Nassauer Marmor oder Lahnmarmor – ein weltweit bekannter

Transcription

SDGG, Heft 59 – Denkmalgesteine: Festschrift – Wolf-Dieter Grimm
187
Kirnbauer, T. (2008): Nassau Marble (Nassauer Marmor) or Lahn Marble (Lahnmarmor) – a famous Devonian dimension
stone from Germany. – In: Siegesmund, S. & Snethlage, R. (Hrsg.): Denkmalgesteine – Festschrift – Wolf-Dieter Grimm.
– Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften, Heft 59: S. 187-218; Hannover.
Nassauer Marmor oder Lahnmarmor – ein weltweit bekannter
Naturwerkstein aus Deutschland
Nassau Marble or Lahn Marble – a famous Devonian dimension stone from Germany
Thomas Kirnbauer
TFH Georg Agricola, Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Geologie der Steine und Erden – Mineralische Baustoffe, Herner Straße
45, D-44787 Bochum, Germany, kirnbauer@tfh-bochum.de
Kurzfassung
Etwa 400 Jahre lang, bis in die Siebzigerjahre des 20.
Jahrhunderts, wurden mittel- bis oberdevonische Riffkalksteine aus der Lahnmulde (Rhenohercynikum,
Variscisches Gebirge) als Naturwerksteine gewonnen.
Sie wurden als „Nassauer Marmor“, später als „Lahnmarmor“ vertrieben. Die zahlreichen Varietäten wurden weltweit vor allem im Innenausbau von Gebäuden
verwendet. Die vorliegende Arbeit nimmt die erste
Bestandsaufnahme aller Steinbrüche und Handelsnamen vor und ordnet diese dem historischen Kontext zu.
In der Zeit zwischen ≈1600 und ≈1970 lassen sich über
100 Steinbrüche nachweisen. Handelsnamen sind ab
1883 eingeführt worden. Im Rahmen eines laufenden
Projekts konnten bislang ca. 70 Steinbrüche identifiziert
und beprobt werden. Etwa 125 Handelsnamen können
nachgewiesen werden, von denen die meisten einer
Gewinnungsstelle zugeordnet werden können. Für jede
Lagerstätte werden, sofern möglich, Verwendungsbeispiele aufgeführt. Die gesamte Produktion an Nassauer Marmor bzw. Lahnmarmor kann auf ca. 75.000
m3 abgeschätzt werden. Die auf faziellen Merkmalen
basierende visuelle Herkunftsbestimmung ist derzeit
nur in Kombination mit historischen Daten möglich.
Mehrere Datenbanken wurden angelegt, so für Objekte
aus Nassauer Marmor und Literatur (derzeit mit > 750
bzw. > 500 Datensätzen), die diese multidimensionale
Herangehensweise unterstützen. Die vorliegende Studie kombiniert das erste Mal Geländedaten mit den
Ergebnissen historischer Forschung.
Abstract
Middle to Late Devonian reef limestones were used as
dimension stone for approximately 400 years until the
seventies of the 20th century. Found in the Lahn syncline within the Rhenohercynian Zone of the Variscan
belt (Germany), the trade name was Nassau Marble,
later Lahn Marble. Showing numerous varieties it was
used mainly for interior decoration of buildings worldwide. Here a first inventory of all quarries and trade
names is reported and related to the historical context.
From ≈ 1600 to ≈ 1970 more than 100 quarries were
operated. Trade names have been introduced around
1883. In the course of this study, about 70 quarries
could be identified and sampled, and about 125 trade
names were verified; nearly all of them can be related
to a quarry. Examples are cited, if possible. The total
production of Lahn Marble can be estimated as about
75,000 m3. It is shown that the facies-based visual
determination of provenance is possible only in combination with historical information. Several databases
were set up (e.g. Nassau Marble objects and literature,
at the moment > 750 and > 500 records respectively)
and support this multidimensional approach. For the
first time data of new field work is combined with
historical research.
Schlüsselwörter: Nassauer Marmor, Lahnmarmor,
Deutschland, Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Lahnmulde, Devon, Naturwerkstein, Provenienzanalyse
Key words: Nassau Marble, Lahn Marble, Nassauer
Marmor, Lahnmarmor, Germany, Rhenish Massif,
Lahn syncline, Devonian, dimension stone, provenance analysis
Introduction
No German dimension stone shows a greater variety
of colour, texture and pattern than the Nassau Marble or Lahn Marble (German: Nassauer Marmor or
Lahnmarmor), of which numerous varieties and trade
names are known. Nassau Marble was extracted in
several dozen quarries on both sides of the Lahn River
for approximately 400 years. Activities ceased in the
seventies of the 20th century. Although named marble,
from a geologist’s point of view it is limestone made up
of reef carbonates of Middle to Late Devonian age. It is
exposed in the Lahn syncline, which is one of the most
important structures in the Rhenohercynian Zone of
the Variscan belt in Northwestern Europe. Spatially,
the quarry region is a 60 km long but narrow area at
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both sides of the Lahn River. It reaches from Wetzlar
in the northeast across Weilburg and Limburg into the
district of Diez and Katzenelnbogen in the southwest.
The trade name Nassau Marble – later, i. e. in the 20th
century, Lahn Marble – has been adopted, because
limestone, which is capable of taking a high polish
in general is called “marble” by stonemasons since
Roman times.
Nassau Marble was used as a decorative element in
the interior decoration of countless buildings all over
the world. The Empire State Building in New York,
the Moscow Kremlin and the Tagore Castle in Kolkata
are prominent examples. In Germany, thousands of
churches, castles, palaces, public and office buildings,
hotels and residential buildings were furnished with
Lahn Marble. Above all, during restoration of historic
buildings the question has to be answered, which of
the many Lahn Marble varieties has been used.
Both standard works (Müller 1976 ff; Grimm 1990)
which provide meaningful coloured photos of polished slabs present only four and seven Lahn Marble
varieties, respectively. Thus, to date the high diversity of varieties actually used in architecture is not
reflected in the scientific literature. In the last years
geoscientists in their attempts to determine the source
of the various stones used the knowledge of the last
stonemason masters, who worked with Lahn Marble
(e.g. Schroeder 1999). Within the scope of this study
it turned out that provenance studies, which are based
exclusively on the macroscopic features (structure,
texture, colour, fossil content) and therefore on the
sedimentological, diagenetic and palaeontological inventory, are the more unreliable the more the age of the
building under consideration exceeds the life span of
the contemporary witness. For the most part, incorrect
provenance assignments are founded on the usage of
reference material from the time after World War II
for buildings older than that. Lack of knowledge exists
about the material used in former centuries.
Based on a first overview (Becker & Kirnbauer 1998),
a project was started to remedy this gap in knowledge.
The project, started several years ago, has been estab
lished at the University of Applied Sciences Georg
Agricola in Bochum. Main aim of the project is the
systematic registration of all Lahn Marble quarries
and varieties. The project is carried out in collaboration with the “Lahn-Marmor-Museum” Society in
Villmar.
The following data are registered in databases:
• Location of quarries,
• Operation time, owners, operators and output of
each quarry,
• Stratigraphy and facies of all varieties. This includes a collection of slabs,
• Colour photographs of sample slabs. Such photographs, including the trade mark, can be found in
advertising brochures and material, which were
distributed to architects,
• Objects and ensembles of objects containing Nassau Marble (e.g. one object is the Mannheim Jesuit
church). Up to now the database comprises > 750
objects,
• Literature dealing with the geology, history of
quarrying and processing and using Nassau Marble
in architecture. Up to now this database includes
> 500 titles.
One of the main aims of the project is to establish solid
assignments of the > 100 trade marks to known quarries on the one hand and the certain identification of
varieties in pieces of architecture on the other hand.
The systematic description of all Nassau Marble quarries known to date, is the main focus of the article in
hand. For all quarries details are given to time/duration
of operation and to the trade names which were used.
If possible, characteristic slabs and identified pieces of
architecture or buildings are quoted. In general, this
article deals with the provenance determination of
Lahn Marble and is directed to all specialists, who are
engaged in restoration of Lahn Marble monuments.
Geological and tectonic setting
The Lahn syncline is one of the most important Variscan structures in the Rhenohercynian Zone of the
Variscan belt in northwest Europe (Fig. 1). Right of
the Rhine River, it is situated on both sides of the
Lahn River. Geographically, it is part of the Taunus
Mountains in the south and of the Westerwald in the
north. Striking SW-NE, the structure is separated
from the Dill syncline in the NW by the small Hörre
zone. Both synclines form a double structure named
Lahn-Dill syncline. The Taunus anticlinorium forms
the boundary in the SE. To the NW it is bordered by
the Tertiary Westerwald volcanic field which is constituted by dominantly basaltic volcanic and subvolcanic
rocks and to a lesser extent, Tertiary and Quaternary
sediments.
The Lahn syncline is filled with shallow marine sediments and volcano-sedimentary successions of Devonian to Lower Carboniferous age. The sediments were
deposited on the southern (Rhenohercynian) shelf of
the Old Red continent, which was consolidated during
the Caledonian orogeny. During the Devonian, molasse sediments of the young Caledonian mountains
were deposited on the northern, distal part of the shelf
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was not understand, due to diagenetic
and weak metamorphic overprinting
they were caused by different fragmentation processes (Flick & Nesbor 1988).
The pyroclastic rocks are arranged in
submarine ridges, which indicate dyke
eruptions (Nesbor & Flick 1988). Smaller portions of the melts intruded into
sediments building sills. In the course of
time, mighty submarine volcanic complexes developed, even rising above sea
level at some places (Nesbor et al. 1993).
More widespread than basaltic melts,
trachytic differentiates built-up volcanic
islands, which are sitting on submarine
ridges and basaltic volcanic islands.
Reef building organisms inhabited the
volcanic island as well as the submarine
ridges. The organisms were putting up
partly mighty reefs (bioherms) with a
Fig. 1: Geological sketch map of the Lahn syncline showing the distribution of
maximum thickness of about 300 m in
Middle to Late Devonian reef limestones within the three units 1) Hadamar Middle
the Limburg area (R equadt 1990). At
Devonian Outcrops, 2) Schalstein Main Anticline and 3) Hahnstätten Syncline.
this time, the sedimentation area was
Small panel shows Rhenish Massif
positioned approximately 10-15° south
of the equator (Tait et al. 2000) and the
(Franke et al. 1978). Assuming orogenic shortening average palaeotemperature for the seawater was a calranged at 30-40 % (Dittmar et al. 1994), the Lahn culated 25-30 °C (Joachimski et al. 2004). Therefore,
trough was located at a distance of about 150 km from the name Devonian South Seas (Flick et al. 1998)
the Old Red continent. In the Lower Devonian, rifting applies.
started on the Rhenohercynian shelf (Heinen 1996).
With ongoing stretching and thinning of the crust, Conodonts are common in most reef complexes (Buggisch & Flügel 1992; Oetken 1996; Buggisch & Michl
several basins developed, some of them with consi2002). Conodont faunas show that reef growth started
derable accumulation of sediments (Krebs 1968c). As
in the middle varcus zone (Givetian, Middle Devoniresult of the extensional regime, extended felsic volcaan) and ceased essentially in the late Frasnian (Late
nism started in the Lower Devonian. Centered in the
Devonian). Outside of the Lahn syncline, reef grownortheastern Rhenish Massif, the stratigraphic peak
th occasionally started little earlier, shown by platy
was during the Emsian (Kirnbauer 1991). As oceanic
limestone (“Plattenkalke”), which can be dated as
crust has not been produced, the situation can be deuppermost Eifelian to lowermost Givetian (Werding
scribed as failed rift (Heinen 1996). During Middle to
1967b), and locally – near Schaumburg castle – contiLate Devonian and Lower Carboniferous, the continunued to the Famennian (Requadt 1990). The collapse
ally deepening sedimentation area was accompanied
of the reef systems is connected with the increasing
by an intensive volcanism. The main phase of the first
sea level, which had its high stand in connection to
volcanic cycle took place from the upper Middle Dethe Kellwasser event (Buggisch 1991, May 1995). In
vonian to the lower members of Late Devonian and is
the individual reefs, however, both onset and ceasing
characterized by bimodal volcanism (Nesbor 2004).
of reef growth was dependent on the bathymetric poThe volcanism started in the lower to middle varcus
sition, causing an asynchronous development of the
zone (Givetian, upper Middle Devonian), established
reefs. Therefore, the stratigraphic range of the inveby conodont biostratigraphy (Flick et al. in Requadt
stigated profiles varies tremendously: Some reefs are
1990). Investigations of Moe (2000) suggest that the
restricted to the varcus zone, while others comprise
rise of the melts was bound to normal faults, which
several conodont zones and cover almost the whole
are separating NE-SW striking half grabens. AlkaFrasnian.
li basaltic submarine lava flows and pillows, as well
as pyroclastic rocks were the main products of the Main reef building organisms were stromatopores,
first volcanic cycle. The pyroclastic rocks were called and, of minor importance, tabulate and rugose co“Schalstein” in earlier times, while their real nature rallae. Additional reef organisms were cyanobacte-
190
ria, dinoflagellata, halimeda, foraminifera, porifera,
lamellibranchiata, gastropoda, goniatites, trilobites,
ostracodes, bryoza, brachiopoda, echinoderma, echinoidea, crinoidea and conodont animals. The palaeontological inventory of the reef carbonates is investigated for more than 170 years. Between 1830 and 1860
famous geologists and geognosts as A. d’Archiac, E.
