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Käpfnach mine (Käpfnach-Gottshalden; Gottshalden; Gwandlen; Horgen), Horgen, Zürich, Switzerlandi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Käpfnach mine (Käpfnach-Gottshalden; Gottshalden; Gwandlen; Horgen) | Mine (Inactive) |
| Horgen | District |
| Zürich | Canton |
| Switzerland | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
47° 15' 11'' North , 8° 36' 49'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Area:
3.0 km2
Type:
Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2019
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Horgen / Käpfnach | 810 (2006) | 0.1km |
| Bätpur | 109 (2006) | 0.4km |
| Horgen / Allmend | 3,809 (2006) | 0.9km |
| Horgen / Horgen (Dorfkern) | 6,140 (2006) | 1.0km |
| Horgen | 15,973 (2015) | 1.4km |
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Bergwerk Käpfnach, Horgen, Zürich, Switzerland
Other Languages:
German:
Bergwerk Käpfnach, Bezirk Horgen, Kanton Zürich, Schweiz
A former coal and marl mine approx 14 km S of Zürich working a coal seam (Pechkohle) in the Upper Freshwater Molasse (OSM).
Gottshalden, Gwandlen and Käpfnach are separate systems but were some of the time worked jointly and their underground workings are connected.
The underground workings with about 15 adit-entrances and 5 air shafts had a total length of over 50 miles.
Locations
Museum adit N47.25327 E8.61350 688932 234261 (CH 1903)
Adit N47.25590 E8.61111 688746 234550 (CH 1903)
Aabach N47.25033 E8.61403 688977 233934 (CH 1903)
Gottshalden N47.24861 E8.62899 690112 233760 (CH 1903)
Gwandlen N47.24488 E8.61517 689072 233330 (CH 1903)
Rotwegstollen N47.25583 E8.61113 688748 234543 (CH 1903) accessible in 1995, but is on private land.
Production
1784 – 1896 approx. 275’000 metric tons
WW I approx. 6’500 metric tons
WW II approx. 41’000 metric tons
It is estimated that approx. 300’000 tons are still in the mine’s area.
The coal was of low quality with high sulfur content therefore it was not economic to mine the coal in times of peace.
The adjoining rocks (mainly argillaceous marl and calcareous marl) have been used in the nearby Käpfner Zement Werk (Zementi) for the production of portland cement, bricks and fertilizer.
Fossilizations of ferns, oaks, mastodon and many others were found in the mine.
First records are in the Schweizer Chronik, Volume II of 1548 by Johannes Stumpf, but it is assumed that the surface coal seam was already exploited in roman times.
The lore says that weird small dark men showed up in Horgen who disappeared in a hole in the mountain side in the Aabachtobel and came back with baskets full of unknown material. The suspicious local farmers thought it was gold and assaulted the small men and took away their baskets. They contained only an unknown black material. Many years later the farmers found that it was coal which could replace the more expensive wood for burning.
Today the mine is a museum and one can enter one of the adits on a guided tour.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
5 valid minerals.
Detailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Celestine Formula: SrSO4 References: |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
| ⓘ Jarosite Formula: KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 References: |
| ⓘ Native Sulphur Formula: S8 References: |
| ⓘ Natrojarosite Formula: NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Sulphur | 1.CC.05 | S8 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Celestine | 7.AD.35 | SrSO4 |
| ⓘ | Jarosite | 7.BC.10 | KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Natrojarosite | 7.BC.10 | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| H | ⓘ Natrojarosite | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Celestine | SrSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| O | ⓘ Natrojarosite | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Natrojarosite | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Celestine | SrSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| S | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Natrojarosite | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| S | ⓘ Native Sulphur | S8 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Jarosite | KFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Fe | ⓘ Natrojarosite | NaFe3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| Sr | Strontium | |
| Sr | ⓘ Celestine | SrSO4 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
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Käpfnach mine, Horgen, Zürich, Switzerland