Luck and Misfortune in Mining

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Working underground has always been very challenging and dangerous. Especially in the 19th century when until 1867 (when Alfred Nobel invented dynamite) black powder had to be used for blasting in mining. Many dangers lurked underground for the minder, son it is not surprising that records in the medical books show up to 300 injuries and one to three fatalities per operating year. Nut not only in the mine did this work claim its victims. In the 19th century, it was primarily malnutrition (vitamin C deficiency) that affected them, and with the introduction of drilling machines came the lung diseases "Scoliosis", shortening the lives of many miners.

A particular stroke of luck, almost a miracle, occurred on September 28, 1883, at 7:00 in the morning, at the Maria Hilf - Stollen in Mitterberg. During a mining accident, 19 miners were buried, and after 35 hours of anxiety, they were rescued unharmed from the mine. As a token of gratitude, people made a pilgrimage to the pilgrimage church in Maria Kirchental, where the depiction of this event still stands today.