On October 1, 1943, the Hohenpeißenberg weather shaft, which was used to ventilate the Peißenberg mine field, went into operation.
Why was a mine built near the train station in Hohenpeißenberg from which no coal came?
Hohenpeißenberg -
The mining in Peißenberg went quite deep in the 1930s, the ventilation (ventilation) of the underground routes took place via the substructure shaft system via its own shaft. In one shaft, the conveyor shaft, the crew and material were transported, in the other next to it, the drainage and ventilation were handled. At that time this shaft was already seriously unstable and it had a depth (depth) of 280 meters. The substructure shafts originated from the years 1889 to 1895 and were out of date. They were built in wood.
How well the shaft ventilated depended on its cross-section and the fan.
At one end the air was sucked into a shaft, at the other end, the weather shaft, it was blown out again by a large fan that created a negative pressure.
Plants were built with great pressure
The shafts in the mine got deeper and deeper.
In the end, it was no longer possible to provide the required amount of fresh air there with the substructure shafts.
Therefore, a new shaft should be excavated about one kilometer away.
Coal played a major role in the National Socialists' plans even before the war, and with the start of the war in September 1939 it became even more important.
The technical systems were built with great pressure and at the same time the weather shaft was driven into the depths.
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This picture was taken around 1943/44, showing the winding tower and the flagpole with the swastika on top.
© Hochenauer
In 1939 the fifth level was reached at a depth of 510 meters.
The necessary technical systems were erected above ground, such as a forge, compressed air station, joinery and bath house for the team.
The technology for the ventilation was very extensive.
The flow of weather was not allowed to stop when the cage went down.
This was ensured by installing flaps.
The negative pressure had to be constantly maintained in Hohenpeißenberg so that the fresh weather in Peißenberg could flow into the depths.
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August Bindl photographed the large colliery hall around 1943/44 for the BHS.
© Hochenauer
The colliery hall in the main building, where wages used to be paid out, should have an external effect.
Regardless of the war, it was built in solidity and power.
At the new mining site in the immediate vicinity of the train station with its own siding, the entire staff of the substructure shaft then worked.
The team was gradually moved to the new location.
In 1960, the shaft reached the depth
The Ukrainian forced laborers were housed in the basement of the long building, where the colliery hall, the Steiger offices and the team bathroom were located on the ground floor.
This is based on documents that are in the State Archives in Munich.
At that time around 500 men were working on the weather shaft.
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This plaque still reminds of the mining industry in the large colliery hall.
© Hochenauer
In August 1958 the shaft was driven deeper and in 1960 it reached a depth of 1150 meters.
It was the deepest shaft in Bavaria.
The brickworks shaft in Peißenberg was 1050 meters deep.
In 1963, the largest underground expansion in the mine field from Peißenberg to Peiting was reached and the route length of 112 kilometers was exceeded.
More distance than the subway network in Munich has today.
After the pits were closed, the brickworks shaft and the weather shaft were backfilled in the summer of 1971, and the underground sections softened after the pumps were switched off.
The mine was in operation for 28 years.
Today the company "Werner Degle" is located on the former weather shaft area.
The buildings from the mining era are well preserved.
The weather shaft system is the only one of the three shaft systems that still exists in its original form.
Only the headframe was dismantled in 1971.
Rudi Hochenauer
