1
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Silver, Speik, and Sumpters

2
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,080
The late Middle Ages in the Murtal region.

3
00:00:13,359 --> 00:00:15,560
The 14th century.

4
00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:32,079
When someone explores
the Alps in the Middle Ages

5
00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:35,399
one enters a world of rare minerals,

6
00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:40,320
of fragrant Alpine herbs
and ancient legends.

7
00:00:47,799 --> 00:00:51,719
In the 13th century, the 'Berggschroa',
mountain's call, breaks out

8
00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,759
in the side valleys of
the Triebener Tauern.

9
00:00:56,039 --> 00:01:00,560
The search for rare ores attracts
people from far and wide to the region.

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00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:09,280
Miners, traders, charcoal burners,
and vagabonds receive the news.

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00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,840
For in the hearts of the
mountains lies the silver

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the greatest treasure of Styria.

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Alongside the pumpkin seed oil, of course.

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00:01:41,239 --> 00:01:46,560
Silver was the most widespread form of
currency in the 13th and 14th centuries.

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00:01:47,159 --> 00:01:50,280
And mining attracted
job seekers from all over.

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00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:01,120
Greetings, lad! I've heard that anyone
could get a job in your silver mine.

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Here we go with another vagabond.

18
00:02:03,719 --> 00:02:05,319
Pardon me?

19
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,680
Good Day! Have you ever
worked in a mine before?

20
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No, but I've done plenty of things already!

21
00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,800
Good - because down
there, you need to do "plenty".

22
00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,080
But you can apprentice with me.

23
00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:21,159
What, you work down there too?

24
00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,719
Of course, my whole
family works for the mine.

25
00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:25,919
And now I bring them food and other things.

26
00:02:26,759 --> 00:02:28,840
Then can you take me with you?

27
00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:35,039
Vagabonds, tramps, and itinerant
workers - also called 'Sandler'

28
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:41,159
could become part of this mining
community alongside the local families.

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00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,960
I can recommend you to the mine master

30
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if you promise not to cause any trouble.

31
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Deal!

32
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Start packing the food then. But
woe betide if anything is missing.

33
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:54,960
There, you'll need these.

34
00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:55,960
Thanks!

35
00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,400
Among other tasks, children
were used for errands in the mine.

36
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In doing so, they learned the trade.

37
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He's done plenty already, he says

38
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So, come on now, let's go!

39
00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:26,560
As can be seen at the
borders of present-day Austria,

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the Murtal lies at the
eastern foothills of the Alps.

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The villages connected by valley
routes, were already important

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00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:37,680
transshipment and trading
posts in the Middle Ages

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through which the silver flowed into
the Habsburg lands as Zeiringer Pfennig.

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00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,039
In the tunnels, strict order prevailed

45
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,879
overseen by a so-called
'Hutmann' (hat man).

46
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Even though he probably
didn't wear that Hat all day.

47
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God protect you!

48
00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:02,520
God protect you!

49
00:04:02,599 --> 00:04:05,039
I would like to help you with
the silver mining in the mine.

50
00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:05,919
Are you the master?

51
00:04:06,039 --> 00:04:10,039
I am Big Stefan. And we
can find use for you indeed!

52
00:04:11,759 --> 00:04:14,800
You are here in the mine
of the Admont Abbey.

53
00:04:14,919 --> 00:04:17,160
And I am your Custos Fodine.

54
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I control the shares in mining there.

55
00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,680
And from today, these are your mates.

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00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:25,439
Greetings!

57
00:04:27,439 --> 00:04:29,160
Cheers!

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00:04:30,079 --> 00:04:34,560
Every second resident of
Oberzeiring works in the mine.

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00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:40,959
In the 13th century, Oberzeiring
possessed all the rights of a mining town

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00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,519
At its peak, it was the
largest silver mine in Styria.

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Especially in the mountains, mining was

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considered one of the
most lucrative trades.

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00:04:53,959 --> 00:04:57,800
You're on your way down
to your uncle, aren't you?

64
00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,439
Then you can take him with you
and introduce him in their work group,

65
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:06,560
So they can teach him the craft. Grab
a backpack and don't bump your head!

66
00:05:07,399 --> 00:05:10,680
And at the end of the shift,
we'll see how you've performed.

67
00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:12,920
And, um, what about payment?

68
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We're not serfs here.

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You'll get paid.

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00:05:20,879 --> 00:05:25,199
The special thing about
the payment that awaited

71
00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,399
at the end of the shift was
that real money was involved.

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Other tasks in agriculture and forestry

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were carried out as bonded labor by serfs.

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00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,680
But the miners were
not serfs of the nobility,

75
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the heads of families were paid in
silver according to the work done.

76
00:05:49,399 --> 00:05:52,120
But only after the work was done.

77
00:05:52,519 --> 00:05:55,160
As long as you're not
a member of the guild,

78
00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,879
you'll get your daily wage only
after your service in the mine.

79
00:05:57,959 --> 00:05:59,720
And where do I live and sleep?

80
00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,279
Well, down below, of course!

81
00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:08,120
But just bundle up warmly, because
down there the cold is constant.

82
00:06:10,879 --> 00:06:13,160
Cozy is something else

83
00:06:13,319 --> 00:06:17,560
it was 8 degrees Celsius
underground in the mine all year round.

84
00:06:25,319 --> 00:06:29,040
The bucket of ore now
belongs to the landlord.

