A new mine is to supply the raw material for the venerable Meissen porcelain manufactory. The mine in Seilitz (district of Meissen) was put into operation on Monday. It is operated by just two miners, making it the smallest mine in Europe. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the kaolin in the ground here is particularly pure. The porcelain clay does not contain any impurities of iron oxide or titanium oxide, so that no gray, yellow or blue tint is visible in the end product. Meissen porcelain will continue to be characterized by a strikingly radiant white, it said.
The new extraction site is located only about 150 meters from the previous shaft. Kaolin for the Blue Swords porcelain has been mined in Seilitz since 1764. The new mine is intended to secure the demand for kaolin for at least another 50 years. It is no coincidence that the mine was opened on a Monday. December 4 is also known as St. Barbara's Day. The saint of the Catholic Church is considered the patron saint of miners. A statue of Saint Barbara was erected in the newly built shaft building in the presence of Economics Minister Martin Dulig (SPD).
Kaolin is also known as "white gold". According to legend, kaolin was discovered in Seilitz by chance. After the inventors of European porcelain, Johann Friedrich Böttger and Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhaus, had found the right recipe for the coveted product at the beginning of the 18th century, the manufactory founded in 1710 initially sourced its material from the Aue region. One day, a man working in his field in Seilitz is said to have discovered white spikes on the plow. In 1764, this spot then became a supplier for the manufactory.
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