Harz Pond and Ditch System - the Teufelsteich
and the Fürstenteich
.
234, runs through the village.
Harzgerode
Harzgerode is a town in the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-Geography:Its localities include:*Harzgerode*Alexisbad*Dankerode*Güntersberge*Königerode*Mägdesprung*Neudorf*Schielo*Silberhütte*Siptenfelde*Straßberg...
in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. Its name means "silver works", a place where silver ore is smelted.
Geography
Silberhütte lies in the SelkeSelke
-People:*Frank J. Selke, Canadian hockey manager*Margrit Selke, Agriculturist*Walter Selke, German physicist-Awards:*Frank J. Selke Trophy *Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy -Other uses:...
valley of the Lower Harz.
History
The first recorded mention of Silberhütte dates to the year 1692, which is also the year the place was founded. Hitherto there had been a silver works at this site and several stamp millStamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
s, where ore won from the surrounding mines was processed. The artificial channel built to supply water to the works (from 1904 known as the Silberhütter Kunstgraben) is the longest in the Lower Harz Pond and Ditch System at 25.5 km. Ore was processed all year round in four smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
furnaces, two sulphur furnaces and a vitriol works. The smelter produced up to 1.6 t of silver and 870 t of lead annually.
A powder mill
Powder mill
The term powder mill is usually used for a mill that manufactures blackpowder, a type of gunpowder.A powder mill could be driven by wind or water power, and contained rollers for grinding the ingredients of gunpowder together, as well as presses and tumbling barrels and sieves for compacting,...
was opened in 1790 which supplied hunters as well as the surrounding Lower Harz mines. The mill was destroyed in 1898 by an explosion, but was immediately rebuilt. From 1893 it also took on the production of fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
- the firm exists today as the Pyrotechnik Silberhütte (a subsidiary of Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and defence company with factories in Düsseldorf, Kassel and Unterlüß. The company has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces...
Waffe Munition). The factory carried out trials in 1928 with rocket-powered railway vehicles. In the first test the Eisfeld-Valier Rocket I by Max Valier
Max Valier
Max Valier was an Austrian rocketry pioneer. He helped found the German Verein für Raumschiffahrt that would bring together many of the minds that would later make spaceflight a reality in the 20th century.-Biography:Valier was born in Bozen , South Tyrol and in 1913 enrolled to study Physics at...
attained a speed of 253 km/h - then a world record. However the vehicle leapt the rails in the third test and was completely destroyed.
The village church was built in 1932 and is made entirely of spruce wood.
Places of interest
Besides the forest church with its rectangular bell towerBell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, in which four bronze bells hang, Silberhütte is also home to the Unterharzer Waldhof, a recreation and exhibition complex about forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. This is located on the terrain of the old wood mill - which in turn was built on the site of the old silver works. The Waldhof Festival (Waldhoffest) takes place every year with steam engine haulage. The Silberhütte Waldhof is No. 174 in the Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
hiking network.
In the area around Silberhütte lies two of the ponds of the Lower Harz Pond and Ditch System - the Teufelsteich
Teufelsteich
The Teufelsteich was one of the oldest reservoirs in the Harz Mountains of central Germany.It was built in 1697 near Harzgerode and Quedlinburg for mining purposes. In 1837/38 it was raised to support silver mining....
and the Fürstenteich
Fürstenteich
The Fürstenteich is a reservoir near Silberhütte in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It has an earth-filled dam with an impervious core. It impounds the Teufelsgrundbach stream.- Construction :...
.
Transport
Silberhütte has a railway station on the Selke Valley Railway. From here there are many hiking trails to the old mining ponds nearby. The state road, the LandesstraßeLandesstraße
Landesstraßen are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads that cross the boundary of a rural or urban district...
234, runs through the village.