Ocna de Fier

Ocna de Fier ( German Eisenstein, Hungarian Vaskö ) is a municipality in the district of Caras -Severin, Banat, Romania.

Neighboring towns

Geographical Location

Ocna de Fier is located in Dognecea Mountains in the Banat Mountains to the county road DJ 586 Bocşa - Dognecea, 25 kilometers from the district capital Resita and 100 kilometers away from the capital city of Timişoara.

History

The oldest mining evidence derived from the Bronze Age, about 4000 years ago when they won natural copper open pit here. After the conquest of the area by the Romans around the year 106 of the Mining was also daily driven. North of Ocna de Fier, at Gold Hill ( " Cracul cu aur " ) can still be seen ancient Roman facilities for gold recovery today. The medieval gold mining was last mentioned in a document from 1552. During the Ottoman rule (1554-1718) the interest in natural resources was low and the area sparsely populated. It was only during the time of the Habsburg Monarchy after 1718 was reported on the discovery of rich iron ore deposits in Morawitzatal. Due to the rapidly increasing demand of manpower the mining settlement " Morawitzadorf " was founded in 1760 and mainly inhabited by refugees Wallachian, Bufänen, forest workers and miners from the area around Baia de Arama. At the Josephine Map of 1772 this settlement is entered as " Pogschaner Eisenstein ".

The actual village " Eisenstein " was founded in 1815. At the same time German skilled workers were settled. 1855 sold the Viennese Court Chamber iron Steiner iron mines with the Banat Montan area to the Austro- Hungarian state railway company ( StEG ). 1919 was the entire Banat Mountains in Romania. Thus the StEG in a Romanian Joint Stock Company " Uzinele de Fier şi din Resita Domeniile " (UDR ) was converted.

Mining

As a result of a study tour of the Banat Mountains Bernhard von Cotta wrote in 1864 his reference work and named the texture of igneous rocks occurring here " Banatite ". 1874 was provided by the mining engineer " Anton Veszelyi " ( 1820-1888 ) iron ore samples from which the Vienna Steiner Professor Gustav Tschermak was able to identify two novel minerals, the " Ludwigit " and the " Veszelyit ". In 1972, the geologist Gruescu discovered in the iron mine "rich stone " several cross-shaped quartz crystals, novel forms of crystallization, which got the name of the discoverer, the " Gruescu - Koaxialzwillinge ". After 1990, no active mining took place more, the material of the old Halden was between 1992 and 1997, only recycled. Since 2001, this mining activity was finally stopped. Overall, an estimated 11 million tons of iron and 3 million tonnes of non-ferrous metals were recovered from iron ores Steiner over time.

Museum of aesthetic mineralogy of iron

The collector Constantin Gruescu founded at his home in Ocna de Fier an extremely valuable collection mineralogy, where particular minerals can be observed. Some are unique worldwide. The private "museum of aesthetic mineralogy of iron" (Romanian Muzeul de Estetica mineralogy al fierului ) is home to several rare minerals ( andradite, Ludwigit, Dogneceait, Warthait ) and stones. End of the 20th century turned Gruescu before its mineralogy collection and donated some copies of Romanian and foreign individuals and public institutions. Teachers and professionals, students and celebrities, tourists and visitors from all over the world have admired more than 2000 copies counting collection. His most prominent visitors was the Dutch Queen Beatrix.

Gallery

Rare ores from the mining area Ocna de Fier, exhibited in the Museum of aesthetic mineralogy of the iron:

Hematite Andradites

Grossular

Veszelyite

Pyromorphite

Tourism

Due to the beautiful landscape, Eisenstein has gradually developed into a tourist magnet. More and more strangers here bought up houses and transformed them into holiday homes. The karst landscape with numerous valleys, canyons caves is attractive mainly for sport climbers. Approximately 17 caves and the largest vertical rock wall of the Banat (116 meters) are to be found here. Old mine dumps and open-pit mines offer the hobby mineralogists numerous finds. For mining archaeologists provides the area " Gold Hill " with his unexplored Roman gallery system. The highlight of any exploration tour is the visit to the museum of aesthetic mineralogy of the iron.

Demography

The largest population had Ocna de Fier exhibit in the 1960s. Since then, the population has been declining steadily. The village gradually transforms into a holiday and leisure area.

Personalities

Personalities who have rendered by their works and activities in and around Ocna de Fier:

• Alexander Kissling, nonfiction author the iron mining Steiner (1967 )
• Constantin Gruescu, (born 1924), mining engineer and mineral collector, member of the Romanian Society of Geographical Sciences

Twinning

• Since 1997 there is a partnership with the Alsatian community Osenbach.