85
00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,480
Are you joining the bowling
today? The entire Societas

86
00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,560
is coming together - you
should definitely be there again!

87
00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:40,199
The Societas was the union
of free and equal partners,

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the community of miners.

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00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:01,120
Since Roman times,
efforts have been made to

90
00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,480
find ways to transport
goods across the Alps.

91
00:07:04,759 --> 00:07:06,160
The 15th century.

92
00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:12,680
With the help of donkeys, mules,
and horses, known as sumpters

93
00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:18,279
or pack animals, the mountain
paths could be conquered.

94
00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:26,160
With the decline of the
Roman roads and the necessity

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00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:30,040
for goods to be transported in
a way suitable for pack animals

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00:07:30,279 --> 00:07:32,959
we enter the time of the Middle Ages.

97
00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,600
And see that the heyday of the pack animal

98
00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:45,680
transport system was in
the 12th to 16th centuries.

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00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:54,040
A "Saum", derived from the Latin "Soma"

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00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:58,399
expressed the maximum
weight a pack animal could carry.

101
00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:03,439
Depending on the animal, this
was typically 120 to 160 kilograms.

102
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The goods were transported in columns.

103
00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,639
300 to 400 animals a day,

104
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and they always trampled the path firmly,

105
00:08:16,639 --> 00:08:19,160
which made for a
solid trail even in winter.

106
00:08:19,519 --> 00:08:22,519
Yet the routes remained perilous,

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often requiring 15 hours of travel per day

108
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and involving ascent of up
to 1300 meters in altitude.

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Between each mountain
lodge, there might have been

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overhanging rocks or something of the sort,

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where one could take shelter,
but certainly no safe havens.

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Avalanches, freezing, falling,

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these were constant
dangers for people back then.

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Today, from records, we
mainly know of three goods

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that were transported:
Salt, grain, and wine.

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These routes were most heavily trafficked

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after the snowdrifts cleared
in February and March.

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After the thaw in May and June,

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as well as after the
grape harvest in October.

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In the Middle Ages, when
crossing the Tauern Pass,

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one sought refuge

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and found it at the Inn at the Elbow,

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presumably named after the serpentine road.

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Over time, the village of Hohentauern

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developed around this inn.

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Despite the fact that
the annual income of the

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muleteer handler barely equaled
the value of one of their animals,

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Many drunken stories revolve
around the merrymaking

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of the muleteers after their daily stages.

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In the center of Hohentauern,
alongside the inn,

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a church stood from the 14th century,

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which is why people referred to it as

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a small church hamlet for a long time.

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It can be assumed that not everyone

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appreciated the company of the muleteers.

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However, it was the duty of the
innkeepers to provide them with shelter.

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I know you have to provide
accommodation for the muleteers,

138
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but it's quite a task you
have on your hands now!

139
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Don't wobble so much...

140
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A tavern license is
still a tavern license...

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That's better already.

142
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I can do better than that.

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I thought that maintaining the roads
was already enough work for you,

144
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but nearby there's already
another serpentine road to fix.

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The condition for the tavern license was to

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provide accommodation for the muleteers.

147
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Additionally, it's the
innkeeper's duty to keep

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the roads in a passable condition.

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Go on, innkeeper! Another round!

150
00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:24,519
You've had enough to drink already!

151
00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:26,360
Enough? - You can have something to eat.

152
00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,759
We don't even know when
we've had enough ourselves!

153
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Especially not you! So, what now??

154
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I'll get you some food.

155
00:11:34,159 --> 00:11:35,200
Get us water at least!

156
00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,840
At least bring us a jug of water, huh?

157
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Water you can have, yes.

158
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Responsible alcohol consumption
was important to the muleteers,

159
00:11:47,799 --> 00:11:51,799
as they wanted to deliver
their goods intact and on time.

160
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Make the barrel a little lighter.

161
00:12:11,759 --> 00:12:13,759
The load has become a bit lighter.

162
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Pass the jug here! Do
we need to refill, huh?!

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The term "Lagel" derives
from the Latin "Lagena" - bottle

164
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and is one of the two oval barrels

165
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used for transporting wine
on the backs of pack animals.

166
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It is a standardized unit
of approximately 60 liters.

167
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You moron!

168
00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:44,200
Those slackers!

169
00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:46,320
Well, do you like that?!

170
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The muleteers were naturally very careful

171
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to maintain the weight measurement

172
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and compensate for any
wine losses with water.

173
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In the name of the Lord!
That's why the sacramental

174
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wine from the lower Styria is so diluted.

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No wonder then, if every little village
from here to Salzburg has its own brewery.

176
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Even in Salzburg, they now
have this... "Stiegenbr�u"!

177
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He deserves it...

178
00:13:17,759 --> 00:13:21,639
Even though nothing can compare
to Judenburg's Citizen Brewery.

179
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What kind of beer is that?

180
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Judenburg's Citizen Brewery...

181
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since 1462!

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Amen! The priest is right.

183
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Let's have a beer then!

184
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Yes, but a certain amount of
wine is also due to us muleteers!

185
00:13:49,159 --> 00:13:52,240
In the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

186
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Indeed, the muleteers could insist
on a certain share of their wine cargo,

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which was granted to them for their work.

188
00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,799
The problem was that they often
arrived drunk at the recipient's.

189
00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:12,840
Well, if we're entitled to wine, then
let's forget about that bloody beer!

190
00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:16,759
Hey! Don't you insult my bloody beer!

