Podkrušnohorské technické muzeum Most Museum

Welcome, distinguished visitors. At this moment, you are in a place where history meets technology and where the earth has kept the stories of thousands of people in the depths of its bowels. You are standing in front of the Podkrušnomountain technical museum in Litvínov, specifically in the cadastral area of Rosobodol. Stop for a moment, take a breath and feel the atmosphere of this area. You see the space before you, which was once not a place of peace and education, but a noisy, dusty and constantly working heart of the industrial revolution. It is the space of the former underground mine Julius the third, which today serves as a guardian of the memory of the mining and processing of brown coal in the North Bohemian pelvis.

Let us now return together in time to understand why this place is so special. Imagine the end of the 19th century. The world was changing sharply, cities were growing, and industry required huge amounts of energy. It was at this time, beyond Austria-Hungary, that Julius the third mine was opened. It was a period of great ambition and technical optimism. Coal wasn't just raw material, it was black gold that powered locomotives, factories, and drowned in households. It was here, in the Rosedole, that a chapter began to be written that would last more than a century.

Now pay attention to the area where you are moving. Look at the overall form of the area. What you see is not just a set of buildings, but a real set of industrial architecture and technical equipment from the nineteenth century. Note the details that show the functionality and robustness of the time. The whole complex is declared a cultural monument because of its value. Focus your attention, in particular, on pit elements which are key among the protected elements. The pit was basically the gateway to the underground world, the link between the surface and the depths, where the hardest struggle between man and nature took place. Feel the line of these structures and imagine how tons of coal flowed through them and how the shifts of miners who spent most of their lives flowed through them every day.

When we think about this place, we can't forget people. Although today we do not know the names of the particular architects who designed these buildings or the names of individual workers, their trail is everywhere. The story of Julius the Third is the story of endurance. The mining continued for over 120 years. Imagine the generations of families that were born in the Rosedola grew up and worked in this mine. It was hard work, full of dangers, but also pride. It is this continuity that is happening from this place that makes it unique.

Here we come to one of the biggest technical attractions related to this place. If we look at the year one thousand eight hundred ninety, we will find the installation of a steam mining machine. It was the height of technical thought at the time. Steam machines were at the heart of the industrial era, their rhythmic beating and the hissing of couples accompanied everyday life on the premises. This machine was not just a tool, it was a symbol of man's power over material. It is fascinating to think that technology, which was the top in the nineteenth century, is now a rare exhibit that helps us to understand the path we went through as humans.

But history has not only ups and downs, but also endings. After more than a century of intensive work came the moment when the resources were exhausted. Around the year a thousand nine hundred ninety-five to ninety-five, Julius the Third Mine was closed due to the smoking. That was a sad but natural end of an era. Many such places in the North Bohemian regions simply disappeared, destroyed or forgotten. But something else happened here. Instead of becoming a ruin, the site became the basis for something new.

In the year two thousand and three was founded the Podkrušnomountain technical museum. Its main objective was to protect industrial and technical monuments. The museum decided that the history of mining must not disappear, but must be documented and passed on to other generations. And because industry is a complex thing, the museum didn't just focus on coal. If you look around during your visit, you will find that it also deals with other sectors that are closely related to mining, such as the chemical and energy industries. All these areas together form a picture of a region that was essentially built on energy from brown coal.

One of the biggest attractions you should not leave out is a sample of a deep-water mantelpiece that was opened to the public in two thousand and seven. It's a place where you can feel the real atmosphere underground. It's basically a bridge between the surface that you're standing on right now and the dark world where mining used to take place. It is this opportunity to enter the space that simulates the conditions of the deep mine that fascinates visitors the most. It's a journey into depth, not only physically, but also in time.

Now that you know the basic framework of this place, I invite you to further explore. Look around you, perceive the silence that today reigns where machines used to thunder, and think about how much effort and sweat cost the creation of this industrial complex. Go through the premises, see the exposed technical elements and get sucked into a world where coal and steam ruled.

The subcircling technical museum is not just a collection of old machines. It's a monument to human work and technical progress. It's a place that reminds us that even though technology is changing and resources are depleting, the memory of how we created our world must remain alive.

I wish you an inspiring walk and a fascinating encounter with the history of the North Bohemian brown coal pan. Look forward to everything that you have in the depth and in the museum premises. I bid you farewell and leave you in the care of this fascinating place. Enjoy your time in Rosehole.