The Historical Educational Trail “Jáchymov Hell”
Mine Svornost
You are on the historical educational trail „Jáchymov Hell“, which leads little known, beautiful sites containing unforgettable history. The trail was created by the mining association “Barbora” in Jáchymov with the support of the Confederation of Political Prisoners and the Club of Czech Tourists.
The Svornost Shaft 100 years ago
The Svornost Shaft is one of the oldest mines in the world. Name of the mine Svornost (Einigkeit, “Concord”) first appears in Jáchymov in 1530 in connection with the settlement of dispute between two mining associations. In the mine were mined at first silver, later cobalt and arsenic, uranium ore for production of colours and later to extract radium, and finally the raw material for the production of enriched uranium. In 1843 is been took over by the state administration. During further sinking, a strong water source of 22.5–25 °C spurted on the 12th level in depth of 532 m on the 12th March 1864.
Commissional water temperature measurement
As a result of a steady decline in prices of uranium colours and silver of the 19th century, the mining operations were stopped in 1901. Subsequently, the discovery of new element radium saved mines from extinction. After the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state took over the state administration Jáchymov mines; the Svornost mine worked again. Uranium ore was intensively mined by the German occupation authorities. But it was not anything compared to how mining could start in the fifties.
Fig. 3: The Curie Adit
In 1964, the ore mining in Jáchymov finally ended. Any subsequent underground work only served to improve the supply of radioactive water bath. Even in 1961 was driven the Curie Gallery with a total length of 2.390 m, which brings healing water from Svornost to individual balneotherapy facilities. At present, the springs Curie, C1, Běhounek and Agricola on the 12th level at a depth of 500 m are used.
