Blowing engine building Alte Elisabeth Fundgrube mine

A few metres northwest of the building complex a single-storey, timber-framed building is located. Originally the house was built as a shelter and did not belong to the mines surface structures. It houses several blowing engines, amongst the Schwarzeberggebläse (blowing engine), designed by engineer CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH BRENDEL [*1776 †1861] at Antonsthal in1826. After the closing of the Antonshütte in 1860 it was moved in 1862 to the Halsbrücke smeltery, where it operated until 1925, and in 1936 it was moved to the Alte Elisabeth as one of Germany’s earliest protected technical monument. This cast iron blowing engine is a masterpiece of mechanical engineering built in gothic style. It marks the changeover from pre-industrial charcoal based smelting to industrial coke-based smelting in the smelting works of the Saxon Ore Mountains. Additionally the building hosts a hutch fan and a bag bellow.