191
00:14:16,879 --> 00:14:19,159
Then what is it?!

192
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:27,879
According to stories, few muleteers
boasted of good manners and general piety.

193
00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,080
I'm going to bed now.

194
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:39,159
I certainly hope we'll see each
other in church on Sunday, right?!

195
00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,120
Yes, of course, I'll come
to church, absolutely!

196
00:14:47,799 --> 00:14:49,559
An official document states

197
00:14:49,679 --> 00:14:54,080
that the muleteers preferred
to indulge in their drunkenness

198
00:14:54,159 --> 00:14:57,200
at the inn rather than attending mass.

199
00:14:57,759 --> 00:15:02,840
There was a complaint
sent from Gurk to Admont.

200
00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,720
And then, if the weather
permits, we'll use the pickaxe

201
00:15:11,799 --> 00:15:14,039
to create a new ventilation
shaft in the tunnel,

202
00:15:14,159 --> 00:15:17,080
so that not everything has to be
drawn out through the main entrance.

203
00:15:17,159 --> 00:15:19,360
That's called a ventilation chimney.

204
00:15:19,639 --> 00:15:21,639
I only understand mining jargon...

205
00:15:26,399 --> 00:15:28,399
By the way, each tunnel has a name.

206
00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:29,840
And what's that one called?

207
00:15:29,919 --> 00:15:31,519
That's the Beer Pit!

208
00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:33,759
I like it, then that's mine.

209
00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,279
The mines were given their own
names for orientation purposes.

210
00:15:39,559 --> 00:15:43,117
Whether beer was brewed
or just enjoyed there,

211
00:15:43,159 --> 00:15:46,639
that's a matter of speculation for science.

212
00:15:46,919 --> 00:15:53,399
But perhaps for safety reasons,
they already had non-alcoholic beer.

213
00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,440
That one sure is pretty huge!
There must be a lot of silver inside.

214
00:15:57,639 --> 00:16:01,200
No, it's that big because it's
been mined empty for a long time.

215
00:16:01,279 --> 00:16:04,799
I always thought that only
little dwarves worked in a mine.

216
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,320
But in there, it seems
like everyone has space!

217
00:16:07,519 --> 00:16:09,519
Don't be fooled!

218
00:16:10,039 --> 00:16:14,240
The other day, I met a man from
Italy. He looked like a little dwarf.

219
00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,080
He must have been
looking for a copper violet.

220
00:16:20,519 --> 00:16:25,279
Wherever you found copper violets,
you also found copper in the ground.

221
00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:30,639
And the Venetian �Mandln� (manlets),
small and mysterious, searched for them.

222
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Their foreign language and secret knowledge

223
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,799
made them the subject of many legends.

224
00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:41,200
Their goal was to find
colorful minerals like malachite,

225
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and the rare zeiringite, which they
sold for glass coloring in Venice.

226
00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:50,600
With dowsing routes and
taste tests, they also found

227
00:16:50,679 --> 00:16:53,559
silver veins - which often
occurred together with copper.

228
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,000
We �ll look for silver veins here

229
00:16:58,279 --> 00:17:01,159
and here we'll see if we find anything.

230
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,440
Oh, there's little Stefan!

231
00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,720
That's little Stefan, my mining dog.

232
00:17:08,839 --> 00:17:11,400
Then the uncle must be
somewhere around too.

233
00:17:19,599 --> 00:17:22,480
The mining activities
were organized into work

234
00:17:22,559 --> 00:17:25,240
groups or family units, always
led by an experienced member.

235
00:17:25,319 --> 00:17:28,759
This foreman was responsible for the
orderliness and training of new miners.

236
00:17:28,839 --> 00:17:34,200
He supervised the progress of the tunnels
and was an important decision-maker.

237
00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:39,000
To avoid constantly hitting their
fingers, the miners needed light.

238
00:17:41,599 --> 00:17:46,200
Pine splinters from
resinous coniferous trees

239
00:17:46,319 --> 00:17:52,920
had been cheap lamps
here since the Stone Age.

240
00:17:55,599 --> 00:18:01,640
The team's task was to recognize ore
veins in the rock by their discoloration

241
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,480
and to follow them with hammer and chisel.

242
00:18:04,559 --> 00:18:09,359
Each blow required skill and
understanding of the mountain.

243
00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,519
Again, again, again! Yes!

244
00:18:15,079 --> 00:18:18,319
- That �s how you do it!
- The energy of the people and the tools

245
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,599
that had to measure themselves against the

246
00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,559
hard rock of the Tauern
were limited resources.

247
00:18:23,839 --> 00:18:27,279
To successfully mine, one had to be strong

248
00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:31,279
and closely acquainted with the blacksmith.

249
00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,598
Because the tunnel
could only be deepened by

250
00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:38,000
about one to two centimeters per day,

251
00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:43,519
it was necessary to carefully
consider where to place hope for silver.

252
00:18:46,559 --> 00:18:51,119
Perfectly suited for the crawling
tunnel were in addition to small built men,

253
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,119
of course, children from the age of ten.

254
00:18:55,559 --> 00:18:58,240
Separating the ore from the barren rock

255
00:18:58,319 --> 00:19:01,599
and carrying out the penetrating water

256
00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,279
were among their most amusing tasks.

257
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,519
Because the light of the
exit was always distant,

258
00:19:18,599 --> 00:19:22,119
one had to rely on the
simplest lighting tools.

