Toifen Creek - Mining auf der Au

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The St. Veit deposit consisted of several mining districts called Schlegelberg, auf der Au, Ragglgraben, Schwanhalt and Meseneben. The largest of the mining districts is in the area of today’s Reicher creek and Toifen creek. Finds show mining activity as early as the Bronze Age between 1850 and 1000 BC and again in the Middle Ages starting in the 13th Century. Mining at auf der Au was fi rst documented around 1529. It was last mentioned in 1548, but there are indications that some tunnels were still being mined into the 19th Century.

Mining at auf der Au may not only have been abandoned due to a lack of copper ore (tetrahedrite) that could be mined, but also, as can be inferred from a 1543 report, due to an unmanageable influx of water in the deeper parts of the mine. Of the 17 tunnels shown on the mining map from the late Middle Ages, the St. Mathäus mine transport tunnel, the St. Christoffen fissure, the St. Christoffen vein, the Allerheiligen and St. Kathrein pits and the Sunnpau mine are known by name.