Valuable contemporary witness: Mining Museum Association Hausham has restored flag from 1850

Created: 05/08/2022, 08:00

By: Sebastian Grauvogl

Proud miners, supporters and sponsors: (standing from left) Hausham's mayor Jens Zangenfeind, his deputy Josef Schaftari, Konrad Tradler and Johannes Schlichting from the Miesbach Museum Association, (standing from right) cultural advisor Elisabeth Leidgschwendner, Stefan Lammel (district savings bank) and Manfred Gasteiger (Raiffeisenbank). the members of the mining museum interest group around (standing from 5th from left) Isolde Grützner and Wolfgang Bloch (second chairman) as well as Herbert Scholl (standing 4th from right) and chairman Wolfgang Grützner (standing 6th from right).

© Thomas Plettenberg

It is probably one of the oldest of its kind: around 1850, a flag from the inventory of the Hausham Mining Museum was probably created.

Now she shines in new splendor.

Hausham

– She adorned a display case in the wedding room of the Hausham town hall, which has since been demolished: an old miner's flag.

Although it is significantly younger than the fossils on display to its left and right at the time, the ravages of time have gnawed at it.

On the initiative of the Hausham archivist Veronika Gmeiner, the interest group Mining Museum Hausham and the municipality have now had the flag restored at great expense - with the financial support of a whole range of sponsors.

According to Mayor Jens Zangenfeind, it was possible to reconstruct how old the flag actually is based on the inscription.

The title "Miners' Union of the Royal Bavarian Privileged Miesbach Hard Coal Union" adorns the back of the flag.

Mallets, irons and an oil-powered frog lamp are depicted on the front.

According to Zangenfeind, the name of the union, which was founded in 1847 and transferred to the Oberbayerische Aktiengesellschaft für Kohlenbergbau in 1870, reveals that the flag probably dates from around 1850.

"It is definitely one of the oldest mining flags in Upper Bavaria's pitch coal mining industry," the mayor is convinced.

A counterpart to mining in Hohenpeißenberg, for example, dates back to 1880.

6300 euros in sponsorship money for restoration

In order to do justice to the historical significance of the flag, the mining museum interest group under the leadership of the second chairman Wolfgang Bloch undertook the restoration in March 2020.

Zangenfeind reported that this had been badly damaged.

Given the age, this is not surprising.

He is all the more pleased that numerous sponsors contributed to the costs of around 6300 euros: the Kreissparkasse Miesbach-Tegernsee (1200 euros), the Raiffeisenbank im Oberland (1000 euros) and the museum association from neighboring Miesbach (1000 euros ).

In addition, 1250 euros flowed from the funds of the EU funding program Leader.

"We would like to thank everyone who has worked to preserve and refurbish this impressive treasure of the past," says Zangenfeind.

It is important to keep history alive with concrete actions.

The next goal has already been set: the flag is to be re-consecrated on Club Day and then carried out again on special occasions.

Where she will find her new home, in order to keep the memory of the Miesbacher and Haushamer miners' tradition alive in the public, is not yet certain.

Of course, the mayor is thinking of the plans for a new mining museum in the vicinity of the Hausham winding tower.

"We're working on that and we're going to do everything we can to make our dream a reality."

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