259
00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,920
Down there in the
mine, this splinter is the

260
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,559
last thing shielding you from the darkness.

261
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,638
Make sure you always
have one with you - there!

262
00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:30,878
Thank you!

263
00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:35,799
And tuck a bundle into your
belt or hang it around your neck.

264
00:19:36,839 --> 00:19:42,240
Be careful - we always
dip the tip into pitch.

265
00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,598
If you run out of that
down there, you can only

266
00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:50,160
call for help or find your
way to the fire on your own.

267
00:19:50,279 --> 00:19:53,079
Yes, and you don't have
torches or oil lamps down there?

268
00:19:53,319 --> 00:19:55,319
No, we don't have
anything like that down there.

269
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,717
When hollowing out the mountain,

270
00:20:00,759 --> 00:20:03,359
one also encountered natural caverns.

271
00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,757
Starting from these,
digging slowly continued

272
00:20:07,799 --> 00:20:11,158
while precisely following
the found silver ore veins,

273
00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:18,279
as progress with hammer and
pick was extremely arduous.

274
00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:45,759
Damn it, you stupid thing, light up!

275
00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:52,759
Damn it!

276
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,160
Damn it!

277
00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,240
Light up, you stupid thing!

278
00:21:06,799 --> 00:21:09,799
Hey, there, come here!

279
00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:22,440
Ah!

280
00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:24,960
Has it gotten dark?

281
00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,160
The stay in the mine lasted up to 5 days.

282
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:43,000
Despite the unpleasant environment,
people also ate and slept down there.

283
00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:51,359
For this, they gathered in groups
that corresponded to the work shifts.

284
00:21:51,559 --> 00:21:58,440
These lasted between 7 and 12 hours.
Work was done for 260 days a year.

285
00:22:12,559 --> 00:22:15,519
Welcome to a new edition of:

286
00:22:15,599 --> 00:22:17,960
"Baking like back then"

287
00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,440
Today, our cooks have come
up with something special,

288
00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:26,960
this time there's no light cuisine.

289
00:22:27,039 --> 00:22:30,559
Because a fresh Alpine
mountain range is on the menu!

290
00:22:30,759 --> 00:22:35,240
Finest marble and slate from Styria.

291
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:37,799
Many substances form such a mountain range.

292
00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,279
Marble is mainly made of calcite.

293
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,480
Mica schist from muscovite and biotite.

294
00:22:43,559 --> 00:22:47,640
But many other elements
form the rock layers.

295
00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:51,680
And they all occur mixed
together in the earth.

296
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,119
Where they were pressed
together 100 million years ago,

297
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,759
like into a dough

298
00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,920
by unimaginable forces.

299
00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,839
Oh, and heat was released
during that process, phew.

300
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,880
But beware: There's more in the dough!

301
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,200
The galena or lead glance,

302
00:23:11,279 --> 00:23:13,279
consists not only of sulfides,

303
00:23:13,599 --> 00:23:16,680
in it we find the silver.

304
00:23:16,759 --> 00:23:18,880
Of course, only in small quantities.

305
00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,599
In very small parts.

306
00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:26,359
But it's what makes the
rock of the Alps so special.

307
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,680
And so the mountain range
consists mostly of marble,

308
00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,519
a tiny portion of galena, with its silver,

309
00:23:33,599 --> 00:23:37,279
and mostly of mica schist.

310
00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:42,319
Hidden beneath many
more dense layers of rock.

311
00:23:44,039 --> 00:23:48,799
And forms an enticing mountain range.

312
00:23:49,599 --> 00:23:53,160
That makes one very curious

313
00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:59,240
about its sweet, silvery filling!

314
00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:08,680
When the late medieval muleteers
followed the Mur past Knittelfeld,

315
00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:14,000
they soon heard hammer blows
coming from the direction of Wasserleith.

316
00:24:24,839 --> 00:24:29,480
What was special about the
forge in Wasserleith at that time:

317
00:24:29,599 --> 00:24:34,559
It was the only scythe
forge in the whole region.

318
00:24:35,039 --> 00:24:40,440
A tradition for which the iron-rich
Styria later became famous.

319
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:50,240
Along their trails, the muleteers could
supply numerous farmers with these scythes.

320
00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:01,799
The rarity of scythes traded before is

321
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,920
evidenced by the toll
records from that time.

322
00:25:05,079 --> 00:25:08,519
Their production was reserved only for

323
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,720
the most competent metalworker specialists.

324
00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:11,920
Ah!

325
00:25:16,039 --> 00:25:19,079
The muleteers who
crossed the Triebener Tauern

326
00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:21,960
also liked to come to Oberzeiring,

327
00:25:22,039 --> 00:25:24,839
as there was a very active mining industry.

328
00:25:25,079 --> 00:25:27,678
And they brought goods from the south,

329
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:30,279
fabrics, lighting materials.
And from Oberzeiring

330
00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,557
they took silver and speik
and

331
00:25:34,599 --> 00:25:37,559
transported it further
across the Triebener Tauern.

332
00:25:39,839 --> 00:25:44,960
If muleteers and hikers didn't
reach a shelter before nightfall,

333
00:25:45,079 --> 00:25:50,279
they had to find a place to sleep
in caves and under overhangs.

334
00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:03,799
Oh, thank you! But unfortunately,
I only have wine to trade.

335
00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:06,960
No, I don't drink wine.

