002.87.Idrija

Idrija Municipal Museum, Prelovčeva 9, SI-5280 Idrija; Municipality of Idrija, Mestni trg 1, SI-5280 Idrija; Slovenski državni gozdovi d.o.o, Rožna ulica 39, SI-1330 Kočevje

Public

Idrija Municipal Museum, Prelovčeva 9, SI-5280 Idrija; Municipality of Idrija, Mestni trg 1, SI-5280 Idrija; The Republic of Slovenia, Soške Elektrarne Nova Gorica d.o.o., Erjavčeva ulica 20, SI-5000 Nova Gorica.

EŠD 187

Mine, Built heritage - industrial

The Kobila dam captures water, which then flows into the Rake Channel all the way to Idrija. The water level is controlled with a gate system. The water pump on water drive for pumping the pit water cave - Kamšt (Ger. Wasserkunst) is located in the monumental brick building. The roof of the Kamšti is double-eaved, covered with shingles, with three dormers. The Rake water channel the Kamšti building were interconnected with a steel delivery pipe (outer diameter 1 m).

Kamšt: area 74.3 m2, height 12.7 m, wheel diameter 13.6 m; Rake: 3,639 m long channel.

Wood, steel, stone, concrete.

Kamšt: 1790; Rake: 1604 (wooden), 1770 (built).

Idrija Mercury Mine

The containment of the Idrijca River above the Wild Lake (Slovene: Divje jezero) at Kobila and the construction of the Rake Water Channel was an important modernisation of the Mine (at the end of the 18th century). The drive water from Rake initially powered the smaller water wheels at the Achatius' Shaft, Barbara's Shaft, Theresa's Shaft and Joseph's shaft. In addition to that, it also powered the machines for ore screening and crushing, the mills and saws, the forging hammers and bellows in the mine forge and also the machines in the mechanical workshop. Later, it served to power the Kamšti. The water wheel was turning the shafts and powered the pumping bars through the system. Water pumping, necessary for safe ore excavation, was done in three stages. The piston pumps were mounted on the XI, IX and III main levels. The drive water wheel span 4 to 5 times per minute, the capacity of the pumps was approximately 300 litres of pit water per minute, from 283m below the surface.

The Kamšt, the Kobila dam on the Idrijca River and the Rake Channel are being preserved, secured and presented as important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. The Kobila Dam and the Rake Channel server as the drive water inflow of the power plant HE Mesto. Along Rake there is a 2.5 km long walking educational trail of Idrija naturalists, which takes place on the Zgornja Idrijca Regional Park area. The Kamšt is the first facility of the Idrija Municipal Museum in the mining collection and exhibition “Idrija Kamšt”, to be opened to the public (9/10/1954). A part of the piston pump from the III main level of the Idrija Mine is exhibited in front of the Kamšti building. The Kamšt represents an important architectural heritage of the former Mine. Inside the building, there is the largest such wooden water wheel preserved in Europe and the only pump of this type in Slovenia, which stands “in situ”.

2357 Idrija – town, lot no. 974/1 (including the building no. 1074). Rake – 2357 Idrija – town, lot no. 2684 (part), 2650, 2651, 2716; 2356 Čekovnik – Idrija, lot no. 1106, 1117, 1019/4, 1100/2 (part), 947/2.

No changes.

A conservation plan was made for the Kamšt;
1952 - Disassembly of the suction bars, export and the placement of the kamšt parts, replacement of the shingles;
1971 - separating the Kamšti building from the rock and the static rehabilitation of the facility;
1991–1994 Reconstruction of the underground water channel between the Kamšt and the Idrijca River, renovation of the drive wheel foundation refurbishment, foundation drive wheels and the roof replacement on the building;
2009 the implementation of the preventive conservation.

good

Performing regular maintenance services by the programme, including status control and preservation, security and presentation of the heritage. It needs to be arranged that the wheel on the kamšt will turn, so that the water will be properly drained. The reconstruction of the lever bars is required.

- The Cultural Heritage Register of the Republic of Slovenia;
- Ordinance on the proclamation of the technical heritage in the Idrija and its surroundings for cultural monuments of national importance. Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia no. 66/01, 55/02, 16/08;
- Historical Archives of Ljubljana, Idrija Unit, plan collection, drawer no. B7;
- Kolo časa. Idrijski razgledi, 18/2, 2003;
- Ob Rakah. Po poti idrijskih naravoslovcev: Rudnik živega srebra Idrija v zapiranju d.o.o., Idrija;
Carmina historica: Idrija Municipal Museum, Idrija, 1999.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

2. 3. 2018

Never