EDUARD MINE NEAR JÁCHYMOV
Introduction
The sinking of the Eduard shaft began in 1948, making it one of the few mines in the Jáchymov area that did not originate as a silver mine. Nevertheless, the locality had been used for mining earlier. As early as the 18th century, adits from the Eliáš and Werner (Rovnost) mines reached this area, and several smaller silver adits, such as Heinzenteicher, as well as exploration shafts, existed here.
History and operation
The shaft, with six levels, reached a depth of about 365 metres and was connected to the Rovnost and Eliáš mines. Together with the Rovnost I, Eliáš and Nikolaj shafts and part of the Klement mining field, Eduard formed the so-called Rovnost ore node. This mining area covered about 3.25 km² and, with a production of roughly 3,180 tonnes of uranium, represented a medium-sized deposit within the Jáchymov district.
The mine had no camp of its own, and prisoners walked roughly one kilometre from the Nikolaj camp. Because it was impossible to build a barbed-wire corridor across the busy road between the sites, prisoners were moved in a formation known as the “Jáchymov bus”. This was not a vehicle – the prisoners were forced into a tight group and encircled with a steel cable, in which formation they crossed the road. If someone stumbled or slipped, the cable would cut painfully into the bodies of the others.
Work in the mine ran in three shifts, with the first from six in the morning until two in the afternoon. Waste rock and ore were not transported in mine carts but lifted to the surface using a skip hoisting system.
Surface complex
A complex of technical buildings was constructed at the surface, many of which have survived to this day. These include the long staircase leading from the road to the shaft, the engine house, transformer station, changing house, infirmary and massive reinforced-concrete anchor blocks that stabilised the headframe against the pull of the hoisting cables. The mine ceased operation in the early 1960s together with the gradual decline of uranium mining in the Jáchymov district.
Present state
A large waste heap gradually formed near the mine. In the mid-1970s it was reshaped and a biathlon complex was built there. It served both for training the Czechoslovak national team and for hosting international competitions, including World Cup races. The site thus underwent a remarkable transformation—from a place associated with uranium mining and forced labour into a sporting and recreational area.
Photo gallery: https://mipalfi.rajce.idnes.cz/Jachymov%2C_Dul_Eduard/
