Soon it will be "miners' day"

The 29 golden buttons of St. Barbara

Miners of the Salinen Austria in front of the Erbstollen in Ischl: Petra Diendorfer, Michael Lanthaler (center); Artur Höllwerth.(Bild: Hörmandinger Reinhard)

Preparations are in full swing: from Friday, May 24 to Sunday, May 26, the 18th European Miners' and Metallurgy Day will take place in Bad Ischl. 1500 miners from several nations are expected. They will present and celebrate the traditions of the miners.

"Miners have a dangerous bread-and-butter profession, which is why they stick together like crazy," says Artur Höllwerth, Chairman of the Bad Ischl Saltworks Music Band. Petra Diendorfer, geologist at Salinen Austria, nods in agreement.

She is the only female employee who also works underground and talks about her job: "I explore the deposits, analyze boreholes to determine where the richest salt for mining is."

You also need a patron saint down there, which is even symbolized by the "black costume", the "mountain coat". "It has 29 gold-plated buttons that represent the years of St. Barbara's life, who stands by us miners," says Diendorfer. The top three buttons must remain open: "They symbolize the three years that St. Barbara had to spend in captivity."

"You have to be able to rely on each other"
The tunnels are not only deep in the mountain, but also extensive: "There are 69 kilometers of tunnels in the Altaussee mine, 23.1 kilometers of which are accessible. There are 18 mine levels," she gives an example. "There are always two of you, because if something happens, at least one of you can get help."

The salt works music with a flag, with St. Barbara on it.(Bild: Plamberger Fotografie)

"Glück auf!" across borders
Cohesion, the traditional costume and the salt works bands are central elements that are part of the proudly lived miners' tradition.

On the 18th European Miners' and Metallurgists' Day, this will be celebrated in Ischl together with miners from several nations. "It makes me proud that so many people are coming and pulling together to carry on our traditions," admits Höllwerth.

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Sword dance and parade as major highlights
The Salinenmusikkapelle Ischl organizes the event, which is spread over three days. Some of the public events are not to be missed. The event opens on Friday, May 24 with the beer tapping in the festival tent (7 pm). On Saturday, May 25, there will be a traditional parade (5 p.m.) with associations from the 23 partner regions of the Capital of Culture 2024. The highlight for the miners is the "Dürrnberg Sword Dance" (20:30), as this 500-year-old dance is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The culture of salt has shaped the people of this region, creating a special culture that is still alive today.

Hannes Androsch, Aufsichtsratvorsitzender Salinen Austria AG

The grand finale on Sunday, May 26 is the "Mountain Parade" (11 a.m.) with miners' associations from all over Europe. And: "The entire salt mining industry will be marching along," says a delighted Michael Lanthaler, Mining Operations Manager. Each location of the salt works - Altaussee, Hallstadt, Bad Ischl, Ebensee, Hallein and Hall in Tirol - has its own flag and a band. "Everyone is there!"