ANgeSCHNITTen | Die alchemistische Deutung der Kupfergewinnung durch das Zementationsverfahren

Series of events: The manifestation of mining in arts and crafts objects

Hand stones, gilded bowls, tumblers and copper beakers from the mining district of Herrengrund, then Lower Austria, now Slovakia, were indispensable in the art chambers and natural history cabinets of the early modern period. They were used as representative souvenirs, state gifts and as a sign of status. Today they can be found in many private and public collections. The lecture series pays tribute to these unique works of art and places them in a wider context with three lectures.

Prof. Dr. Tina Asmussen, DBM and Historical Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum

Topic: "I was iron, I am copper, I will become gold". The alchemical interpretation of copper extraction through the cementation process.

At the latest from the beginning of the 16th century until the 19th century, the mining towns of Lower Hungary produced cement copper on a large scale. The focus of attention was on artistic, artistic-craft or economic-technical aspects. However, the connection between arts and crafts and the copper industry is rarely discussed, let alone the connections between industry and alchemy or cementation and transmutation. This is where the speaker comes in and explains the interweaving of economic practices with promises and hopes, but also wonder and amazement at the time.

An event organized by the Association of Friends of the German Mining Museum Bochum (VFKK).

• Costs: Participation free of charge
• Location: German Mining Museum Bochum
• Registration required at: info@vfkk.de or +49 234 5877-164
• Limited number of participants