Upper Harz Water Regale
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The Upper Harz Water Regale is a system of dams, reservoirs, ditches and other structures, much of which was built from the 16th to 19th centuries to divert and store the water that drove the water wh
Teiche Buntenbock
Schematic representation of the Upper Harz Water Regale showing the ponds, ditches and tunnels as well as the use of water power in the mines
Sketch of ponds, ditches and tunnels between Zellerfeld and Bockswiese around 1868
The Dam Ditch near Altenau
Mining in the Upper Harz
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Mining in the Upper Harz region of central Germany was a major industry for several centuries, especially for the production of silver, lead, copper, and, latterly, zinc as well. Great wealth was accu
Upper Harz Water Regale
…of Germany. The term regale, here, refers to the granting of royal privileges or rights (droit de régale) in this case to permit the use of water for mining operations in the Harz mountains of Germany. The Upper Harz Water Regale is one of the largest and most important historic mining water management systems in the world. The facilities…
The headframe of the Emperor William Shaft in Clausthal is one of the oldest surviving winding towers in Germany
The so-called Dennert Fir Trees recall aspects of mining all over the Harz
Medieval mine on the Bockswieser Gangzug north of Oberschulenberg
Stamp mill of the old Saiger works (Saigerhütte) of Olbernhau-Grünthal in the Ore Mountains