Beyrich, A. Goldfuss, R. I. Murchison, C. F. Roemer,
F. Sandberger, G. Sandberger, A. Sedgwick and E. de
Verneuil, dealt with the fauna of the reef limestone
and elaborated the fundamental palaeontological principles of the Middle and Late Devonian stratigraphy.
Research continues to date with the gastropods being
one of the most recent groups to be investigated (Heidelberger 2001).
In the northern part of today‘s Rhenish Massif, an
extensive carbonate ramp could develop on the proximal shelf near the Old Red continent (Krebs 1971).
On the distal shelf, in the Lahn trough, different reef
types developed on shallows, depending on relief and
palaeogeographical position: highly differentiated
carbonate platforms, fringing reefs and atolls (K rebs
1966; Kegler 1967; Flick & Schmidt 1987; Oetken
1996), yet allochthonous or detritic (“allodapic”) reef
carbonates are widespread (Werding 1966, 1967a,
1967b; Nesbor et al. 1993).
Since the first study with actuogeological approach
(Heinrich 1914), numerous studies about the facies of
these reef carbonates were published (Jux 1960; Krebs
1968a, 1968b, 1971, 1974, Burchette 1981; Flick et al.
1988a). Frequently the typical division into three parts
(fore reef, reef core, back reef) can be recognised.
Since the classical publication about growth, ceasing
and diagenesis of a palaeozoic reef (Schwarz 1927),
the diagenesis of the Devonian reef carbonates was
investigated by several authors (e.g. Teitz 1955; Krebs
1969, 1979; Schneider 1977; Mirsal 1978). Both the
different conditions of growth and sedimentation
within the reefs, and the diverse early- to late-diagenetic carbonate cementation cause the outstandingly
high variability in structure and colour of the Nassau
Marble.
Tectonically, the Middle to Late Devonian reef limestone belongs to three units of the Lahn Syncline
(Ahlburg in Kegel 1922). From NW to SE they are:
1) Hadamar Middle Devonian Outcrops, 2) Schalstein
Main Anticline, 3) Hahnstätten Syncline (Fig. 1).
Methods
Identification of abandoned quarries and sample investigation were carried out by traditional field work,
polarisation microscopy and carbonate sedimentology.
Fresh limestone samples were taken from all identi-
fied Nassau Marble quarries, than sawed, ground and
polished in order to compare them with sample slabs
and slabs in public dimension stone collections.
Some companies in the Lahn region are still in operation, therefore the position of Lahn Marble quarries,
which produced in the 20th century, is known in several cases. Discussions with retired stonemasons, who
worked with Lahn Marble in their professional career,
and with local historians yielded useful information
as well as the inspection of abandoned quarries in the
field. A number was assigned to all quarries, which
is composed of “LM” followed by the sheet number
of the topographic map 1:25.000, and a serial number
(e.g. LM 5615/1, LM 5615/2 ...).
For the study area, topographical maps are available
in the scale 1:25.000 and 1:20.000 since the beginning
of the 19th century. Systematic analysis of all available
issues and editions of these maps revealed the position
of numerous former quarries as well as their temporal
change in size. Quarries in even older maps are recorded only in exceptional cases (Fig. 2).
The reliability of provenance assignments is classified into three categories. First-order provenance assignments are written contemporary documents (pub
lished or unpublished) and statements of stonemasons,
who produced the piece of architecture in question.
Second-order provenance assignments – this means
lower reliability – are statements which can be found
e.g. in the local history literature, but are not verified
by references. Frequently they are known by hearsay
only. Third-order provenance assignments are visual
assignments of Lahn Marble in buildings dating before
1950. These assignments have the least credibility.
Thus, temporary data and reports are the main source
of information for this project.
Contemporary data from the 19th and 20th century
quarrying period are abundant. They are widespread
in journals and dissertations of different subject areas
(architecture, economic geology, stonemason industry,
economics), in popular scientific publications, but also
in informal sources such as reports of natural stone
associations and companies, in advertisements, articles as well as announcements in newspapers and
in photographs (Fig. 3). Documents from the earlier
history are available in several archives and museums,
which comprise public archives, archives of companies, churches, nobility and other private archives (Fig.
4). Furthermore, there is access to collected material
in some village chronicles and the journal “LahnMarmor-Nachrichten“ (ISSN 1619-0289) which is
published since 1998.
The examination and documentation of Lahn Marble sample slabs is an additional important source
191
In 1792, a quarry was operated in the “Herrenroth”
district (5613/13). In 1826
four quarries existed, two
of them in the possession
of the municipality (one
of them named “Auf der
Eck“, LM 5613/5), and two
of them in private hands
(Henneroths Berg, LM
5613/7, and Henneroths
Bach, LM 5613/6). Partly,
the quarries were exploited by local stonemasons,
partly by the prison in
Diez of the state of Nassau
where a marble workshop
was run. Nevertheless, the
exact location of all four
Fig. 2: City map of Limburg (“Limbourg”) with “Cariere de Marbre” (= marble quarry), about quarries is unknown.
1759 (detail)
In the middle of the 19th
of knowledge. Polished samples were produced and century, a lease was concluded between the municicollected for 220 years at least (Fig. 5) and can be pality and the prison for the quarries in the local wood
found in several museums and scientific institutions. districts Bangertsdell und Welschenberg. There, two
Occasionally, important data such as the name of the quarries developed, a bigger one with dark grey to
quarry, the name of the stonemasonry and the date is black limestone (LM 5613/2, variety Höllenstein) and
made as note in addition to the trade name on the back a smaller one (LM 5613/1) with grey limestone called Balduinstein(er) Grau. The quarries triggered the
side of the slab or on a separate label.
foundation of the “Marmorwerke Balduinstein” of the
company Guido Krebs in 1888 (Fig. 3), which passed
Nassau Marble quarries documented
into the hands of the company of W. Thust in 1927.
historically
Production can be proved until 1927, and shortly after
This chapter comprises a systematic description of this year the Thust Co. stopped the local production,
all Nassau Marble quarries known to date. If availa- because all Balduinstein quarries were abandoned
ble, the period of production activities is mentioned. in 1933. About 1940, material from one of these two
Furthermore, trade names and selected pieces of ar- quarries was extracted again for a large-scale order.
chitecture are listed for each quarry. Documenting Material from the quarries in the Bangertsdell and
all quotations in this chapter would be far beyond the Welschenberg district was used for slabs and feeding
scope of this paper; therefore quotations can be found troughs in Schaumburg castle about 1855. Balduinsteiin a forthcoming publication (Kirnbauer 2009). The ner Grau was used for panels in the cashier’s office
descriptions are organized following the three tectonic in the extension of the Reichshauptbank building in
main structures from SW to NE. The distribution of Berlin about 1940.
Nassau Marble quarries is shown in Fig. 6.
The small Bär quarry (LM 5613/3) was exploiting a
Hadamar Middle Devonian Outcrops
Balduinstein is proved to be the place of the workshop of the marble master Stefan Strahl in 1738, who
supplied – amongst other pieces – the pillars for the St.
Quintin high altar in Mainz and the Worms cathedral.
Nevertheless, quarrying in Balduinstein could not be
verified as the origin of the material is not known. 13 (of
initially 15) small slabs of Nassau Marble are included
in a private marble collection from the period of about
1800. Six of them originate from Balduinstein (Fig. 5).
reddish reef limestone with clasts of keratophyre (Plate
1a). It was in operation at the end of the 19th century.
Several polished Nassau Marble slabs from the Balduinstein castle (LM 5613/8) and from Schaumburg
castle (LM 5613/11) came into the collection of Archduke Stephan von Österreich, however, at both sites
extensive quarrying is not plausible. Before 1940 a
red-grey limestone was produced in the east of Steinsberg, probably from LM 5613/4.
Diez had been one of the two centres of the Nassau
Marble industry for over 100 years, because a prison
192
Fig. 3: Two advertisements of Lahn Marble quarrying and processing companies: “G. Joerissen GmbH” from Weilburg and
“Marmorwerke Balduinstein Guido Krebs” from Balduinstein
(Oppen 1922).
was set up in the Diez castle in 1785. In the prison, the
state of Nassau ran a manufactory for several branches,
of which the main branch was a marble processing factory. By merging the prisons of Weilburg, which had
its own stonemason manufactory, and Diez in 1811,
the foundation was laid for dominating the market
by the Diez marble manufactory. In the beginning
of the 19th century, the administration developed an
extensive exploration of Lahn marble occurrences and
deposits in the region and took several quarries, as far
as to Villmar, on lease. Thus, in many cases “Diez” as
designation of origin refers to the Diez marble manufactory (and later to the Diez marble factory), but not
to a Lahn Marble deposit in the vicinity of Diez. Due
to the cheap labonr (Fig. 7), the prison manufactory
could produce at cut-prices, which turned out to be a
hindrance for all private marble producers. The annual
death rate of the prisoners, however, was about 1520 %. Nevertheless, the products of the manufactory
were well-known; the prison was one of the exhibitors
of the first World’s Fair in London in 1851. Not until the
year 1880 the Diez prison manufactory was privatized
by the Prussian government; purchaser was the company of the Hergenhahn Brothers. The new owners
expanded the sales area of the Nassau Marble in all
parts of the German Empire and foreign countries such
as England and the USA. Numerous examples for use
of Diez Lahn Marble are documented, but none of the
examples can be assigned to a certain quarry.
The most important Nassau Marble deposit in the
vicinity of Diez was situated on the right hand side
of the Lahn River between Aull and Diez, already
situated in the district of Heistenbach. Here, at the
locality “Fuchslaye”, Nassau Marble was quarried as
early as 1671.
In 1826, four Nassau Marble deposits are reported
from the “Fuchsleye”, some of them stocking only
big blocks or boulders. Three of the deposits belonged
to the territory of Heistenbach. At the end of the 19th
century, out of these attempts the Edelfels quarry
developed (LM 5614/2). Under different operating
companies, it was active from about 1870 to 1944, and
shortly after the Second Word War. The companies
were first the “Marmorwerke Balduinstein” (owner:
Guido Krebs), about 1910 “Kalk- und Marmorwerke
Müller & Schneider GmbH”, Diez, and after 1921(?)
“Marmorwerke Zander”, Freiendiez. Products of the
Edelfels quarry were the varieties Edelfels Grau, Edelfels Rosa (Plate 1b), Edelfels Rot, Edelfels Grau-Rosa
and Edelfels Graurot. Edelfels material was taken for
the Adana station of the Mersin-Adana railway (Turkey) about 1912 and, above all, for representation and
propaganda construction of the Third Reich in the
1930s. Examples are buildings of the Nazi party rally
ground (Reichsparteitagsgelände) in Nürnberg (Germany), the Ministry of Aviation building in Berlin
(today Federal Finance Ministry), the enlargement
building of the Reichskanzlei in Berlin in 1939, and
the Reichsbank building in Berlin (today Foreign Ministry).
Some small quarries in the Diez area were operated
exclusively in the 19th century; nothing is known about
operation in the 20th century. One of them was situated
at a limestone cliff called Kreuzlay NW of Diez (LM
5614/8). The quarry was in the possession of several
private owners; the material was processed by the prison manufacture at the beginning of the 19th century.
Another cliff called Kalkreusch was in the possession
of the municipality of Altendiez. Its occurrence, of
which the exact location is unknown, was investigated
in 1826 by the prison’s stonemasons. A quarry near
the Oranienstein mill (LM 5614/5) supplied a minor
quantity in the 19th century. Further limestone cliffs
in the zoological garden of the Oranienstein castle
(LM 5614/3) were surveyed in the beginning of the
19th century.
193
Early in history, probably even in
the medieval period, a “white hard
marble” was exploited near Freiendiez (today: Diez-Freiendiez).
The location is unknown, but it is
reported that the material was used
for window jambs of the cathedral
chapter St. George and Nicholas in
Limburg, which was pulled down
in 1830.
Several workshops in Fachingen
at the Lahn River (today‘s Birlenbach-Fachingen) were well-known
for the “nice sculptor’s works”
made from Nassau Marble, but it is
not known, whether they processed
material from a local quarry.
Below Altendiez, several limestone cliffs existed in earlier times
but disappeared a long time ago as
the result of quarrying. The cliffs
were called “Altendiezer Berge” Fig. 4: Letter head of the direction of the ducal prison manufactory from Diez, origiin 1789. The most prominent cliff nating from 1832 (Wiesbaden, State Archives Wiesbaden, sect. 211, No. 11574).
was named “Wildweiberlei”. Black
limestone was extracted in a dimension stone quarry in one of the cliffs in 1726 and made of this material. Unfortunately, the epitaph was
processed to the magnificent sarcophagus for princess destroyed in 1791. Petitions for leases and contracts
Amalia in the collegiate church in Diez. Even the 1714 are preserved from the following years. Moreover,
manufactured font in the church of Burgschwalbach carters from the village of Oberbrechen transported
made of black limestone is claimed to stem from this marble blocks from Hundsangen in 1670.
quarry. In the 19th century, quarrying of coloured li- In the past, a mill named Blechmühle was situated
mestone is reported. For the last time a dimension on the left side of the Elb Brook between Hadamar
stone quarry in Altendiez is mentioned in 1914. It was and Niederhadamar (today Hadamar-Niederhadamar).
operated by the “Lahntaler Marmorindustrie”, owned At least one quarry was in operation near the mill
by Karl Joh. Götte, Diez.
in the 18th and 19th century (LM 5514/4), supplying
Deposits of black varieties were the rarest among the black Nassau Marble (Plate 1e). Extensive limestone
th
Nassau Marble. One of these deposits was situated quarrying in the 20 century (for a nearby limekiln)
in Limburg (LM 5614/1) right of the Lahn River. A destroyed the remains of the dimension stone quarry.
