As early as 1220, there is documentary evidence that the archbishop of Mainz was granted mining rights. In the 18th century, the mines in the Lahnstein Forest were given to a union from Oberlahnstein for mining. In 1852, the Friedrichssegen mine, as it was now called, was sold and operated as the Anonymous Joint Stock Company of the Friedrichssegen Silver and Lead Mine. The mine workings were constantly expanded in the following years: six shafts with a total depth of 664m, eight adits and 17 deep workings with a total length of 21,723m, of which 18,200m were drivable with rails for trolleys (Hunte). Lead, spar iron and zinc were successfully mined here until 1913.

The ores were processed by a modern electromagnetic processing plant. In 1913, the Friedrichssegen mining company went bankrupt, the population became impoverished, and the buildings fell into disrepair and were mostly demolished.

Further information: Lahnstein City Archives, Bernd Geil; Tel.: 02621-914-296, archiv@lahnstein.de