FOUNDING FATHERS
Introduction
When discussing the origins of Jáchymov, the Schlik family is usually mentioned first – owners of the territory and initially of the town and its mint. Less well known is the fact that they did not act alone. Several key personalities were involved in conceiving, organising and stabilising the new mining centre.
At that time, all ores legally belonged to the king, who alone could grant permission for their extraction. Logically, the monarch might have taken control of the area and organised mining through royal officials. Instead, Jáchymov became a noble town, and both the mines and the mint were owned by the Schlik family and other investors. Behind this unusual arrangement stood five men who can rightly be considered the town’s founding fathers.
Jan Pluh of Rabštejn
The first mover
Jan Pluh belonged to a noble family settled in north-western Bohemia. He is associated with the earliest reports of silver discoveries near the abandoned settlement of Konradsgrünn. He participated in the initial exploration of the deposit and established contacts between the Schlik family and mining experts, particularly in Saxony. After 1517, however, he receded into the background as stronger investors entered the enterprise.
Wolf of Schönberg
Representative of the Ore Mountain mining elite
Wolf of Schönberg came from a family of mining specialists active in Annaberg and Freiberg. He brought financial resources to the emerging settlement and proved to be a capable organiser. Most importantly, he secured the arrival of experienced mining professionals from Saxony. His name lent the project credibility and prestige. As the Schlik administration consolidated its control, he withdrew, though he remained active in Saxon mining.
Hans Thumshirn of Annaberg
The practical mining organiser
Hans Thumshirn was a mining entrepreneur from Annaberg who organised the practical operation of mining in Jáchymov. He possessed what was most needed in the early phase – hands-on knowledge. He introduced Saxon miners, implemented proven mining procedures and established working discipline. Eventually, he too was pushed aside by more powerful investors and returned to Saxony.
Alexander Leissnig
The noble stabiliser
Referred to in some sources as Leissnik or Leyßnig, Alexander Leissnig was a member of the higher Imperial nobility. His contribution was primarily financial, but equally important was his political influence and network of contacts. He helped stabilise the border region between Bohemia and Saxony and set basic rules at a time when no formal mining code yet existed. After conditions stabilised, he withdrew, regarding Jáchymov as only one of his economic interests.
Heinrich von Könneritz
The architect of the system
Heinrich von Könneritz, from a Saxon noble family, was appointed the first mining governor of the town. In 1518 he participated in drafting the Mining Code and between 1518 and 1525 served as mining governor, overseer of the mint and supervisor of judicial matters in the town. In 1525 his house was plundered and all written records destroyed. After 1540 he left Jáchymov for Saxony, where he remained in princely service until his death on 15 March 1551.
Conclusion
These five men do not form a random list. Each contributed an essential element: discovery and initiative, capital and expertise, technical execution, political backing and institutional governance. Through their combined efforts, within only a few years a town emerged that ranked among the richest and most influential in Europe.