336
00:26:07,559 --> 00:26:11,559
But I heard that you often
visit the inns in the P�lstal area.

337
00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:13,599
Can you tell us a story
from the area right away?

338
00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,039
Yes, of course, I'll tell you a story!

339
00:26:16,519 --> 00:26:23,519
Look up there on the hill! Until
recently, wine flowed there every day!

340
00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:34,240
Be very quiet and look deep into the fire.

341
00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:38,440
Then it's as if the robber knight
himself is telling you the story!

342
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:44,319
Many stories are already circulating
in the Murtal about how it happened.

343
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:48,799
And not every one describes
him as a God-fearing man...

344
00:26:49,799 --> 00:26:54,319
I think I was not always the
most excellent of my class.

345
00:26:54,400 --> 00:27:00,039
For as the last lord of Offenburg Castle,
I was indeed a notorious robber knight.

346
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,000
Plundering and killing was our pleasure.

347
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:09,000
So that soon a watchtower
could be seen on Offenberg.

348
00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:13,759
High enough that no one
wandering in the P�lstal

349
00:27:13,839 --> 00:27:17,039
could escape our sharp gaze.

350
00:27:17,519 --> 00:27:23,960
My neighboring rascals from Reifenstein
and Sauerbrunn were just the same,

351
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,519
with whom we took them on.

352
00:27:35,559 --> 00:27:39,759
Why did they always
have to stroll with their

353
00:27:39,839 --> 00:27:43,839
expensive goods when
we were on the lookout.

354
00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:56,640
All too easy prey, these wealthy merchants!

355
00:28:01,519 --> 00:28:06,319
How wonderfully cunning it
was for us to communicate with

356
00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,960
the most modern signals
to our blood brother.

357
00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:17,119
The view from tower to tower
reached across the entire P�lstal.

358
00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:22,920
So my fellow murderers
quickly sprung into action when

359
00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,640
I brandished my weapons
to seize rich booty.

360
00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:33,640
One fine evening, I invited the
man from Sauerbrunn to join me.

361
00:28:34,039 --> 00:28:38,200
And there we feasted
on the rich plundered food,

362
00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:42,559
noble and mannerly, as was our custom.

363
00:28:43,119 --> 00:28:46,519
And with hearty swigs
from the free beer barrel,

364
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,599
we boasted ample
sportsmanship and team spirit.

365
00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:03,000
And did not shy away
from any sin or pleasure.

366
00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:14,240
Finally, we indulged in
courtly dances and games.

367
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,920
But as long as God did not take me

368
00:29:21,119 --> 00:29:24,160
we became even more unrestrained.

369
00:29:27,599 --> 00:29:31,200
It was just midnight when three powerful

370
00:29:31,359 --> 00:29:33,920
knocks echoed at the outer castle gate.

371
00:29:36,319 --> 00:29:38,839
But that can't be the holy Feme, can it?

372
00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:44,400
Silence fell over the entire hall,
even the most boisterous ones paled.

373
00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,680
I am afraid to announce the arrival of

374
00:29:47,759 --> 00:29:51,279
a foreign knight, in black
armor, on a dark horse!

375
00:29:51,519 --> 00:29:56,200
He summons, the knight of
Offenburg, out to the square.

376
00:29:56,640 --> 00:30:01,640
Thus, the knocks were widely
known: The sign of the Holy Feme,

377
00:30:01,839 --> 00:30:05,720
that even the wildest of fellows dreaded.

378
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,119
No lord of Offenburg could I call myself,

379
00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:12,160
if I had lost my composure there.

380
00:30:15,119 --> 00:30:19,519
Each one listened to the hoof beats

381
00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:29,640
and beheld with horror how
the punishment in person,

382
00:30:29,759 --> 00:30:36,240
on hellish steed, circled me -
Offenburg's hero - and the full moon

383
00:30:36,359 --> 00:30:40,240
illuminated the night's
darkness all around.

384
00:30:45,519 --> 00:30:49,599
Then one heard fierce clashing of swords.

385
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:53,359
With my sharp sword,
I wanted to cleave her!

386
00:30:55,759 --> 00:31:00,720
But through the hall windows,
they saw how the Feme

387
00:31:00,839 --> 00:31:06,759
tore me from my feet, dragged me
down the steep slope of the castle hill,

388
00:31:07,559 --> 00:31:12,200
and disappeared into a fiery
chasm at the edge of the forest.

389
00:31:12,599 --> 00:31:16,119
So that the castle hill
trembled, the guests fled,

390
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,759
and the stately castle
crumbled into a thousand pieces.

391
00:31:23,839 --> 00:31:28,400
The robber knight legend may perhaps
trace back to Dietrich von F�llenstein,

392
00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:30,960
lord of the castle in the 13th century,

393
00:31:31,079 --> 00:31:36,480
who repeatedly carried out
attacks on the nearby Seckau Abbey.

394
00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:40,880
Apart from the keep, not much
is left of Offenburg Castle today.

395
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,480
Even though it was
already heavily dilapidated

396
00:31:44,559 --> 00:31:47,960
in the late Middle Ages, it
finally burned down in 1590.

397
00:31:48,599 --> 00:31:52,960
Opposite it, in plain
view, on the southern side

398
00:31:53,039 --> 00:31:57,200
of the P�lstal, lies the
ruin of Reifenstein Castle.

399
00:31:57,279 --> 00:32:00,519
Together, the two
castles jointly controlled

400
00:32:00,599 --> 00:32:03,160
the old trade route through the P�lstal.