French city map dating about 1759 records a “Cariere Black limestone from the Blechmühle was used in the
de Marbre” (Fig. 2). Historical records show that it Liebfrauen church in Hadamar and the Oranienstein
was developed only shortly before 1761. The quar- castle in Diez.
ry was privately owned and it can be shown that his
material (Plate 1c) was processed by the Diez prison
manufactory. The pedestal of the monument of Count
Adolph of Nassau (1255-1298), which was placed in
the entrance hall of the Speyer Cathedral in 1824, is
built of material from this quarry. Further reports were
given in the 19th century.
In the east of the village of Hundsangen, a small Nassau Marble quarry was in operation in the 17th century
(LM 5514/1). It supplied a grey-red limestone (Plate 1d).
It was sold to the Elector of Trier in 1654. Presumably,
an epitaph for Count Anton Günther von Oldenburg
(1583-1667) in the Lamberti church in Oldenburg was
A flesh- to rose-coloured Nassau Marble was extracted
at the Herz(en)berg near Hadamar about 1740, in
1751, and again 1768-1770. From a quarry in the north
of the Herzenberg (Hirzenberg) 1500 redish marble
slabs were produced for the new Würzburg Residenz.
Material for frames of firesides in the Oranienstein
castle was delivered in 1768-1770. Owner of the quarry was the municipality. In the beginning of the 19th
century the limestone was used as wall material. After
World War I an unsuccessful attempt was made to
process the material in Villmar.
In the 19th and 20th century Nassau Marble was extracted about 2 km WSW of Elz, of the forester’s lodge
194
Table 1: Nassau Marble or Lahn Marble quarries
LM No.
5317/1
5416/1
5416/2
5416/3
5417/1
5417/2
5417/3
5417/4
5514/1
5514/2
5514/3
5514/4
5514/5
5514/6
5514/7
5514/8
5514/9
5515/1
5515/2
5515/3
5515/4
5515/5
5515/6
5515/7
5515/8
5515/9
5515/10
5515/11
5515/12
5515/13
5515/14
5515/15
5515/16
5515/17
5515/18
5515/19
5515/20
5515/21
5515/22a
5515/22b
5515/24
5515/25
5515/26
5515/27
5515/28
5515/29
5515/30
5515/31
5515/32
5515/33
5515/34
5515/35
5515/36
5515/37
Quarry Name
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
at the Hausertor / at the Ziegelpforte
Taubenstein
unknown, at the Lahnberg (Löhnberg)
unknown, at the Lahnberg (Löhnberg)
unknown
unknown
Herzberg
at the Blechmühle
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
municipal quarry Schupbach
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
Goldader quarry
unknown
Hanom‘ser quarry
Korallenfels quarry
unknown
Red quarry („Rud Kaut“). Today:
Terrazzo quarry
Auberg
White quarry („Weiße Steinkaut“)
unknown („in der Kölke“)
Joerissen quarry, called „Kölken“ or
„Kölke“ by the local people
Kölken
unknown
unknown
Kalkreusch
Spitzwinkel
Ulmenberg
unknown
Hanom‘ser quarry
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
Moselpitsch
unknown
unknown
unknown
Municipality
Rodheim
Wetzlar-Dalheim
Oberbiel
Niederbiel
Wetzlar
Wetzlar
Wetzlar
Wetzlar
Hundsangen
Hadamar
Hadamar
Niederhadamar
Steeden
Elz
Dietkirchen
Dehrn
Niedertiefenbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Gaudernbach
Gaudernbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Gauß-Krüger Coordinates
unknown
34 62 550
56 02 770
unknown
unknown
34 64 910
56 02 790
34 65 630
56 03 270
34 65 130
56 02 600
34 65 450
56 02 550
34 29 240
55 91 750
34 32 860
55 91 380
34 32 450
55 91 200
34 32 250
55 90 110
34 38 080
55 87 900
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
34 41 570
55 91 600
34 41 620
55 91 500
34 41 720
55 91 480
34 41 800
55 91 450
34 42 260
55 91 520
34 42 140
55 91 650
34 42 220
55 91 630
34 41 960
55 92 120
34 41 880
55 92 330
34 41 780
55 92 040
34 41 750
55 92 085
Schupbach
34 41 660
55 92 290
Gaudernbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
34 43 740
34 41 110
34 43 850
55 93 080
55 91 680
55 91 180
Wirbelau
34 44 160
55 90 810
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Villmar
Aumenau
Aumenau
Aumenau
Schupbach
Schupbach
Hasselbach
Odersbach
Gaudernbach
Weinbach
Edelsberg
Kirschhofen
Arfurt
Schupbach
Seelbach or Villmar
Seelbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
34 44 125
34 41 890
34 41 860
34 43 230
34 45 550
34 46 650
34 46 630
34 42 020
34 41 950
34 43 830
55 90 910
55 91 480
55 91 520
55 85 570
55 86 820
55 87 220
55 87 180
55 92 370
55 92 540
55 93 850
unknown
55 92 440
unknown
unknown
unknown
55 85 820
unknown
unknown
unknown
55 91 370
55 91 560
34 42 620
34 43 250
34 41 890
34 42 000
5515/38
5515/39
5515/40
5515/41
5515/42
5515/43
5515/44
5515/45
5516/1
5613/1
5613/2
5613/3
5613/4
5613/5
5613/6
5613/7
5613/8
5613/9
5613/10
5613/11
5613/12
5613/13
5614/1
5614/2
5614/3
5614/4
5614/5
5614/6
5614/7
5614/8
5614/9
5615/1
5615/2
5615/3
5615/4
5615/5
5615/6
5615/7
5615/8
5615/9
5615/10
5615/11
5615/12
5615/13
5615/14
5615/15
5615/16
5615/17
5615/18
5615/19
5615/20
5615/21
5615/22
5615/24
5615/25
5615/27
5615/28
5714/1
unknown
unknown
unknown
am Auerberg
Herrenwald and Herrenberg
at the Finstermühle
at the Hüttenweg
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
Bär quarry
unknown
auf der Eck
Henneroths Bach
Henneroths Berg
unknown
Altendiezer Berge
Wildweiberley
unknown
unknown
Herrenroth
unknown
Edelfels
Tiergarten
unknown
Mühlchen
unknown
unknown
Kreuzlay
Fuchsleye
Mühlberg
Kissel
Borngrund?
Bongard
unknown
unknown
Gemeindesteinbruch Villmar
Gemeindesteinbruch Villmar
Wieshohl
Gret(h)enstein
unknown
unknown
unknown
Weibshohl
Bodensteinsleye
Casteller Bruch, Kastellenbruch
Felschen
Hexengarten
Ignatiusfels
Judentümpel
Kalkofen
Mariekäthen Leye, Mariekäth
unknown
Hinterbodenstein
An der Lahn
An der Mühlen
unknown
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Seelbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Hasselbach
Philippstein
Balduinstein
Balduinstein
Balduinstein
Steinsberg
Balduinstein
Balduinstein
Balduinstein
Fachingen
Altendiez
Altendiez
Schaumburg castle
Balduinstein
Balduinstein
Limburg
Heistenbach
Diez
Freiendiez
Oranienstein
Holzheim
Hahnstätten
Diez
Diez or Heistenbach
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Runkel
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Allendorf
195
34 41 640
34 41 940
34 41 970
34 42 000
34 43 950
36 27 400
34 27 530
34 26 820
34 28 540
34 27 010
34 34 020
34 28 900
34 29 470
34 29 160
34 42 250
34 42 090
34 41 510
34 41 400
34 41 335
34 42 090
34 42 080
34 42 060
34 42 900
34 42 050
34 41 930
34 41 890
34 41 840
34 41 490
34 41 580
34 42 170
34 28 950
55 91 680
55 91 650
55 91 520
unknown
unknown
55 91 540
unknown
55 93 850
unknown
55 79 500
55 79 590
55 78 850
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
55 82 070
unknown
55 79 160
unknown
55 84 310
55 83 160
unknown
unknown
55 83 580
unknown
unknown
55 82 920
unknown
55 84 220
55 84 080
55 84 270
55 84 390
55 84 460
55 84 730
55 84 620
55 84 590
55 84 320
55 84 490
55 84 560
55 84 550
55 84 540
55 84 600
55 84 320
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
unknown
55 84 160
unknown
unknown
unknown
55 70 830
196
(LM 5514/6). The material was taken as floor plates in
the Elz parish church in 1852-1854. Further activity is
reported from 1919 and the 1930s.
Already before 1768, a Nassau Marble quarry existed
in Steeden (today Runkel-Steeden), but nothing is
known about the location. Actual quarrying started
after World War I by the companies “Gerhäuser Marmorwerke KG“ from Altengronau and „Gebr. Kirchner“, later both merged into “Lahnmarmorbrüche
Gerhäuser & Kirchner GmbH”. After a short break
at the end of World War II, the quarry LM 5514/5
was operated until the mid of the 1950s. The material
was sold under different trade names: Edelgrau or
Steeden(er) Grau or Lahn grau, Edelrot or Steeden(er)
Rot, Lahngold, Steeden(er) Grau-Rosa, Steeden(er)
Rosa (Plate 1f), Steedener Schwarz, Urania-Rot and
Urania-Schwarz. The nature of Steeden Grün is uncertain; probably, the material was no limestone but
a pyroclastic rock. Numerous examples for use of the
Steeden Lahn Marble extracted the last operating period are known.
Quarrying in Niedertiefenbach (today BeselichNiedertiefenbach) probably started after World War
I as well (LM 5514/9). Operator was the “MarmorGewerkschaft Caesari” in Limburg. They produced
black limestone, which was sold under the name of
Niedertiefenbach Schwarz, but the material was characterized by a lot of fissures.
About 20 quarries were situated between the municipalities of Schupbach (today Beselich-Schupbach) and
Gaudernbach (today part of Weilburg). The majority
of them was situated in the district of Schupbach, making Schupbach to one of the Nassau Marble industry
centres. The beginning of the activities is unknown,
however in 1610-1612 a written chronicle reports that
“black marble” from Schupbach was known. Over all,
the black limestone, which was extracted in several
quarries, established the reputation of the Schupbach
Nassau Marble in the baroque style. Nearly all memorial slabs and monuments for electors, archdukes and
other high dignitaries, which were built in the Mainz
cathedral between 1606 and the end of the 18th century,
are made from a highly polished, black limestone with
white sigmoidal calcite veinlets and gilded inscriptions. Even through only in individual cases proof is
positive, the majority of them, if not all, are made from
black Nassau Marble from Schupbach. Starting with
the monument for the Elector and Archduke Wolfgang
of Dalberg (finished 1606), Schupbach material was
used for the memorial slab of the Elector and Archduke
Georg Friedrich of Greiffenklau († 1629), which was
made by stonemason Martin Harnisch from Schupbach in 1630, the Michael altar in the Michael chapel
(1639) and the memorial monument of Elector Philipp
Carl of Eltz († 1743), which was sculpted in 1739-1741,
during his life time.
Stonemasons from Schupbach supplied black lime
stone not only for the Mainz cathedral but also to
numerous churches and monasteries, for which reason an origin from Schupbach can be assumed in the
most cases. This applies to an epitaph in the Limburg
cathedral, which was donated in 1640 and was made
by the master Matthias Pfister from Schupbach, the
equipment of the Union church in Idstein (1676), the
Holy Rock chapel in the Trier Cathedral (since 1687),
the high altars in the Würzburg and Fulda cathedrals
(1703 and 1706, respectively), the altar in the St. Boniface Crypt in the Fulda Cathedral (1708-1712), the
baroque bathtub in the Weilburg castle of 1712/13, the
Schönborn chapel in the Würzburg Cathedral from
1721, the Dalberg epitaph in the Fulda Cathedral from
1729, the altars in the Würzburg Court Chapel, the
holy water fonts in the Jesuitic church in Mannheim
from 1753, the epitaphs of the prince bishops Damian
Hugo of Schönborn and Franz Christoph of Hutten
in the parish church St. Peter in Bruchsal from 1757
and 1772-1773, respectively. Moreover, numerous
churches in the Lahn region were provided with the
black Schupbach limestone, e.g. Haintchen and Dauborn. In 1723, the famous architect Balthasar Neumann visited the Schupbach quarries. The majority
of the altars, monuments and memorial slabs were
ordered within the ecclesiastical territories (archbishoprics Trier, Mainz, Cologne including the dioceses
Worms, Speyer, Würzburg, Fulda and Bamberg), and
“black Nassau marble”, presumably from Schupbach,
was used for building the high altar of the St. Charles’s
Church in Vienna in 1729.
Records allow reconstruction of the history of the
Schupbach quarries between 1666 and 1870. Until
1681, the marble was delivered to Mainz, Koblenz
and Idstein, but most frequently to the immediate vicinity, where tombstones and wayside crosses were
ordered. Since the year 1678, the stonemason dynasty
Weidemann settled in Schupbach and Gaudernbach.
About 1830, the Diez prison manufacture acquired
one of the quarries. Later, this quarry was operated by
the Hergenhahn Co., and the “Nassauische Marmorwerke”. Since 1920, the Joerissen Co. (Fig. 3) operated
in Schupbach.
The black Nassau Marble of Schupbach was popular
for sacral and profane architecture even in the German imperial age and between Word War I and II.
