Transporting silver-bearing lead to Schwaz
When mining in the Tyrol was at its peak, from 1450, the local prince and other entrepreneurs/ managed large foundries in the low Inn valley. Although the tetrahedrite from Schwaz contained large amounts of silver, in order to separate the noble metal from the copper ore, it first had to be enriched with lead. The Schneeberg mine thus became the main supplier of the necessary lead. At times, lead was even more in demand than the abundant silver ore. The owners of the Schwaz foundries, who managed shafts at mainly for this reason, were thus obliged to finance ore transport northwards, which was lengthy, difficult and expensive.
In the crushing mills and sorting plants of Schneeberg, lead ore was loaded into leather sacks and carried down to the Lazzacher Tal by horses or mules through the Schneebergscharte, at an altitude of 2,700 metres.
One driver could guide six to eight animals, in moments of penury, or sometimes up to twenty. The present-day track through the Schneebergscharte partly still runs along the old mule-track.
On the valley bottom, near the ruin of the Poschhaus, was an intermediate ore depot and an inn. From this point, the ore was dragged on a sort of two-wheeled trolley or, if there was snow, on a sledge. Deep furrows in the paved path, in places clearly visible, can still be seen along the Lazzacher Tal.
There were at least three ore depots in Val Ridnaun, of which one belonged to the local prince and two to the Fugger family. Here the prince was assigned the tenth part, i.e., the quota of ore which was due to him. At the foot of the Magdalena hill, not far from the present-day Sonklarhof hotel, was a foundry where, until 1713, the ore was smelted for silver and lead. There was also the foundry inn, the Hütterwirt, later called Zum Steinbock. The place is still marked as a Hütte (foundry) on topographic maps.
However, most of the silver-bearing lead ore was taken to Sterzing in two-wheeled carts. The route first crossed the very steep and dangerous rocky slope of the Achenrain gorge, north of the Chapel of St. Magdalena, to Mareit, then followed the left bank of the Ridnaun, passed through Unterackern and over the small Eisenstecken pass, to Sterzing.
If the paths were damaged by storms or floods, the ore was carried by mule through Telfes and Tunes to Sterzing. In the 18th century, a new and better road was constructed, still partly in a good state, through Gasse and Durach to Mareit, thus avoiding the Achenrain gorge, threatened by erosion.
Sterzing had other intermediate depots for ore.
Part of the lead-bearing ore from Schneeberg, but also that from Telfes and Pflersch, was smelted in the foundries at Wiesen and Grasstein. But most was dragged by horses in heavy, four-wheeled carts across the Brenner pass to Matrei and then, on the ancient salt road, through Ellbögen and Patsch, to Hall, where it was loaded on large rafts or barges on the Inn and floated downriver to the foundries at Brixlegg, Jenbach and Rattenberg. The total distance was more than 100 km.
The type of transport varied according to the terrain, the season, and the conditions of the roads. Those driving draught animals were exclusively peasants from Passeier, Ridnaun and Sterzing. They mainly stipulated contracts with their employers for five years and were also able, upon occasion, to exert pressure on them and ask for more money, because the foundries depended so heavily on lead ore at certain periods.
The ore was only transported in summer. The drivers also had to furnish the high mine, around which timber had been felled long since, with wood for building, as fuel, for gallery supports and charcoal, and with other necessities such as materials for lighting and food. The 83-hectare area of woodland in the Lazzacher Tal is still today called Kohlwald (charcoal wood), and was only available to the Schneeberg mine. Entire villages were sometimes involved in various activities linked to mining and ore transport. The nine Mairhöfe (absolute properties, that is, free of feudal constraints) at Maiern in the Ridnauntal were obliged for centuries to care for the draught animals and to feed their drivers when they passed through. The animals were also allowed to graze in the Lazzacher Tal pastures and at Schneeberg. As well as ore transport, the Schneeberg drivers and carriers were also obliged to take wine and vinegar from the Kelleramt (the supplies office of the local prince) of Meran to the court at Innsbruck, a task which they mainly undertook when hauling ore was not possible.
On December 19 1664, the nine peasants of the Mairhöfe at Ridnaun asked Archduke Sigmund Franz to reconfirm their letter of liberty, which had last been renewed by Emperor Rudolf on November 28 1597. According to the terms of this letter, they had the right, annually, to take six cartloads of salt (1 cart = 3 half-bushels = 168 kg) free of charge from the Hall salt-works. In exchange, however, for the sum of 18 florins, throughout the year they were obliged to allow draught animals to graze, provide the drivers with food, and give their horses and mules hay and whatever else they needed, when they came down from the mine with ore. They only received 5 kreuzer from the drivers for their meals, and the same sum for stabling and fodder for one horse, and 3 kreuzer for fodder at midday. Reconfirmation of this letter of liberty was requested because the officer at the Hall salt-works continually asked for an increase when the carriers came to collect their carts of salt.
The letter of liberty was reconfirmed.
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