401
00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:08,079
Together with Sauerbrunn
Castle, the castles form

402
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:11,640
a Murtal Bermuda Triangle in
many versions of the legend,

403
00:32:11,799 --> 00:32:16,079
where many trading caravans disappeared.

404
00:32:17,759 --> 00:32:20,920
Although Sauerbrunn
Castle in its current form

405
00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:25,119
was actually built on a
spring after the Middle Ages.

406
00:32:31,839 --> 00:32:35,640
Hewed climbing trees
made of weather-resistant

407
00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:39,519
oak wood were much
better than ladders and ropes.

408
00:32:40,079 --> 00:32:45,240
But even these were
consistently damp and dangerous.

409
00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:52,079
And be careful, okay? The steps on
the climbing tree are really slippery.

410
00:32:57,599 --> 00:33:01,599
And you know the saying: Rumpeldipumpel...

411
00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:03,680
Ah!

412
00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,079
And gone is the miner.

413
00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:20,880
At locations with richer ore deposits,
the mines were expanded into tall shafts.

414
00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:25,039
These connecting tunnels were spacious

415
00:33:25,160 --> 00:33:29,240
while crawl tunnels were
often only one meter high.

416
00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,039
Well, and why is there straw
lying around here anyway?

417
00:33:37,759 --> 00:33:39,759
You stuff that into your hat or your hood.

418
00:33:39,880 --> 00:33:41,319
It's not that cold, after all.

419
00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,720
- Watch out, there's the cave fright!
- What, where, who? Ah!

420
00:33:44,839 --> 00:33:46,838
Damned Ouch!

421
00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:48,878
Now you know.

422
00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:50,920
It's there, so you don't bash your skull.

423
00:33:55,279 --> 00:33:57,720
What even is a cave fright?

424
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:05,039
Quietly and unassuming, the
pale-patterned Rhaphidophoridae,

425
00:34:05,119 --> 00:34:09,079
called �H�hlenschreck� (cave fright),
creeps through abandoned tunnels.

426
00:34:09,159 --> 00:34:13,079
Despite their intimidating
appearance, they are harmless.

427
00:34:13,159 --> 00:34:17,280
These five-centimeter insects cannot fly,

428
00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:22,000
But with their legs, they can both
dig and hop through the depths.

429
00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:27,880
Many endangered bat species
seek refuge in the mines.

430
00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:33,559
That's why one should never
disturb their beauty sleep.

431
00:34:39,639 --> 00:34:45,280
With the active mining operations,
mine dogs also entered Zeiring's depths.

432
00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,800
They likely took on transport
services in the low tunnels.

433
00:34:50,039 --> 00:34:55,920
Wear and tear on skeletal remains
indicate the strain on the dogs' backs.

434
00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:04,719
It wasn't until later, in the 16th
century, that four-wheeled carts,

435
00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:09,039
known as mine hounds, became
established and are still known today.

436
00:35:09,119 --> 00:35:13,599
Perhaps the name developed
from the animal mining tradition.

437
00:35:13,679 --> 00:35:15,599
Hop! Yes! Yes!

438
00:35:25,039 --> 00:35:29,079
That humans and dogs
shared their snack in the tunnel

439
00:35:29,199 --> 00:35:34,280
has been documented since the late Bronze
Age, based on bite marks on pig bones.

440
00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:40,840
It's said that the dogs never
saw daylight in their entire lives.

441
00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:49,320
Rest in peace, little Stefan.

442
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,800
Your whole life, you were in the
mine and never saw the light of day.

443
00:35:54,079 --> 00:35:57,280
But one time too many, you stole our snack.

444
00:36:11,679 --> 00:36:15,920
Carefully arranged, the remains of several

445
00:36:16,079 --> 00:36:20,400
mine dogs were found
in a grave in the mine.

446
00:36:20,519 --> 00:36:24,480
Their loss was mourned.

447
00:36:28,199 --> 00:36:29,840
Stefan! Come here!

448
00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:35,199
But the time of little
Stefan had not yet come.

449
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:37,079
Hey you rascal, stop!

450
00:36:40,039 --> 00:36:43,679
According to old maps,
the network of tunnels

451
00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:48,719
extends extensively beneath
the town of Oberzeiring.

452
00:36:50,559 --> 00:36:55,360
An effective way to expand the
tunnels was by using fire-setting.

453
00:36:55,440 --> 00:37:00,559
For this, a dense ventilation
shaft made of wood,

454
00:37:00,639 --> 00:37:05,159
moss, and clay, called a
�Bewetterung�, had to be installed.

455
00:37:07,119 --> 00:37:13,079
The rock wall was first heated
by a leaning stack of wood

456
00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:17,360
and after several hours,
it was shock-cooled

457
00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:21,559
with ice water to break the hard rock.

458
00:37:26,639 --> 00:37:28,639
Well, until then! Goodbye!

459
00:37:39,159 --> 00:37:42,599
Tragically, despite all safety measures,

460
00:37:42,679 --> 00:37:45,440
the mine was a dangerous place.

461
00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:55,840
Ouch...

462
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,360
There you are...

463
00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:11,119
I'll get help, hang on! I'll get help!

464
00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:35,398
The loss of a family member could have

465
00:38:35,440 --> 00:38:38,880
catastrophic financial
consequences for the survivors.