Numerous examples for its use are given by Dyckerhoff & Neumann (ca. 1925). Schupbach Schwarz was
used in the Holy of Holies in the Munich synagogue,
probably in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna (1909), and
for the Jugendstil facade of the publisher‘s Manz in
197
Vienna in 1912. In 1935-1936, the black Schupbach
material was laid as floor in the Ministry of Aviation
in Berlin (today: Federal Finance Ministry).
in Gelsenkirchen and the Moscow Kremlin. Another
quarry at the Hahnscheid hill (LM 5515/38) is first
mentioned in 1905.
A map from 1795 shows that the princely quarry (LM
5515/43) was situated beneath the quarry heap LM
5515/18. The princely quarry goes back to 1658. In the
18th century, this quarry was the main supplier for the
black limestone from Schupbach. In the south of this
quarry, a quarry of the prison manufacture was opened
in 1840. In a small distance to the north the quarries
LM 5515/37 (at least since 1868) und LM 5515/39 (at
least since 1905) were situated.
Between 1888 and 1940, the trade name Schupbach
schwarzgrau was established. It was sold by the
“Nassauische Marmorwerke”, and later by “Dyckerhoff & Neumann”. Its source quarry is unknown.
Also unknown is the location of the quarry „auf der
breyten Heck“ (LM 5515/33), which is mentioned in
1717. The village property “Breitheck“ is situated in
the south of LM 5515/9.
In the last period of quarrying, black limestone from
Schupbach was sold under the trade name Schupbach
Schwarz (Plate 1g) and was extracted in two quarries
(LM 5515/18, LM 5515/4). Both quarries existed at
least since 1868, and were later operated by the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co., the smaller one by members
of the family Eller, the larger one (LM 5515/18) was
worked – together with the quarry LM 5515/19 – by
Dyckerhoff & Neumann until the 1970s century.
Further quarries are situated in the east of the Finster
mill. The quarries LM 5515/5 (light grey limestone,
Plate 1h) and LM 5515/6 (black limestone, Plate 2a)
are not recorded in maps from 1866 but are recorded
in maps of 1905. Yet a quarry must have been existed
in this area at about 1761. Traces of sawing show the
quarry LM 5515/5 was in work even after 1910. Both
quarries were abandoned before Word War II. The
quarry LM 5515/7 was initiated after the year 1911,
probably in the thirties: The Joerissen Co. extracted
a black variety with yellowish calcite veinlets, which
has been sold first as Schupbach Schwarzgold or
Schupbach Schwarz-Gelb, and after World War II as
Schupbach Goldader (Plate 2b). In the end, the quarry
was in the possession of Dyckerhoff & Neumann; it
was abandoned about 1970.
West of the quarries which produced dark grey to
black varieties, quarries which supplied lighter coloured limestone were situated. The quarry of the municipality (LM 5515/1) produced a light grey stone. It
was initiated after 1866, but earlier than 1905, and was
operated by several companies. Today it is filled in.
The Joerissen Co. operated the quarries LM 5515/2
and LM 5515/3. LM 5515/2 existed already in 1866,
whereas the other quarry is first documented in a map
from 1905. At least one of the quarries produced the
variety Schupbach Grau or Mimosa (first mentioned
1930), which was available until the mid-1950s (Plate
2c). Schupbach Grau (first mentioned in 1895) was
exploited in quarries of the Hergenhahn Co. and the
Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. about 1914 and 1920.
Examples for use of Schupbach Grau are the administration building of the “Gußstahl- und Eisenwerke”
The quarry LM 5515/19 was opened after 1868 but
earlier than 1905. It produced the variety Famosa S,
in which „S“ stands for „Schupbach“. Depending on
the lightness of the colour, further sub-varieties have
been distinguished (Plate 2d + 9e). Until the end of
quarrying in about 1970 the Famosa quarry was operated by Dyckerhoff & Neumann simultaneously with
the Schupbach Schwarz quarry LM 5515/18, but even
the Joerissen Co. exploited Famosa S from this quarry. Famosa or Famosa violettgrau of the Joerissen
Co. was used for the imperial staircase in the Berlin
cathedral. This quarry supplied the block which was
processed to the 8.5 m high national emblem of the
Frankfurt airport in 1935-1936. Famosa S was used for
the chancel of the Würzburg cathedral in 1960-1967
and 1987/88. The floor and the bases of figures and pillars, which were reconstructed in the Jesuitic church in
Mannheim 1996-1997, were the last important pieces
for which Famosa S was used. Even the material of
the small quarry LM 5515/36, which was open before
World War II, was sold as Famosa.
Schupbach Violett is mentioned in 1930, but the quarry
is not known. Eventually, this variety is identical with
Famosa Violett from Schupbach.
A white to rose-coloured limestone (Plate 2f) was
quarried in the „weiße Steinkauth“ (LM 5515/14),
today situated at the northern margin of Schupbach.
White “marble” from Schupbach is mentioned first
in 1646. The only plausible example for use of this
material are sculptures in the Trier cathedral which
were made by the sculptors Theobald Weid(e)mann
from Schupbach and Johann Wolfgang Fröhlich(er)
from Frankfurt in 1687. In 1717, the quarry was mentioned, too.
Further quarries, all supplying coloured, mostly reddish limestone, are situated along the Kerkerbach valley towards the Hüttenmühle. In this area, a quarry
“am Hüttenweg” (LM 5515/44) existed in 1766/68 with
a red-speckled “marble”. The quarries LM 5515/8,
LM 5515/10 and LM 5515/11 supplied a characteristic
coloured variety which was sold as Korallenfels (Plate
2g). The topographic map from 1868 does not show
any of the three quarries, the map from 1905 shows
198
The quarries LM 5515/9
(with its continuation
LM 5515/24) and LM
5515/25 are situated in
the district of Gaudernbach. The southern quarry is named Hanomser
Bruch by local people.
The quarry was opened
in the first half of the 20th
century, produced rosecoloured material (Plate
3b) and was in production until the 1950s. The
quarry was in possession
of the company “Dr. Albert Reinsch” from Gaudernbach in 1951, and
produced crushed material for the production
of terrazzo. The northern
Fig. 5: Private “marble collection” with some Nassau Marble samples from Allendorf, Balduinstein
quarry produced dark to
(“Ballenstein”), Mudershausen (“Idstein”) and Villmar (“Vilmar”). The Siegen sample does not
black limestone. In a tobelong to the Nassau Marble. The collection originates from about 1800 (Natural History Museum
pographical map from
Vienna).
1905, it is shown with the
same size as today.
the quarry east of the stream (LM 5515/8) and the
northern quarry west of the stream (LM 5515/11). Korallenfels was offered for sale by the “Marmorwerke
Balduinstein Guido Krebs” in 1899. In the following
decades, the material was quarried by Dyckerhoff &
Neumann (Villmar) and sold as Rosario or Rosario
Corallo. Examples for use of Korallenfels are the Tagore Castle in Kolkata and the hotel “Schwarzer Bock”
in Wiesbaden (reopened 1957).
Another quarry which produced reddish limestone,
was situated in the area of the today active terrazzo
quarry (LM 5515/12). It is called „Rud Kaut“ (red pit)
by local people. The quarry is shown in a topographic
map of 1905, showing a similar dimension as today,
but is missing in a map from 1868. It was operated
by the “Lahn-Marmorbrüche Gerhäuser & Kirchner,
GmbH” from Steeden in 1938. Trade names were Wiedisch Rot and Wiedisch Rosa until the 1950s (Plate
2h, 10a).
Red limestone from Schupbach was used for the altar
slab from 1731 in the Union church in Idstein and the
tomb monument for Elector Philipp Carl von Eltz (†
1743) in the Mainz cathedral, but it is not sure, whether
the material originates from this quarry. A quarry
with red speckled “marble” in the “Herrenwald” was
rented about 1761 and abandoned in 1766, but its exact
position is not known. A further quarry was in production in 1892 under the consul Emilio Adamczyk
from Wiesbaden.
The following varieties from the districts of Schupbach/Gaudernbach cannot be assigned to a quarry.
Orania schwarz, Orania grau and Orania rot were
sold by the company “Marmorwerk Nassau A.-G.”
from Gaudernbach in the twenties of the last century
and by “Lahn-Marmorbrüche Gerhäuser & Kirchner,
GmbH” from Steeden in 1938. In 1938, a further variety, Lahn Schwarz, is mentioned.
In the west of Gaudernbach, the Wachhecke quarry
(LM 5515/28) was in operation. The first indication is
a map from 1905, which shows two small quarries.
Joerissen Co. started its operation in 1920, and the
quarry was productive until 1922 at the latest. The
material was highly regarded as decoration material
for furniture.
In the NNE of Gaudernbach, a quarry, occasionally
called Auberg quarry, is situated which belongs to
the municipality (LM 5515/13). The limestone was
discovered during exploration work for iron ore. At
the latest in 1896, material from the quarry was marketed. First two varieties were sold as Brunhildenstein
(1896) and Grafenstein (1897) (Plate 3c, 10d). Since the
world exhibition in St. Louis (1904), the Wilhelminian names were replaced by Mediterranean sounding
names: Rojizonazo (= Brunhildenstein), Porvenir (=
Grafenstein), Estrellante (since 1914 sold as Auberg
Grau as well) and Reconquista. Probably, the quarry
first was leased to the “Marmorwerke Balduinstein”
of Guido Krebs in Balduinstein. At latest in 1902, the
quarry was leased to the Joerissen Co. in Weilburg,
which held a second quarry in Wirbelau. Joerissen
received a golden medal for his marble door exhibited
at the 1904 World exhibition. Under the enterprising
Joerissen the Gaudernbach quarry developed to one
of the most important Lahn Marble quarries in the
20th century.
Examples for its use are the Deutsches Museum in
Munich (Brunhildenstein or Rojizonazo), the city hall
of Rotterdam, the Fisher Building in Detroit (Grafenstein or Porvenir), the Brooklyn Telephone Building
in Brooklyn (Estrellante or Auberg Grau), the Empire
State Building in New York (Estrellante or Auberg
Grau) and the Capitol of Havanna (Reconquista). During the Nazi time, major orders followed, e.g. for the
new Reichskanzlei in Berlin (Auberg Grau, Brunhildenstein) and the extension of the Reichshauptbank
building in Berlin (Auberg Grau, Brunhildenstein,
Grafenstein), for which reason 60 workers worked
every day including Sundays in 1939. Brunhildenstein was the most expensive Lahn Marble variety (525
Reichsmark/m3), while average varieties were sold for
150 Reichsmark/m3. Shortly after World War II, the
quarrying was resumed. In 1948, St. Paul‘s church
in Frankfurt received a font made from Grafenstein;
several examples from the 1950s and 1960s are documented. The quarry was closed in the 1970s.
South of Hasselbach (today part of Weilburg), a small
municipal quarry (LM 5515/26) was active in the 19th
century and produced greyish Nassau Marble (Plate
3g). The first message dates to 1826 but it is likely that
quarrying goes back to the 17th century, because J. W.
Goethe received a “marble” slab for his collection in
1785. Topographical maps from 1905 show that about
100 m to the east a second, small-scaled quarry existed
(LM 5515/45).
Quarrying of Lahn Marble near Wirbelau (today
Runkel-Wirbelau) started after 1900. Two quarries
(LM 5515/16, LM 5515/17) were operated by the Joe
rissen Co. from Oberlahnstein (later the company moved their headquarters to Weilburg). Until the year of
closure, 1967, the first mentioned quarry developed to
the deepest Lahn Marble quarry known. The variety
Wirbelau is first mentioned in 1909 (Plate 3e). Wirbelau was mainly used for technical purposes (isolation
slabs, control panels) and for shop counters. Because
it was possible to obtain huge blocks, which were free
of joints, Wirbelau was the most favourite variety for
sculpture in the 20th century. For instance, the lion
sculpture the entrance of the Wilhelm-Marx at building in Düsseldorf was carved out of a 26 t block by
the sculptor Schreiner. Both the Europe sculpture in
the Reisinger park in Wiesbaden (1932) and the St.
Nepomuk of the Lahn bridge in Limburg (1966) exhi-
199
bit the Wirbelau variety. In the 1920s, it was used for
facing claddings in Zürich, Würzburg, St. Gallen and
Weilburg. In 1934-1936, national emblems (large eagles) for the Nazi castle Crössinsee near Falkenburg in
Pomerenia (today Złocieniec, Poland) were produced.
Further examples for use of Wirbelau are the office
block of the Alte Leipziger fire insurance in Leipzig
(1911-1913, today „Runde Ecke“) and the Bavarian
National Museum in Munich (1937-1939).
The quarry LM 5515/17 also operated by Joerissen, is
much smaller than the Wirbelau quarry and supplied
the variety Kölken since approximately 1920, the variety was later sold as Wirbelau-Silber or Wirbelau
Silbergrau (Plate 3f). Quarrying continued untel the
1950s.
Lahn Marble quarry LM 5515/15 is situated in an area
called „Kelken“ or „Kölken“ by local people. Traces
of sawing (this technique came to the Lahn district
at about 1910) and missing marks in topographical
maps show the quarry to be active after the year 1911.
Already in 1955 the quarry was abandoned.
A Nassau Marble quarry near Gräveneck (today
Weinbach-Gräveneck) is mentioned in 1829, but it
cannot be located.
In the 18th century the prisoners of the Weilburg prison
were sent to a Nassau Marble quarry near Odersbach
SW of Weilburg (today Weilburg-Odersbach) whose
location is unknown today. From Odersbach, J. W.
Goethe received a marble slab in 1785, too. Between
1780 and 1893/94 rough limestone was quarried near
Odersbach. Eventually the quarry was active the beginning of the 20th century and again at about 1950.
Near Kirschhofen (today part of Weilburg), an old
Nassau Marble quarry existed, whose material was frequently processed before 1826. Its location is unknown.
