The building, also known as the ‘Zechenhaus’, is still popularly known as the ‘Buckering’.
There have been numerous smaller mining areas in the catchment area of the Gelbach Valley and its tributary valleys since the end of the Middle Ages. In addition to iron ore, lead, silver and copper were mainly mined here. Spoil heaps between the two ponds on the grounds of the neighbouring Hochwildschutzpark still bear witness to the mining activities in the immediate vicinity. Johann (Jean) Marioth, an entrepreneur from Liège/Belgium, acquired several mining rights and fiefdoms around Montabaur up to the Lahn valley.
In addition to the mining operations, he also built processing facilities in the 17th century, such as the iron hammer near Montabaur (hammer mill) and various smelting works. The relics/remains of walls still visible here belonged to a smelting works that had been in operation since 1660. The facility is popularly known as ‘Buckerig’. The smelting works, which was still in operation around 1800, belonged to Mayor Löhr of Montabaur at the time.
According to tradition, the smelting furnace was put into operation twice a year to smelt the ore. Two hundredweights of coal were needed for one hundredweight of ore. As coal was not mined in our area, charcoal was used, which was smouldered in charcoal kilns in the surrounding forests. The charcoal burners' sites can still be found today in the surrounding forest areas. At the beginning of the 19th century, the small smelting operation was no longer profitable and was closed down. The building was temporarily used as a
Contact and directions
Großer Markt 12
56410 Montabaur