466
00:38:39,119 --> 00:38:41,920
And what happens now to him and his family?

467
00:38:42,079 --> 00:38:45,039
The community will take care of them.

468
00:38:46,159 --> 00:38:49,559
Accidents of this kind were not uncommon

469
00:38:49,639 --> 00:38:54,199
and the mining community had to
find ways to collectively deal with them.

470
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,997
The miners' spiritual
care is still provided

471
00:39:03,039 --> 00:39:06,079
for today in their own miners' chapel.

472
00:39:06,719 --> 00:39:09,597
This is indeed a special treasure,

473
00:39:09,639 --> 00:39:13,719
as this church houses
an entire cycle of frescoes

474
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,840
from the heyday of Zeiring mining.

475
00:39:19,519 --> 00:39:24,037
In the mid-14th century,
the Church of St. Elizabeth

476
00:39:24,079 --> 00:39:27,840
was adorned with frescoes
from an Obermurtal workshop.

477
00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:39,400
One of the frescoes depicts
Saint Mary Magdalene

478
00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:43,119
as a penitent, covered
only by her own hair.

479
00:39:52,039 --> 00:39:57,199
Others depict a youth
possessed by the devil,

480
00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:00,639
and three crosses of the apostles.

481
00:40:06,960 --> 00:40:14,239
Held by two angels the sweat cloth of
Saint Veronica with the head of Christ.

482
00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:26,159
Christ flanked by
apostles and the crucifixion.

483
00:40:28,840 --> 00:40:31,677
All frescoes form a unity,

484
00:40:31,719 --> 00:40:34,119
which illustrates the
religiously dominated thinking

485
00:40:34,199 --> 00:40:36,960
and life of medieval people.

486
00:40:39,599 --> 00:40:45,079
Francis of Assisi, King
Ludwig, Anthony of Padua,

487
00:40:45,199 --> 00:40:50,599
tools, as well as a sleeping
couple, which could indicate

488
00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:56,480
that on Sundays and holidays, one
should not stay in bed but go to church.

489
00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:03,477
For hundreds of years,
the miners' church has

490
00:41:03,519 --> 00:41:08,039
been part of the mining tradition
and is still used as such today.

491
00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:23,280
Since the time of the Holy Roman Empire,

492
00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:26,719
Hanfelden Castle has
also stood in the P�lstal.

493
00:41:26,880 --> 00:41:34,880
As early as 1493, Hans Han was
granted a barren farm in lower Zeyring.

494
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:39,920
By Maximilian the First
- Roman German King.

495
00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:46,079
King? Hans, we'll send
the count as planned.

496
00:41:46,159 --> 00:41:50,960
And we ask for their support and help

497
00:41:51,079 --> 00:41:54,119
for the pilgrimage to Rome

498
00:41:54,199 --> 00:41:57,519
and for the coronation as emperor.

499
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:06,119
In 1506, Maximilian is said to
have personally stayed in the P�lstal.

500
00:42:06,199 --> 00:42:10,278
Possibly even in present-day
Hanfelden, at least that's

501
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:14,719
what is said in the
inscription in one of the rooms.

502
00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:17,360
Austerity, austerity.

503
00:42:27,679 --> 00:42:30,960
Maximilian was active in the P�lstal.

504
00:42:31,079 --> 00:42:36,360
Deliveries were documented
and many messages were sent.

505
00:42:36,440 --> 00:42:42,559
For example, the delivery of 24
bushels and three-quarters of oats

506
00:42:42,639 --> 00:42:46,159
for feeding the horses on October 13, 1506

507
00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:49,519
during the king's stay,
is specifically recorded.

508
00:42:49,599 --> 00:42:57,400
Good, I was afraid the last delivery
might have strained our finances.

509
00:42:57,480 --> 00:43:03,599
Especially since pumping out the
mine tunnels hasn't led to anything.

510
00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:06,639
Oh, it's always just about silver.

511
00:43:07,079 --> 00:43:11,400
But soon, very soon, we'll be emperor.

512
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:15,480
Then there'll be no
obstacle to further expenses.

513
00:43:15,679 --> 00:43:19,719
But until then, tell Fugger, we need...

514
00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:22,679
Further loans!

515
00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:30,480
But even his creditors
were not bottomless pits, and

516
00:43:30,559 --> 00:43:33,599
Maximilian's mountain
of debt grew increasingly,

517
00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:36,760
so he had to look for
other sources of money,

518
00:43:36,840 --> 00:43:39,360
such as through marriage.

519
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:41,199
What, what's this?

520
00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:42,639
We'll sell this one!

521
00:43:42,760 --> 00:43:44,159
He's a scoundrel!

522
00:43:45,119 --> 00:43:49,719
Or by granting further
fiefs and noble titles to

523
00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,119
the Augsburg banking family, the Fuggers.

524
00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:59,320
He can go to hell! Tell Fugger
he can go Fugger himself!

525
00:43:59,559 --> 00:44:01,039
Can he really do that?

526
00:44:01,119 --> 00:44:02,800
No, better not tell him.

527
00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:07,400
Better not tell him. We'll
wait until we're emperor.

528
00:44:07,519 --> 00:44:14,840
And until then, we want to
live - we must live, like a monk!

529
00:44:15,159 --> 00:44:19,360
Through the salaries of
mercenaries in his numerous wars,

530
00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:23,559
his lavish lifestyle including
jousting tournaments,

531
00:44:23,639 --> 00:44:28,119
and 30 illegitimate children, the so-called

532
00:44:28,199 --> 00:44:33,199
last knight drove state
expenses to unimaginable heights.