About 1890, a quarry of consul Emilio Adamczyk from
Wiesbaden was active, which was operated by “Marmorwerk Balduinstein Guido Krebs” about 1910.
In Weilburg itself, the prison was operating a marble
sawing and grinding manufacture since 1777 with economic success large enough for the marble processing
to develop to the main source of income. The marble
fabrication started with black and grey limestone from
a quarry near Weilburg named “Im Sprung” and near
Edelsberg (LM 5515/30, see below). The location of
the former quarry is unknown. Eventually, it was situated near Edelsberg, because there was a phosphorite
mine named “Sprung”. The “Nassau Marble” sold by
the Weilburg prison was bluish black, yellowish-grey,
light-red and brownish-red in 1789. Brown to red and
blood-red limestone from Weilburg is mentioned in
1831. A limestone quarry existed near the Schellhof
in 1910, but it is unknown, if it was also operated as
dimension stone quarry.
200
Fig. 6: Places of Nassau Marble quarries and important processing factories.
Schalstein Main Anticline
quarrying traces of the 19th century of all Nassau Marble quarries (Fig. 8).
SW of the geological structure, a small municipal quarry was situated near Holzheim south of Limburg (LM
5614/6). From the beginning of the 19th century, minor
quarrying by the Diez prison manufacture is reported.
Because of its high FeS2 content, the black limestone
was only partly suitable as dimension stone.
Villmar was – at least between the middle of the 19th
century and the end of the 20th century – the centre of the Lahn Marble industry. Quarrying Nassau
Marble in Villmar started around the turn of the 16th
century.
SE of Runkel, the municipal Weibshohl quarry (LM
5615/14) is situated on the right side of the Lahn River.
In the beginning of the 19th century, the outcropping
light and dark red limestone was frequently used by
the Diez prison manufacture, but a document testifies
its existence as early as 1766, however with no quarrying activity in this year. In 1829, the prison is leaseholder of the quarry. Prisoners produce the fountain
of the market place in Idstein in 1835 or 1837 and the
pedestal for the Mainz Gutenberg monument in 1836
with Weibshohl material. About 1888, the Weibshohl
quarry was in production again for a short time and
was then abandoned. This quarry shows the clearest
In the churchyard in Villmar, more than 70 memorial slabs made out of Nassau Marble are preserved
from the time span between 1636 and the 19th century.
Even when the exact origin of the slabs is not known,
a local proreanance seems evident. Beyond the city
limits, marble from Villmar was used after in 1727
the parish priest Modestus Manheim became abbot
of St. Matthias monastery in Trier. Therefore, in the
following years Nassau Marble from Villmar was used
for several works in this abbey. A further large-scale order dates from 1731 and concerned the famous
mineral water spring of Niederselters. About 1750,
leaseholders from Villmar supplied material for the
SDGG, Heft 59 – Denkmalgesteine: Festschrift – Wolf-Dieter Grimm201
Jesuitic church in Mannheim. Many reports are filed,
such as that in 1751 the marble master Stephan Strahl
from Balduinstein leased a quarry in Villmar which
provided red “marble”. In 1753, all Nassau Marble
quarries in Villmar were leased, and the prisoners
from the Weilburg prison had to extract dimension
stones in the quarries in 1777. Nassau Marble from
Villmar was used to produce the marvellous pillars
of the Ignatius church in Mainz in 1779-1782 and the
Wiesbaden Kurhaus in 1808.
1868, a 120 m long quarry existed. The trade name
Famosa was mentioned the first time in 1888. Famosa
can be admired in the Jugendstil bath houses of the
Sprudelhof in Bad Nauheim, in the Kerckhoff institute
in Bad Nauheim, in the palace of the grand duke of
Luxembourg, in the office building of the Wiesbadener
Tagblatt in Wiesbaden and in the Technical University
of Darmstadt. Old postcards show the quarry to be in
operation until World War II.
The majority of the about two dozens quarries were
property of the municipality. Local stonemasons were
predominating amongst leasers of the quarries. Some
of them gained outstanding reputation in the 18th and
19th century, e.g. several generations of the Leonhard
dynasty, but also marble masters from Balduinstein
and Schupbach appeared. Pieces of work of the Leonhard family can be seen in the castles of Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Dehrn, Neuwied, Koblenz, Ilbenstadt,
Karlsruhe and Hohenzollern-Hechingen as well as
in the Russian-Orthodox church (“Greak chapel”) in
Wiesbaden. At the end of the 18th century, several families earned a living by quarrying and processing
Nassau Marble. In the 1920s the situation changed
dramatically, because the Diez prison took over several leasehold rights and became the most important
operator of the quarries undercuting the local industry.
In 1865, the marble factory “Nassauische Marmorwerke” was founded in Villmar which for the first time
allowed the use of machines driven by water power.
The factory was sold to the company “Dyckerhoff
& Neumann KG“ from Wetzlar in 1892, which was
dominating the quarrying and processing Lahn Marble in Villmar in the following period. At the height
Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. more than 250 workers
were employed. In the following decades, products
of Dyckerhoff & Neumann were used in numerous
buildings locally and abroad.
In the first half of the 19th century, several small and
very small quarries were active in this area. Their
names were Felschen (LM 5615/17), Hexengarten
(LM 5615/18), Judentempel or Judendümpel (LM
5615/20), am Kalkofen (LM 5615/21), Kissel (LM
5615/2) und Mariekäthen Leye (LM 5615/22). Their
material was processed by the prison manufacture in
Diez. Material from the last-mentioned quarry was
sold by the Villmar marble factory between 1870 and
1892 under the trade name Mariekäth. In 1875 and
again in 1880, material was produced from a quarry
named An der Mühl(en) (LM 5615/28). The Kissel
quarry was productive in 1837/38, in 1846 and 18701892. Material from the Kissel quarry was used for
the pillars in the assembly rooms of the Bad Ems spa
in 1837/38.
Limestone worth to be processed cropped but both
sides of the Lahn River. Nevertheless, until the second half of the 19th century nearly all quarries in
Villmar were situated on the left side of the Lahn
River, because a bridge over the river was built as
late as 1894-1896.
Overall it can be stated, that – besides few exceptions
– all Lahn Marble quarries in Villmar were situated
in three areas:
1) in the vicinity of the marble factory,
2) in the vicinity of the Bodensteinerlai
3) right of the Lahn River in the vicinity of today’s
train station.
The Famosa quarry (LM 5615/24) was the most important quarry during the last decades of operation.
It was situated near the marble factory. Already in
Adjacent to the Famosa quarry, the Mühlberg quarry
(LM 5615/1) was situated behind the factory. It was
operated at least since 1870 by the marble factory (in
1868 it is not shown in topographical maps) and at least
until the year 1902. Postcards suggest the quarry to be
in production until the 1920s or 1930s. The material
is light brownish to greyish (Plate 3h).
The area in the vicinity of the marble factory provided
about 50 % of the total Lahn Marble production of
Villmar during the 1870-1902 period.
The second important Lahn Marble area was situated
in the vicinity of the limestone cliff Bodensteinerlai.
One of the quarries supplied material for the monastery and the abbey St. Matthew’s in Trier in 1718
and the altar of the Holy Rock chapel in the Trier
cathedral about 1730. Its exact location is unknown.
Also unknown is the exact location of the Bodensteinsleye or Bodensteinlei quarry (LM 5615/15),
which was active in 1826, 1847 and 1871-1873, and
the Hinterbodenstein quarry (LM 5615/25) which
provided huge amounts (> 1.000 m3 raw production)
of limestone between 1870 and 1893.
The Bongard quarry (LM 5615/4) was the largest in
Villmar and moreover one of the largest in the Lahn
district. There existed a limestone cliff as early as in
1868. In 1871, the name „Bongartsbruch“ was noted, and in 1888 the trade name Bongard is known.
Stonemason masters distinguished different Bongard
sub-types in the following decades. Bongard (Plate
202
Fig. 7: Marble manufactory in the Diez prison. Watercolour (detail) by Antonio Fay from 1837 (Coll. Nass. Altertümer, Wiesbaden).
4a) was used in the famous Jugendstil bathhouses in
Bad Nauheim spa, in the palace of the Grand Duke of
Luxembourg, and as floor slabs in Brühl palace near
Cologne. After World War II, Bongard was taken for
the interior of the hotel Schwarzer Bock in Wiesbaden
and for restoration purposes in Bruchsal palace. In
1976 the quarry was abandoned. In 1989, the quarry
was reopened for a short time to extract one huge
Bongard block which was needed for the restoration
of the high altar in the Jesuitic church in Mannheim.
Nothing is known about the history of a small quarry
north of the Bongard quarry (LM 5615/5).
Situated in the so called „Borngrund“, a quarry is reported in 1826 and 1832 which provided a light-reddish
limestone (Plate 4b). Erratic quarrying can be proven
since 1871. In the 1950s quarrying ended. Within the
village property “Borngrund”, an old quarry exists
(LM 5615/3), suggesting to be taken as the old Borngrund quarry. The trade name Borngrund is known
since 1895. Borngrund material was used for the main
station in Erfurt, the Namedy castle near Andernach/
Rhein and – after World War II – for the municipal
Saalbau in Essen (today it is called Philharmonie).
At a distance of 120 “steps” [one step equals 0.30 m]
from the Borngrund quarry the Castellen or Kasteller
quarry was situated. It provided “nice” red “marble”.
The exact location is unknown. It is probably the same
quarry, which was leased by the stonemason mas-
ter Hax from Villmar and the sculptor Castelli from
Limburg in 1730. From 1871 to 1890, small quantities
were extracted from the Castell quarry. The material is described as similar to the Grethenstein Lahn
Marble.
The quarry area in vicinity of the Bodensteinerlai delivered about 25 % of the total Nassau Marble production of Villmar between 1870 and 1902.
The earliest proof of Nassau Marble occurrences on
the right side of the Lahn River within the district of
Villmar dates from 1829. In an inventory of the mayor
it is said that a “nice quarry” with red and red-grey
“marble” exists at the place of the former Grethenstein
castle. The mayor added that there was no leaseholder.
This statement should be seen in the historical context:
The inventory is not an inventory of active quarries but
lists all places where Nassau Marble could be quarried.
The first proof of Nassau Marble quarrying in this area
dates from 1868. In a topographical map, a “marble
quarry” with a length of about 60 m is indicated WNW
of the train station. Later a large limestone quarry
was established, of the Krupp Co. continuing even in
the 20th century when in a small part Famosa Violett
(LM 5615/6) was quarried. End of the Famosa Violett
quarry was shortly before World War II. Examples for
its use are the Darmstadt Technical University and the
Senate hall of the Capitol in Baton Rouge, capital of
the US state Louisiana.
After 1868, the quarry seems to be shifting to the S,
because since 1870 huge quantities were extracted
from a location on the right side of the Lahn River,
named An der Lahn. In 1884, the quarrying activities
in this area were described as exceedingly extensive.
Probably since 1885, but at least since 1887 the trade
name Gret(h)enstein was established. The typically
red coloured material was extracted in several quarries in 1888 in the vicinity of what is nowadays the
natural monument “Unica”. The extracted material
was sold as Gret(h)chenstein, rouge violette and Roth
violette. Early examples of Grethenstein in architecture are pillars in the Burgtheater in Vienna and in
the central station of Frankfurt/Main, the interior of
the Grand Duke palace in Karlsruhe (today Federal
Supreme Court) and the tower of the Munich Technical University.
As the extensive area of the limestone and Lahn Marble quarries on the Grethenstein in the years before
1908 are even shown on a postcard, it is not astonishing that the Grethenstein was described as „most
important and magnificent” deposit in the whole Lahn
district in 1914. Today, the area is levelled and filled
up at least since the time of World War II. After the
war Grethenstein was not extracted any more.
Within the former Grethenstein quarry area, a reddish
coloured variety was extracted (LM 5615/10, Plate
4c), which – depending on origin, property or lease
situations as well as fashion – was traded not only as
Grethenstein, but also labelled with other names. A
map from 1922 shows that in the vicinity three districts
abut; in every district a quarry was situated: Quarry
“Überlahnberg” in the north, quarry “Grethenstein” in
the east or southeast, and quarry “Lossen” in the west
or northwest, on the spot of today’s natural monument
“Unica”. Material from the Lossen quarry was sold
by the Joerissen Co. under the trade name Unika and
the material from the Grethenstein quarry as Grethenstein. Since the 1890s and until World War I, “Nassauische Marmorwerke” of Dyckerhoff & Neumann
Co. was selling both Grethenstein and Unica. For the
first time the Joerissen Co. which was in competition
with the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. offered Unika in
1915; since 1920 it could offer Grethenstein in addition
to Unika. Finally, Joerissen sold the Unica material in
1931 as Nassau rot; even in 1938 Nassau rot is listed
besides Unika and Gretenstein. Even the company of
the May Brothers in Villmar offered Grethenstein:
The company had taken a lease on the “Überlahnberg”
quarry from 1922 to 1940. Grethenstein is mentioned
until the 1950s.
