On the northern side of the Lange Hütte was the Probierstube (assay office), in which the raw materials were tested for their metal content. Further extensions to the building were a Gestübekammer (coking chamber) with crushing mill, roasting hearth and a water mill.
The long drive shafts of three water wheels attached to the building operated the bellows for five large shaft furnaces and two smaller finishing hearths.
There was a kiln and five liquation hearths on the eastern wall of the building.
Cupellation (treiben), the final metallurgical step in the silver recovery process, was carried out in the Treibehaus.
‘Garen’, the metallurgical process of fabricating the (tough-pitch) copper, largely took place in the Garhaus, which was already a separate building as far back as the 16th century.
Above the main entrance to the Lange Hütte was a large coat of arms.
In 1952/53, the Lange Hütte was razed to its foundations.
Between 1992 and 1994, the foundations of the Saigerhütte were exposed, secured and partially rebuilt. In order to illustrate the technology used in this foundry and the technological aspects of the liquation process, various items of technical equipment have been reconstructed in recent years, including different types of furnaces and bellows, largely where they originally stood.
You can also find here:
- Kupferbrechherd (copper breaking hearth)
- Frischherd (finery hearth)
History:
- 1537 Construction of a smeltery for extracting silver from coarse copper in the centre of the site
- 1562 Reconstruction by the descendants of Christoph Uthmann
- 1567 Compulsory sale to Augustus, Prince Elector of Saxony
- 1853 Liquation comes to an end – use of the building as a foundry and workshop
- 1952 Demolition of the Lange Hütte due to dilapidation
- 1992-1994 Reconstruction as an open-air museum
Further information about the Saigerhütte heritage site
