Helbra Day of Miners and Smelters at the Schmidschacht

A Mining Heritage That Shaped Mansfeld

For over 800 years, copper shale mining dominated life in the Mansfeld region. From the 12th century until the closure of the last shaft in 1990, more than 50 shafts were sunk here; entire generations lived from mining. The Mansfeld mining district stretched from Eisleben through Hettstedt to Sangerhausen – an industrial landscape whose traces are still visible everywhere today.

The surface facility building of the Schmidschacht in Helbra is an exceptional phenomenon: it is the last completely preserved surface facility building of the Mansfeld copper shale mining. While other shafts were demolished or repurposed, the Schmidschacht remained largely in its original state – with the winding tower, pay hall, black-and-white facility (where miners changed between work and street clothes), and the workshop.

Tangible Mining Tradition

Once a year, traditionally in June, the Friends of the Schmid-Schacht Helbra association opens the building to the public. On the Day of Miners and Smelters, guided tours take place through all areas: through the pay hall with its original coat hooks, through the black-and-white facility, into the winding tower, and into the workshop. Former miners from the district are present and share stories from their working lives – these authentic accounts make the visit an encounter with living history.

In front of the building, a traditional miner's procession takes place: brass bands from the Mansfeld region play, associations in historical mining attire march, and food stalls offer visitors Mansfeld home cooking. Anyone interested in industrial culture and the specific history of the state of Saxony-Anhalt should mark this date on their calendar.

Helbra and the Mansfeld Region

Helbra is located in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, between Lutherstadt Eisleben and Hettstedt. The region is shaped not only by mining but also by Martin Luther, who was born in Eisleben. Visitors to the Day of Miners and Smelters can combine their trip with a stop at the Luther Memorial Sites in Eisleben – two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and an authentic industrial monument just 15 kilometers away.