The natural monument Unica (LM 5615/7) is situated
in the Lossen district. On the initiative of the “LahnMarmor-Museum” Society the quarry was roofed in
2001. This small quarry was started as late as the
1930s century (Fig. 9). Its material was named Unica
A (“A” = “Alt”) and first mentioned in 1933 (Plate
4d). With the end of the production about 1970, quarrying ended in the Grethenstein area in general. The
variety Unica N (“N” = “Neu”) was first mentioned
in 1938. Unica N was extracted in the quarry LM
5615/8 (Plate 4e). After World War I, the quarry was
not productive. The “Nassauische Marmorwerke” sold
the variety Unica blaßrot before World War II. Unica
was first mentioned in 1895; in 1896 Unica appeared
in the technical literatur. Unica was used for the Landeshaus in Wiesbaden (today Hessian Ministry of trade and economy), the tower of the Munich Technical
University (1903-1907) and the Kerckhoff institute in
Bad Nauheim (1929-1931). At the end of the quarrying
period, Unica was used for restoring purposes in the
palaces of Mannheim and Bruchsal. Even Müller
(1994) states, that the different Unica types could not
be distinguished in all cases, because they changed
from one type to the other within one block occasionally. On closer examination, this statement has to be
extended to the Grethenstein variety.
Greyish and partially reddish limestone is exposed in
three small and old quarries in the west of the so-called
Ibachseiche (LM 5615/11, LM 5615/12, LM 5615/13).
Traces of quarrying suggest the quarry LM 5615/13
to date from the 19th century or earlier and the quarry
LM 5615/12 to date from the 20th century or earlier
(Plate 4f). In the 20th century, the company of Karl
May was the last leaseholder. Two holy water fonts
in the parish church St. Peter and Paul in Villmar are
regarded as made by material from there.
From the quarries on the right side of the Lahn River
about 24 % of all Nassau Marble from Villmar was
produced between 1870 and 1902.
On the right side of the road to Aumenau, the Wieshohl quarry was situated (LM 5615/9). At the beginning of the 19th century, the prison manufactory of
Diez was the main owner of the deposit holding its
own quarry. Between 1823 and 1827, they produced
10 border pillars for the Grand Duchy of Nassau from
this material (Plate 4g). Smaller parts of the deposit
were in the property of the municipality of Villmar
and were quarried by private operators. A further period of quarrying was 1882-1887; the last activity was
about 1925.
A limestone quarry for the production of quicklime existed in the “Kalkreusch” N of Villmar (LM
5515/20) as early as 1504. The dark grey to black lime
stone was extracted as dimension stone about 1832
and was abandoned about 1940. The trade name was
Lahnberg-Dunkel.
The location of the Ignatiusfels quarry close to Villmar (LM 5615/19) is unknown. Its grey limestone was
204
used for the pillars in Ignatius church in Mainz in
1781/82. The quarry was re-opened in 1846.
During digging a water basin near Arfurt (today Runkel-Arfurt) in 1605, farmers discovered a huge block
of dark grey limestone. From this block the memorial
slab was made for Elector and Archbishop Johann
Adam von Bicken in the cathedral of Mainz.
Beneath Arfurt, a municipal Nassau Marble quarry
(LM 5515/32) is proved since 1826. In the following
years it was leased to members of the Leonhard family
from Villmar. The quarry provided dark grey to black
limestone. Production continued for the following decades, since 1880 by the Hergenhahn Co. from Diez,
the “Nassauische Marmorwerke” from Villmar and
the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. from Villmar, the
latter sold the material under the trade name Arfurt.
In the 1930s the messages terminate.
Near Aumenau (today Villmar-Aumenau) are the “finest marble quarries”, according to reports in 1829.
Material from Aumenau was used in the mid-19th century for the furnishing of two synagogues in Frankfurt. In 1862, the prison factory and in the eighties
the Hergenhahn Co. was exploiting the deposit. After
1899, the variety Aumenau was sold by Dyckerhoff &
Neumann. Extracting was continued until the 1930s,
the last operator being the “Marmor-Gewerkschaft
Caesari” from Limburg.
Two adjacent quarries lie in the Aumenau forest district
“Winkel” (LM 5515/21), and provided a typical red
white material (Plate 4h). In the 19th century, parts of
this forest district belonged to the territory of the municipality of Seelbach. As early as 1709/1712 extraction
is reported. In 1714 Winkel limestone was processed
for four pillars for the Biebrich castle in WiesbadenBiebrich. In 1826, two quarries are mentioned, in 1832
the quarry named “Winkel” was abandoned. After
1880, the quarries were operated by the “Nassauische
Marmorwerke”, the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. and
the “Marmorwerke Balduinstein”; the district now
being quoted as “Speckswinkel”. The quarries were
operated until World War II. In 1930, the trade name
Seelbach is reported. In the thirties of the last century, one of the quarries was operated by the company
“Lahn-Marmorbrüche Gerhäuser & Kirchner” from
Steeden. It sold the limestone under the new trade
name Kirsch(en)rot with two sub-varieties. The retaining wall of the Catholic church in Aumenau was
built from this material.
Black limestone was quarried near Seelbach (today
Villmar-Seelbach) in the 18th century, but the position of the quarry is unknown (LM 5515/35). Also
unknown is the location of a quarry which operated in
the 18th century at the Auerberg SSW of Seelbach (LM
5515/41). It provided red-white speckled “marble”, but
in 1766/68 and 1837 it was not in operation.
Documents prove the extraction of Nassau Marble
from the riverbed of the Lahn River between 1826 and
1832. The quarry was situated near the Treisfurter Hof
in the east of Villmar and was named Moselpitsch
(LM 5515/34). The material was processed by the Diez
prison manufacture. Extraction work was only possible in very dry summers.
In the east of Seelbach, but already in the district of
Aumenau, the village property “Ülm” or “Ilm” is
situated, in which two quarries were operated close
to the Lahn River (LM 5515/22a + 5515/22b). One
quarry was active in the 18th century and abandoned in
1766/68. Both quarries must have been in operation in
the 20th century; the material was sold as Ulmenberg
graurot and Ulmenberg dunkelrot.
In 1888, one quarry owned by the “Nassauische Marmorwerke” is reported to be situated “downstream
from” Fürfurt (today Weinbach-Fürfurt). It is uncertain, if this was the above-mentioned quarry delivering
Ulmenberg material or another quarry.
In 1785, the famous poet J. W. Goethe received two
“marble” slices from Weinbach, which suggest quarrying at that time (LM 5515/29). Several limestone
quarries are known in the NE and SW of Weinbach
but until now none of them could be identified as dimension stone quarry.
In the vicinity of Edelsberg (today Weinbach-Edelsberg) a dark grey limestone with numerous calcite
veinlets was extracted (LM 5515/30). The material
was used for the bases of the iron vases in the castle
gardens of Weilburg. The locality of this extracting
place is unknown as is the locality of the following
quarry: Since 1777, the Weilburg prison operated a
quarry near Edelsberg, which supplied dark, black
and grey “marble”.
Both messages might refer to the same quarry. In 1785,
five “marble” slabs from Edelsberg came into Goethe’s
possession.
The extraction of Nassau Marble close to Philippstein (today: Braunfels-Philippstein) is comparatively old: In 1785 Goethe received two slabs from
the Philippstein deposit. In 1906/1907, the company
“Granitwerke Steinerne Renne Actien-Gesellschaft”
from Hasserode/Harz was extracting small portions
of limestone (< 50 m3) as dimension stone.
“Marble” quarries existed in 1789 in the vicinity of
Oberbiel and Niederbiel (both part of Solms today),
making both municipalities “well-known”, but as yet
the extracting places could not be identified.
A marble factory was founded in Niedergirmes (today
Wetzlar-Niedergirmes) in 1879 which soon assumed
the name “Dyckerhoff &
Neumann”. This company developed to one
of the most important
Lahn Marble extracting
and processing companies, but did not operate
quarries in Wetzlar itself.
Dimension stone quarries
in Wetzlar are mentioned
in 1893 and 1894.
One quarry can be localised beneath the meanwhile blasted Dalheimer
Chapel (LM 5416/1). A
“huge marble quarry”
was started few years before 1884.
A “marble” quarry was Fig. 8: Weibshohl quarry (LM 5615/14) near Runkel with distinct quarrying traces from the 19th
exploited about 1770-1780 century, demonstrating the predominant extracting technique by separating the blocks by maat the Deutschherrenberg, nual drilling.
in the vicinity of the Ziegelpforte (later named Hauser Tor) near Wetzlar (LM the Pommersfeld castle of Elector Lothar Franz von
5417/1). The Hausertor was situated ca. 200 m north of Schönborn the material was obtained from Katzenelnthe cathedral. The limestone was characterised by “blue, bogen. The Elector praised the Nassau Marble with
yellow and red veinlets“. In the second half of the 19th the words “welche gewißlich nicht schöner in gantz
century the quarry was active again and supplied “nice” Italien weder gefunden noch gesehen werden können“
varieties, marked by corals. In 1884 it was abandoned. (“more beautiful marble could not be found nor seen
in whole Italy”). In 1730, the “marble quarries” in the
Further, Nassau Marble quarries were situated at the
vicinity of Katzenelnbogen were famous. Material
Lahnberg close to Wetzlar. In the vicinity of the Wöllfrom Katzenelnbogen was used for the pillars of the
bacher gate, three varieties of the “nicest and most
castle church in Würzburg. Red “marble” from Katzeprecious marble” were extracted in the beginning of
nelnbogen was processed to four pillars in the garden
the 18th century. Even in 1830, a quarry was active.
hall of this castle in 1741 and 1743. Katzenelnbogen
Two quarries can be identified: one smaller one immaterial was used for pillars in Worms, presumably
mediately in front of the gate (LM 5417/3) and a bigger
in the Worms cathedral. Further documents report the
one nearby (LM 5417/4).
pillars erected in the Wiesbaden theatre in 1827 stem
Attempts were made to use the limestone near Rod- from Katzenelnbogen.
heim and Bieber near Gießen as dimension stone in The municipal quarry of Allendorf (LM 5714/1) is
the 19th century.
filled-in and built over today. The golden age of this
Hahnstätten Syncline
In the Hahnstätten Syncline, Nassau Marble was quarried in the vicinity of Allendorf, Mudershausen and
probably near Hahnstätten.
Old archive records mention also Katzenelnbogen
as quarrying place. With that presumably the municipality of Allendorf is meant, which belonged to
the district of Katzenelnbogen in the 18th century.
Thus, in 1715 eight pillars for a chapel in the Würzburg cathedral were transported from the “Katzen
Elenbogener” quarry to Würzburg. In the same year,
for the chimneys and doors of the “marble hall” in
quarry was in the 18th century, when the brownish-red
limestone from this quarry was used for the pillars of
the Jesuitic church in Mannheim, an “exquisite bath”
in Koblenz and the chimneys in the Darmstadt castles.
The quarry was not in operation in 1784. Three slabs
from Allendorf are part of a marble collection from
about 1800 (Fig. 5). Before 1826 the material was processed “frequently”. It was operated about 1890.
Several quarries were situated in the vicinity of Mudershausen, but the locations of the quarries are not
identified so far. Corresponding to the territorial affiliation, the Mudershausen Nassau Marble was labelled
as “Idstein marble” (1780). In the 17th century, Mudershausen supplied grey limestone for the construction
206
Lahn Marble varieties with unknown
origin
The company “Marmorwerke Balduinstein” sold two varieties, whose origin is
not identified so far. It offered the black variety Adlerstein and the red variety Zephyr
or Zephir. The only known examples for
use of Zephir are the pillars in the Johanniskirche in Leipzig, built in 1894-1897,
but destroyed in World War II. In 1933, the
company of the May Brothers sold Silvea,
which could not be assigned to a quarry. A
Lahn Marble variety named Nassau Rotgrün was used in the extension building
of the Reichskanzlei in Berlin in 1938/39.
Never before and never afterwards this
trade name was mentioned. The red green
colour could indicate that Nassau Rotgrün
was not a limestone but a calcite-rich metavolcanite. Two specimens of yellowish
limestone and “marble” from Weyer are
doubtful as well. The specimens are in
the collection of Archduke Stephan von
Oesterreich. They probably refer to platy
limestone of the Late Devonian.
Chances and limits of provenance
studies
Duration of quarrying, quarrying
production
Fig. 9: Unica A quarry, Villmar (LM 5615/7), 1941. Use of wire saws is characteristic When did quarrying of Nassau Marble
of the last quarrying period in the 20th century.
start? In fact Becker (1884) lists several
examples for use of Nassau Marble in Roof the collegiate church St. Martin in Idstein (today manesque and Gothic times, but some of his examples
protestant church, even named Union church). Even- proved to be wrong, some of them are not yet re-exatually, already the first altar (1603), with certainty mined in the framework of this project, and some of
the new altar (1671-1675), the pillars and the pulpit the examples concern the use as cut, but not polished
(1763) were made by this material. In 1672, a big-sized limestone as building material, e.g. for bridges. Accorfont was produced and shipped to Koblenz. However, ding to an old document cited by Schönleber (1865)
about 1677 Earl Johannes von Idstein-Wiesbaden com- marble industry should have been in existence in Villplained that his Mudershausen quarry was not much mar in the 16th century, but the document appears to be
of a profit for him. The reason was that he employed lost (Kuhnigk 1976). Furthermore, the statement has
the material only for his own use and did not market to be questioned, because a chronicle, which has been
it. Further, early references date from the early 18th written 1610/12 (“Lympurger Chronica”), emphasizes
century. About 1737, sixteen coloured pilasters were that “coloured marble” from Villmar had only been
made from the Mudershausen material. About 1800, discovered “some years ago” (K netsch 1909). Moa marble collection was arranged which contains one reover, the chronicle states that “black marble” from
black slab of Nassau Marble from Idstein (Fig. 5).
