JOSEF MINE (HELENA HUBER, EMPEROR JOSEPH II.)
Introduction
One of the oldest and richest mines of Jáchymov was founded in 1520 on Schottenberg by the mining entrepreneur Huber, who named it after his wife Helena Huber. The mine was among the few that continued operating even after the Thirty Years’ War, when mining in the town largely stagnated.
History
In 1764 the last private owner sold the mine to the town of Jáchymov, which already owned the neighbouring Svornost mine, allowing the mining areas to be connected. New silver discoveries in the later 18th century brought renewed activity and modernization. On 30 September 1779 the mine was visited by Emperor Joseph II and subsequently renamed Shaft Emperor Joseph II. A notable feature was the historic horse-powered whim (göpel) from the 16th century, restored shortly before the imperial visit. In 1802 all mines of the district passed into state ownership.
During the mid-19th century, pitchblende was mined here for uranium pigments. By the early 20th century the shaft had reached about 300 metres and also served to ventilate the mining field via the approximately 700-metre section of the St Daniel hereditary adit, which included a horse-drawn track for waste removal. In 1901 a powerful water inflow discovered at the Svornost mine flooded this shaft as well, leading to its closure and partial backfilling, although the historic surface whim was preserved.
After the Second World War the shaft was reopened in connection with uranium mining. In 1948 the historic 16th-century whim was dismantled and transferred to Kutná Hora, where it was re-erected in 1949 in the outdoor exhibition of the mining museum. A steel headframe from Svornost was installed above the Josef shaft, which was eventually deepened to about 470 metres.
Present use
In 1962 a radon-rich water source was tapped here, today supplying the Běhounek sanatorium. Since 1964 the mine has served as a ventilation shaft for the Svornost mine and as a source of radon water. A major reconstruction between 1982 and 1987 removed older surface structures and added a new headframe about 15.2 metres high. The site thus remains an important part of Jáchymov’s mining heritage and spa infrastructure.
Photo gallery: https://mipalfi.rajce.idnes.cz/Jachymov,_Dul_Josef_Helena_Huber
