Research

The current collection of the South Tyrol Mining Museum includes some 2,500 inventory entries, with many of them collection inventory numbers. As the founding of the Mining Museum occurred almost simultaneously with the closure of mining operations in Prettau in 1971 and in Ridnaun in 1985, the inventory of the Ridnaun mine was transferred to the Museum, which is why for example the spare parts supply for the most recently used machines and vehicles has been almost completely preserved. These parts are still stored in the former depot and compiled as part of the collection, since the individual items number in the thousands. What were formerly tools and utensils thus became cultural and museum objects. They are joined by collections of objects that relate to the scientific investigation of the mining area, including thousands of rock samples, drilling cores, laboratory ware and soil samples from the probing campaigns of the 20^th century, which were also added to the Collection. The showcases in the permanent exhibitions currently hold mainly personal memorabilia, private photo collections and working implements from the former miners who were employed in the industrial mining operations in Ridnaun and on the Schneeberg during the 19^th and 20^th centuries.