Schupbach was known and a “white tough marble”
A polished pyramid of bluish-grey limestone from has been used for window jambs of a building in Lim“Johann Schaefer Kalkwerke G. m. b. H. Diez/Lahn” burg. The chronicle reports in greater detail about the
in the BGR collection in Berlin (Bundesanstalt für accidental discovery of a huge dark limestone block
Geowissenschaften) indicates that attempts were made near Arfurt in 1605. The authorities prohibited the
to use the deposit of Hahnstätten at least as dimen- finders from selling the block, which can be seen as
indication for the existence of a market for dimensision stone.
on stones. The authorities determined the block as a
memorial slab in the cathedral of Mainz. Even older
examples for the use of Nassau Marble as dimension
stone are the pillars of the Nassau altar in this cathedral, which was built shortly after the year 1601 (Jung
1975) and the altar with the perspective depictions of
pillars (“perspective altar”) in the Union church in
Idstein (Schmidt 2003). Based on today’s historical
knowledge, quarrying and processing of the Devonian limestone in the Lahn region as dimension stone
have been started not long before the turn of the 16th
to the 17th century. Therefore, one should be careful
to declare dimension stone as Nassau Marble or Lahn
Marble, if the piece of architecture in question dates
from the 16th century or even before.
While the earliest use of a variety is marked by the
opening of a quarry, the use of a variety for the last
time is not necessarily identical with the end of the extraction of the material: Thus several Lahn Marble varieties were promoted violently in the fifties of the 20th
century, but the related quarries had been abandoned
several years before (Kirnbauer 2005). The reason
for the temporal discrepancy is because of availability
of extracted but unprocessed blocks in the factories.
Today, only few blocks of Lahn Marble remain on the
grounds of the stone processing companies.
In the Lahn region, the last quarries were abandoned
in the seventies of the 20th century. Assuming the start
of quarrying to be at the end of the 16th century, production of Nassau Marble was active for about 400
years. Considering the whole period of time, more than
100 quarries had existed. About seventy of them can
be identified (Table 1). Many of the small, frequently
only temporarily operated quarries cannot be identified for a whole chain of reasons: Later (and larger)
quarries have destroyed the traces of earlier ones. The
extraction techniques used in earlier centuries (blasting, separating by drilling) frequently did not leave
any identifiable traces in the steep slopes of the Lahn
valley. The above-cited document, which describes
the recovering of a huge block in 1605, elucidates a
technique which was presumably used in the first period of extracting Nassau Marble, namely to recover
boulders, a method which is in use in the modern
dimension stone industry worldwide. Furthermore,
some of the quarries mentioned in earlier centuries
are nothing else than outcropping limestone, which
was extracted from case to case. One of these “marble
quarries” was situated in the riverbed of the Lahn
River and extraction was possible exclusively in very
dry summers (Panthel 1826). Others were so small
that they were buried by soil and weathering material
within short time; the remark “quarry is buried” can
frequently be read in the old records. A map of 1846
which shows seven quarries in Villmar (Aumüller
2003), demonstrates the dimensions of the quarries.
While the smallest one shows a length of merely 7 m,
the biggest one had a length of about 58 m. Mainly the
instructive reports of the Diez prison administration
prove that quarries were operated temporarily depending on the order situation and that the debris had to be
cleared before the extraction work could start, which
required a lot of time and money. Even the detailed
analyses of the Lahn Marble production from Villmar
in the years 1870 to 1902 shows that none of the 14
quarries produced continuously (Table 2).
Our today’s view of the Lahn Marble production is
influenced by pictures of the quarries arising in the
last decades, contemporary photos and relics of the
quarrying, and therefore by the technique of sawing
with endless wires: Quarries present oneself as clear
carvings in the topography with regular (sawed) walls
(Fig. 9). But this view on historic extraction sites represents only a short period and prevents from getting a
realistic view of the earlier history of quarrying which
is reflecting a much longer time span.
The annual Nassau Marble production in the period
1850-1955 is shown in Fig. 10. Despite no data are
available for many years, it nevertheless can clearly be
seen that the annual production rate in the 19th century
was small (a few hundred of m3), and even in the 20th
century the annual production exceeds 1,000 m3 only
in a few years. A careful estimation results in a total
production of about 50,000 m3 in this time, which represents an average annual production of about 323 m3,
and a maximal total production of about 75,000 m3 for
the overall quarrying period between 1600 and 1970.
Investigating the provenance of Nassau Marble it is
worthwhile knowing that until World War I the main
market of the largest Lahn Marble extracting and processing company (Dyckerhoff & Neumann, Villmar)
was the US market. The dominance of the US market
can be traced back twofold, on the one hand to the
company of the Hergenhahn Brothers which leased
the state-owned marble factory of the Diez prison in
1880 and expanded the sales area to the US, and on
the other hand to two companies, the “Marmorwerke
Balduinstein Guido Krebs” and “G. Joerissen”, which
both participated in the 1904 World’s fair in St. Louis
(Lewald 1904).
However, a central element for provenance analysis of
Nassau Marble is the information, whether a particular
quarry stood in production in a certain time. These
data are compiled in chapter 4.
Trade names
In scientific literature and trading, the term Lahn Marble can be tracked back to the year 1899 (Herrmann
208
Plate 1: Lahn Marble slabs (width is 103 mm for all
images). a) Balduinstein, Bär quarry (LM 5613/3),
b) Edelfels Rosa, Heistenbach (LM 5614/2), c) Limburg (LM 5614/1), d) Hundsangen (LM 5514/1), e)
Blechmühle near Hadamar (LM 5514/4), f) Steeden
(LM 5514/5), g) Schupbach Schwarz, Schupbach
(LM 5515/18), h) Finster mill near Schupbach (LM
5515/5).
Plate 2: Lahn Marble slabs (width is 103 mm for
all images). a) Finster mill near Schupbach (LM
5515/6), b) Schupbach Goldader, Schupbach (LM
5515/7), c) Schupbach Grau or Mimosa, Schupbach (LM 5515/3), d) Mimosa S hell, Schupbach
(LM 5515/19), e) Mimosa S dunkel, Schupbach (LM
5515/19), f) “Weiße Steinkauth”, Schupbach (LM
5515/14), g) Korallenfels, Schupbach (LM 5515/8),
h) “Rud Kaut”, Schupbach (LM 5515/12).
images). a) “Rud Kaut”, Schupbach (LM 5515/12),
b) “Hanomser Bruch”, Gaudernbach (LM 5515/9),
c) Brunhildenstein, Gaudernbach (LM 5515/13), d)
Grafenstein, Gaudernbach (LM 5515/13), e) Wirbelau, Wirbelau (LM 5515/16), f) Kölken, Wirbelau (LM
5515/17), g) Hasselbach (LM 5515/26), h) Mühlberg,
Villmar (LM 5615/1).
images). a) Bongard, Villmar (LM 5615/4), b) Borngrund, Villmar (LM 5615/3), c) Grethenstein, Villmar
(LM 5615/10, d) Unica A, Villmar (LM 5615/7), e) Unica
N, Villmar (LM 5615/8), f) Villmar near Ibachseiche (LM 5615/12), g) Wieshohl quarry, Villmar (LM
5615/9), h) Winkel district, Aumenau (LM 5515/21).
210
Table 2: Raw production of Lahn Marble quarries from Villmar 1870–1902 (data from Kirnbauer 2008).
Quarry
LM-No.
Production years
Bodensteinlei
Bongart
5615/15
5615/4
Borngrund
5615/3
Castell
5615/16
Cretenstein
5615/10
at the factory
5615/24
Famosa
5615/24
Hinterbodenstein
5615/25
in der Hohl
5615/9
auf dem Kissel
5615/1
an der Lahn
5615/27
Mariekäth
5615/22
Mühlberg
5615/23
an der Mühlen
5615/28
1871, 1873
1871, 1893, 1896
1871-1873, 1881,
1890, 1891, 1893,
1898, 1902
1871, 1873, 1874,
1882, 1890
1885
1875, 1881, 18861894
1893-1895, 1898
1870, 1873-1875,
1877, 1883, 18851893
1882, 1883, 1885,
1887
1870, 1871, 1874,
1875, 1883, 1884,
1888, 1892
1870-1874, 18771880, 1882-1887,
1895
1870, 1871, 1873,
1883, 1884, 1892
1870-1872, 18891896, 1902
1875, 1880
1870-1875, 18771900, 1902
no quarry given
Total sum
1899), although the term was already used in a record
in 1827 (Wiesbaden, State Archives Wiesbaden, sect.
211, No. 8057). Earlier in the 19th century, the material
was described as Nassau Marble (e.g. Becker 1884),
because the majority of the quarries was situated on
the territory of the Archdukedom Nassau. Until the
thirties of the 20th century, both terms were used simultaneously (e.g. Stiny 1929). One of the most important
producers, G. Joerissen, was promoting his material
“Nassau Marmor! Eigene Sorten!” (“Nassau Marble!
Own varieties!”) in 1931 and even in the year 1934 an
producer association “Nassauer Marmor” (“Nassau
Marble”) was founded (K ratz 1940). Not until the
fifties of the last century the term Lahn Marble gained
general acceptance.
As long as several centuries, the Nassau Marble varieties were named after their colour, occasionally after
Sum 18701902 [m3]
109.9
244.0
Sum 18701902 [%]
0.9
1.9
Average annual
production [m3]
55.0
81.3
451.1
3.5
50.1
86.2
0.7
17.2
12.7
0.1
12.7
2,170.2
16.9
197.3
102.8
0.8
25.7
1,299.7
10.1
86.6
72.8
0.6
18.2
661.2
5.2
82.7
2,099.4
16.4
131.2
165.2
1.3
27.5
1,316.2
10.3
109.7
37.2
0.3
18.6
3,978.8
31.0
12,816.8
100.0
their find location. Even the description of the most
important varieties by Sandberger (1853) followed
exclusively seven colours or shades, independent from
the find location. Distinguishing different colours only
proved to be reliable in a time, in which only small
amounts were processed, and in which a monopolist,
the state prison factory in Diez, dominated the market.
This changed fundamentally by establishing the first
private marble factory in Villmar in 1865 (Kuhnigk
1976) and privatization of the state-owned marble
factory of the Diez prison in 1880 (Becker 1884): To
improve marketing, trade names for the different varieties have been introduced since the eighties of the
19th century (Fig. 11). To date, the earliest known trade
mark is the establishment of the Grethenstein variety
and dates to the year 1883 (collection Natural History Museum Vienna). Further trade names are known
since 1888. These trade names are predominantly
names deduced from a nearby village (e.g. Seelbach)
or estate names (e.g. Borngrund), even in combination
with colours (e.g. Schupbach Schwarz). At the same
time the first fantasy name (Famosa) appeared, which
certainly was awarded with the intention to emphasize
the splendid (German: “famos”) appearance of the
material. About 125 trade names and sub-names can
be found until the end of quarrying.
Table 3 compiles all Lahn Marble trade names which
have become known until today. A few trade names
cannot be assigned to a quarry so far. Because the
stonemason factories offered blocks for sale from
quarries which had been abandoned long ago, the time
of usage of a trade name is not necessarily identical
to the operating time of a quarry (Kirnbauer 2005).
Trade names are depending on fashions and the spirit
of the time. For instance, material from one municipal quarry of Villmar on the right of the Lahn River
was sold by the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. under
the names Grethenstein and Unica, by the Joerissen
Co., a competitor of the above mentioned company,
as Unika and Nassau Rot, while it was sold in Austria as Rouge violette. Some quarries supplied various
varieties. The Auberg quarry in Gaudernbach supplied the varieties Brunhildenstein and Grafenstein.
About 1905 these trade names being characteristic
of the Wilhelminian epoch were replaced by the Romanesque sounding fantasy names Rojizonazo and
Porvenir. This accommodated the taste of the public
for the exotic. During the time of the German fascism
the use of these “foreign names” came under severe
criticism: R auchbach (1938) hoped that these names
would “disappear completely” and would be replaced
by “good local marble names” announcing the “origin
of this German material” – but his hope was fulfilled
only during the Nazi era. Several trade names are preserved also from the Bongard quarry in Villmar: Even
the spatial relationship between cutting and bedding
positions resulted in different variety names.
Limits of provenance studies
The discontinuous reef growth excludes palaeontological methods to distinguish the different varieties
of Nassau Marble, especially as many reefs existed
simultaneously and mixed conodont faunas are common. The short time span of reef growth from Middle
to Late Devonian which covers about 10 million years
(chapter 2) and the lack of suitable minerals prevent the
application of isotopic dating techniques. Thin section
studies on limestone samples from numerous locations and quarries have been investigated by several
workers (e.g. Oetken 1996). However, the carbonate
sedimentological approach is suitable for microfacies
analysis but to date fails at determining the provenance
of a piece of architecture. Thus, what remains is the
visual determination of provenance. This method is
challenged by several limiting factors especially without sufficient knowledge of the quarries in operation
and varieties used within a special historic time period (chapter 1). In addition to this, rapid vertical and
horizontal changes of facies, small-scaled diagenetic
alteration and (later) penetrative hydrothermal alteration hinder the visual determination. Nevertheless, this
method can be used carefully on the base of sufficient
comparative material in combination with historical
information. This study is a first approach in combining data of field work and historical records.
After all also, the names of trade marks or localities
mentioned in ancient records or publications have to
be handled with care, since the origin of a Nassau
Marble is frequently given as place of processing
and not as place of quarrying. Many of the dimension stones labelled with the name of origin “Diez”
or “Villmar” have not been extracted in one of the
quarries within these municipalities, but have been
processed there, namely in the Diez (manu)factory
and the “Nassauische Marmorwerke” in Villmar (later
the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co.). Historical records
show that in spite of the high logistic and financial
efforts for transport of the extracted blocks in earlier
centuries, stonemasons and sculptors obtained their
material from distant quarries, even when quarries
existed in their own village. Thus, a contract with
the sculptor Christoph Babel from Allendorf was negotiated for supplying pieces of architecture for the
Schönborn burial chapel in the Würzburg cathedral
(since 1721), but Babel received his “marble” from
Schupbach (Reuther 1956).
