Volggers family chronicle and mining in Ridnaun

The Volggers are an ancient line. As far back as the year 1330, a certain “Volker” from Ridnaun / Ridanna is first mentioned in an historical document. This surname is derived from the Old High German given name of “volcger,” which means “spear-bearer.” And the knightly fiddler and player from the famous Nibelungenlied – a story of love, power, and revenge whose main protagonists, Kriemhild and Siegfried, have fascinated countless readers for more than 800 years – also went by that name.

In 1695, a member of the Volgger Family was awarded the right to carry a coat of arms in recognition of his special services. This escutcheon consists of a vertically divided shield in blue and silver; in the blue field to the right, there’s a silver trident overlaid by a golden Rod of Asclepius entwined by two golden asps. In the silver field to the left, there’s a golden harp; above it, there’s a spiked helmet decorated with a black eagle and on both sides blue-silver helmet covers.

The proud tradition of mining in the Ridnaun valley is even older than the Volgger family. The Ridanna Valley can look back on a long and proud tradition of mining. On the Monteneve-Schneeberg mountain, between the Ridanna and Passiria Valleys, a large ore deposit runs through the mountains at an altitude of 2000 to 2500 metres above sea level. Here was one of the highest mines in Europe, where for centuries silver, lead and zinc were mined. The first written record comes from the year 1237.


Maiern, 1890
 
In 1870, the mining of zinc blende, which makes up the main part of the ore deposit, began, but could hardly be utilised before then. Schneeberg became the first mine in Tyrol and one of the most important in Europe. At the end of the valley, in Maiern, a miners’ settlement, workshops, and a large ore processing plant were built where the zinc was separated from the slag. The facility, which was converted to the flotation process in the 1920s, is still fully functional and can be visited. However, the European mining crisis eventually reached the Ridnaun valley, and in 1985, the mine was closed down, although the facility is still fully operational. The closure brought an end to the era of mining in Ridnaun, which had lasted 800 years.

What brought wealth and power to world and religious leaders meant hard work for the miners. Their living and working conditions were extremely harsh and, especially in winter, their job was very dangerous. Perhaps for this very reason, the miners’ traditions and pride are still deeply rooted in the culture of the Ridnaun valley.