Conclusions
Extraction of Nassau Marble probably started at the
end of the 16th century and ended about 1970. The
data presented in this article show that more than 100
quarries were operated in this period. In the course of
this study, about 70 of them could be identified and
sampled. The quarries vary considerably in size. At
least at the end of the 19th century the quarries did
not produce continuously but according to demand.
Breaks lasting several years occurred between two
quarrying periods. Operators were stonemasons, private local people and small companies and since the
end of the 18th century prison manufactories. These
circumstances changed in the second half of the 19th
century, when two important private companies, started operation to quarry and process Lahn Marble. Due
to rising demand and increased advertising the quarries commenced continuous production. The introduction of trade names since about 1883 emphasizes the
change. About 125 trade names and sub-names have
212
Table 3: Lahn Marble trade names.
Trade Name
Municipality
Quarry No.
Time Span
Adlerstein
Arfurt
Auberg
Auberg Grau
Auberg Rot
Aull Grau
Aull Rot
Aumenau
Balduinstein(er) Grau
Bongard
Bongard dunkel
Bongard gebändert
Bongard Grau
Bongard Grau Lager
Bongard Hirn
Bongard Lager
Bongard NA
Bongard P
Bongard P Lager
Bongard Rot
Bongard tigre
Bongard Wolkenrot
Borngrund
Brunhildenstein
Castell
Diezer Grau
Edelfels
Edelfels Grau
Edelfels Graurot
Edelfels Rosa
Edelfels Rot
Edelfels rötlich
Edelgrau
Edelrot
Edelrot N
Estrellante
Famosa
Famosa Dunkelviolett
Famosa–Grau
Famosa Grau mit gelb
Famosa Hellgrau mit gelb
Famosa S
Famosa S hell
Famosa S mittel
Famosa S dunkel
Famosa
unknown
Arfurt
Gaudernbach
Gaudernbach
Gaudernbach
Aull
Aull
Aumenau
Balduinstein
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Gaudernbach
Villmar
Heistenbach
Heistenbach
Heistenbach
Heistenbach
Heistenbach
Heistenbach
Heistenbach
Steeden
Steeden
Steeden
Gaudernbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Schupbach
Villmar
unknown
LM 5515/32
LM 5515/13
LM 5515/13
LM 5515/13
unknown
unknown
unknown
LM 5613/1
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/4
LM 5615/3
LM 5515/13
LM 5615/16
LM 5614/2
LM 5614/2
LM 5614/2
LM 5614/2
LM 5614/2
LM 5614/2
LM 5614/2
LM 5514/5
LM 5514/5
LM 5514/5
LM 5515/13
LM 5515/19
LM 5515/19
LM 5615/24
LM 5615/24
LM 5615/24
LM 5515/19
LM 5515/19
LM 5515/19
LM 5515/19
LM 5615/24
1896–1910
1888–1938
1920–1938
1914–1961
unknown
unknown
unknown
1888–1953
1950–1956
1888–1961
1910
1950 ff
1939–1950
1933
1933, 1950 ff
1933
1950 ff
1936–1950
1933
1933, 1950 ff
1950 ff
1950 ff
1888–1956
1896–1954
1888–1903
unknown
1897–1956
1914–1961
1914–1956
1936–1961
1920–1953
1922
1938–1953
1938–1961
1961
1904–1953
1896–1953
1910
1940
1938–1950
1910
1936–1960
1933–1961
1933–1953
1933–1961
1888–1938
Famosa V
Villmar
LM 5615/6
unknown
Famosa Violett
Famosa Violett
Famosa Violett O
Grafenstein
Gret(h)enstein,
Gretchenstein
Gretenstein dunkel
Gretenstein graurot
Gudrunstein
Höllenwand
Kirsch(en)rot
Kirschenrot H
Kirschenrot L
Schupbach
Villmar
unknown
Gaudernbach
LM 5515/19
LM 5615/6
unknown
LM 5515/13
1953–1956
1938–1950
1933
1897–1961
Villmar
LM 5615/10
1888–1953
Villmar
Villmar
Villmar
Balduinstein
Aumenau
Aumenau
Aumenau
LM 5615/10
LM 5615/10
unknown
LM 5613/2
LM 5515/21
LM 5515/21
LM 5515/21
1936
1910
unknown
1896–1940
1930–1953
1930
1930
Explanation
doubtful, only mentioned by Müller (1984)
perpendicular to the bedding plane
parallel to the bedding plane
perpendicular to the bedding plane
NA = Neue Ausgabe
doubtful, only BGR collection (Berlin)
S = Schupbach
V = Villmar or Violett. Doubtful, only mentioned by
Müller (1976 ff)
Kissel
Villmar
LM 5615/24
1897–1940
Kölken
Schupbach
1920–1954
Korallenfels
Schupbach
Lahnberg Dunkel
Villmar
LM 5515/17
LM 5515/8
LM 5515/10
LM 5515/20
Lahngold
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1930–1941
Lahn Grau
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1938
Lahn Schwarz
Gaudernbach or
Schupbach
unknown
1938
Mariekäth
Villmar
LM 5615/22
1897–1903
Mimosa
Schupbach
LM 5515/2
1930–1953
Mühlberg
Villmar
LM 5615/1
1888–1914
Nassau Rot, Nassaurot
Villmar
LM 5615/7
1931–1938
Nassau Rotgrün
unknown
unknown
1941
Nassauer Violett
Aumenau
unknown
unknown
Niedertiefenbach Schwarz
LM 5514/9
Porvenir
Niedertiefenbach
Gaudernbach or
Schupbach
Gaudernbach or
Schupbach
Gaudernbach or
Schupbach
Gaudernbach or
Schupbach
Gaudernbach
Reconquista
Gaudernbach
Rojizonazo
Gaudernbach
Rosario
Rosario corallo, Rosario–
corallo
Rouge violette
Schupbach
Schupbach Goldader
Schupbach
Schupbach Grau
Schupbach
Schupbach Schwarz
Schupbach
Schupbach Schwarz–Gelb
Orania
1899–1958
1940
unknown
1938–1951
unknown
1922–1953
unknown
1922–1953
unknown
1922–1953
LM 5515/13
1904–1953
LM 5515/13
1931–1956
LM 5515/13
LM 5515/8
LM 5515/10
LM 5515/8
LM 5515/10
LM 5615/10
1904–1953
1954–1956
Schupbach
LM 5515/7
LM 5515/2
LM 5515/3
LM 5515/4
LM 5515/18
LM 5515/7
Schupbach Schwarz–Gold
Schupbach
LM 5515/7
1938–1953
Schupbach Schwarzgrau
Schupbach
unknown
1888–1941
Schupbach Violett
Schupbach
unknown
1930
Seelbach
Seelbach
unknown
1888–1938
Silvea
unknown
unknown
1933
Speck(s)winkel
Aumenau
LM 5515/21
1888–1914
Steeden(er) Grau
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1930–1954
Steeden Grau–Rosa
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1956–1961
Steeden Grau–Rosa N
Steeden
LM 5514/5
Steeden Grün
Steeden
unknown
Steeden(er) Rosa
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1950–1956
Steeden(er) Rot
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1950–1953
Steedener Schwarz
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1954
Ulmenberg
Aumenau
LM 5515/22
1938–1953
Ulmenberg Dunkel
Aumenau
LM 5515/22
unknown
Ulmenberg Dunkelrot
Aumenau
LM 5515/22
1930–1953
Ulmenberg Graurot
Aumenau
LM 5515/22
1930–1953
Ulmenberg Hell
Aumenau
unknown
Unica, Unika
Villmar
1896–1953
Unika A
Villmar
LM 5515/22
LM 5615/7
LM 5615/8
LM 5615/7
1938–1953
1938–1956
Orania Grau
Orania Rot
Orania Schwarz
Schupbach
Villmar
Unika Blaßrot
Villmar
LM 5615/7
LM 5615/8
Unika N
Villmar
LM 5615/8
only collection DNA (Wunsiedel)
1930
1940
1933–1940
1897–1905
1914–1953
1888–1961
1950
1961
unknown
1933–1961
A = Alt
N = Neu
214
Urania–Rot
Steeden
LM 5514/5
Urania–Schwarz
Steeden
LM 5514/5
1940
Wachhecke
Gaudernbach
LM 5515/28
1920–1930
Weibshohl
Runkel
LM 5615/14
1888
Wiedisch Rosa
Schupbach
LM 5515/12
1938–1953
Wiedisch Rot
Schupbach
LM 5515/12
1950
Wirbelau
Wirbelau
LM 5515/16
1909–1961
Wirbelau–Silber
Wirbelau
LM 5515/17
1938
Wirbelau–Silbergrau
Wirbelau
LM 5515/17
Zephir, Zephyr
unknown
unknown
been found until now. With the exception of few, all
of them can be related to a quarry.
In the course of time two centres of processing developed in Diez and Villmar. The significance of Diez
goes back to the establishment of the prison manufacture in 1784, which not only quarried and processed,
but also marketed Nassau Marble and gained a dominant position on the market in the 19th century. By
privatization of the former prison factory in 1880,
the sales area was expanded and the importance of
the factory increased considerably, but it came to a
standstill in 1922 by fire. In Villmar, quarrying and
processing of Lahn Marble provided a living for a
few families before the introduction of waterpower
by the new established “Nassauische Marmorwerke”
in 1865. Since this time, Villmar established as new
centre of the Lahn Marble industry. After taking over
the factories of Diez and Villmar in 1887 and 1892,
the Dyckerhoff & Neumann Co. dominated the market
respectively. Since 1904, a serious competitor arose
with the Joerissen Co., which operated quarries in
Schupbach, Gaudernbach und Wirbelau.
The total production of Lahn Marble between 1850 and
1955 can be estimated as about 50,000 m3. Referring
1940
1930
1896–1930
to the whole 400 years period, the most important
Nassau Marble quarries were situated in the vicinity of Schupbach and Villmar. Beside this, centres
of extracting existed in the vicinity of Allendorf and
Mudershausen in the 17th to 18th century, and near Diez,
Gaudernbach and Wirbelau in the 20th century.
Frequently, the provenance of Lahn Marble has to be
determined for restoration purposes. It can be shown
that the visual determination of provenance should
only be done in combination with historical information, because provenance studies based exclusively on
the macroscopic feature proved to be the more unreliable the older the investigated building is. Most of the
numerous incorrect assignments of pieces of architecture which have been done in the last decades are
going back to the use of reference material collected
after World War II exclusively, while Nassau Marble
varieties which were used in former centuries are not
taken into account. Only combining geological, extracting-historical, processing-historical, art-historical
and economical data provide useful provenance determination of Lahn Marble. Thus, 1989 an abandoned
quarry near Villmar was reactivated for extracting
the variety Bongard (LM 5615/4), using this material
Fig. 10: Annual Nassau Marble production 1850–1955. Compilation of data given by Boehm (1906), Brüning et al. (1893), Kratz (1940),
Rode (1956), Sandberger (1853) and Wenckenbach (1879).
for the restoration of the
famous high altar of the
Mannheim Jesuit church
(Meuser 2006). From the
contemporary literature
can be lernt that originally
material from Allendorf
was used (Klipstein 1779).
This present study is making a first move in combining all important data.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported
by several members of
the “Lahn-Marmor-Museum“ Society. Sawing,
grinding and polishing of
all slabs have been done
by Axel Becker (Schupbach). Lydia Aumüller
(Villmar), Axel Becker
(Schupbach), Gerhard
Höhler, Wolfgang Höhler , Karlheinz K rämer
(all: Villmar), Karsten
Porezag (Wetzlar), Wolfgang Thust (Balduinstein)
and Willi Wabel (Heidelberg) have lent me documents of their private archives, provided access to
unpublished data or supported the field work. Dr.
Franz Brandstätter (Vienna), Dr. Angela Ehling
(Berlin), Dipl.-Biol. Fritz
Geller-Grimm (Wiesbaden), Dr. Vera H ammer
(Vienna), Dr. Susanne
Herting-Agthe (Berlin),
Dipl.-Geol. Reinhard
Fig. 11: Table with coloured samples of the Joerissen Co. showing the trade names Schupbach
Kögler (Wunsiedel) and
Grau, Wirbelau, Brunhildenstein, Grafenstein, Schupbach Schwarz, Kölken, Wachhecke and
Dr. Ralf Thomas Schmitt Auberg Grau (Oppen 1922).
(Berlin) made it possible
to investigate Lahn Marble slabs. Dipl.-Bibl. Monika Landfried (Bochum) ac- Becker, A. & Kirnbauer, T. (1998): Zur Gewinnung und Verwendung des Lahnmarmors. – In: Kirnbauer, T. (ed.),
quired nearly inaccessible literature. My sincere thanks
Geologie und hydrothermale Mineralisationen im rechtsgo to all of them.
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Eichstätter
JURA-MARMOR
Weltbekannte
Solnhofener
Natursteinplatten
Import / Export
Marmorwerk
Ludwig Niefnecker GmbH & Co. KG
Verwaltung
85072 Eichstätt, Westenstraße 101
Telefon: 0 84 21 / 97 85 0 – Fax: 0 84 21 / 84 07
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Nassauer Marmor oder Lahnmarmor – ein weltweit bekannter

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