533
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:49,719
So that's him. He's magnificent! A beast!

534
00:44:52,039 --> 00:44:56,920
Certainly not exactly
cheap even individually,

535
00:44:57,039 --> 00:45:01,119
but as a hunting dog, a true king! No!

536
00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:05,760
We meant emperor, of course - emperor!

537
00:45:05,840 --> 00:45:09,880
Emperor, good, good.

538
00:45:10,159 --> 00:45:12,519
Maximilian also loved hunting trips.

539
00:45:16,119 --> 00:45:19,880
Alright then, order me a full

540
00:45:20,159 --> 00:45:24,239
hundred such beasts... a hundred!

541
00:45:25,639 --> 00:45:29,880
And the mountain of debt
would not exactly get any smaller.

542
00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:54,599
We've been working on Schloss Hanfelden for

543
00:45:54,719 --> 00:45:59,400
about 7 years now, trying
to bring the castle into a state

544
00:45:59,519 --> 00:46:01,480
where it doesn't further deteriorate.

545
00:46:01,679 --> 00:46:05,519
Since the castle was inhabited until 1970,

546
00:46:05,639 --> 00:46:08,360
most recently by refugee families

547
00:46:08,599 --> 00:46:12,320
from Serbia, it has been
maintained almost until today.

548
00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:16,679
Schloss Hanfelden has attracted attention,

549
00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:20,840
also in terms of tourism,
early on in the 19th century

550
00:46:20,920 --> 00:46:23,679
because a room is
furnished with the so-called

551
00:46:23,760 --> 00:46:26,039
Maximilian's inscription.

552
00:46:26,119 --> 00:46:29,960
This inscription states
that Maximilian resided here

553
00:46:30,039 --> 00:46:33,480
while he dealt with the flooded mine.

554
00:46:33,559 --> 00:46:37,639
Since the inscription was created
over a hundred years after his stay,

555
00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:41,920
it remains uncertain, whether
he held court exactly here.

556
00:46:42,039 --> 00:46:45,840
Schloss Hanfelden has uniquely remained

557
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:50,360
essentially unchanged
for about 250-300 years.

558
00:46:50,559 --> 00:46:55,960
There have been signs of decay,
but nothing significant has been rebuilt.

559
00:46:56,480 --> 00:47:01,278
Moreover, there are
also medieval routes here,

560
00:47:01,320 --> 00:47:08,519
which have favored the construction
of such remarkable castle complexes.

561
00:47:09,239 --> 00:47:13,719
We know of a toll that was
collected exactly at this location,

562
00:47:13,840 --> 00:47:17,320
so the connection
between the silver mine and

563
00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:20,679
Schloss Hanfelden is actually obvious.

564
00:47:21,199 --> 00:47:25,440
In the Middle Ages, tolls were
demanded at numerous locations.

565
00:47:25,920 --> 00:47:29,599
In the Reformatio Sigismundi of 1476,

566
00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:33,360
the duties of the toll
stations were defined,

567
00:47:33,599 --> 00:47:38,280
but there was still great
arbitrariness in this work.

568
00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:42,159
The maintenance of the roads was one of the

569
00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:46,239
less strictly enforced
duties of the toll lords.

570
00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:51,880
Travel with God, pilgrim. You
don't have to pay a transit toll here.

571
00:47:52,039 --> 00:47:54,119
May God reward you.

572
00:48:01,119 --> 00:48:04,199
Good day! Name and reason for travel!

573
00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:07,159
Good morning! I just wanted to point out

574
00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:09,800
that the roads are not
exactly well maintained.

575
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:14,320
And at the last station, you
dug quite a lot out of my purse.

576
00:48:15,719 --> 00:48:17,639
Do you see anything?

577
00:48:19,760 --> 00:48:22,360
Oh, today they seem
to take especially long,

578
00:48:22,440 --> 00:48:25,119
I don't even have anything to declare.

579
00:48:25,199 --> 00:48:29,760
Forgive me, young lady, 4
denarii and a pound have been

580
00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:34,000
the standard rate of the
small toll for hundreds of years

581
00:48:34,119 --> 00:48:38,320
and only deviates for
expensive goods, as you know.

582
00:48:38,519 --> 00:48:45,199
And obviously not every road can be kept
wagon-ready constantly in this weather.

583
00:48:45,360 --> 00:48:48,000
What do you have in your luggage?

584
00:48:48,079 --> 00:48:53,559
In principle, a distinction was made
between large tolls and small tolls.

585
00:48:53,639 --> 00:48:56,800
The large toll - "muta magna"
- was assessed depending

586
00:48:56,920 --> 00:48:59,960
on the value and weight of the goods,

587
00:49:00,079 --> 00:49:04,800
while the small toll, "lusezoll"
or "leiszoll," was more like

588
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:09,000
a usage fee depending on
the means of transportation.

589
00:49:09,119 --> 00:49:11,599
I have nothing of note with me.

590
00:49:11,719 --> 00:49:14,000
And anyway, only small
amounts for personal use.

591
00:49:14,079 --> 00:49:17,920
Personal use is generally
exempt, as you know.

592
00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:23,199
So you won't mind a cautious look.

593
00:49:32,119 --> 00:49:36,280
The beautiful gold of the
Alps! In large quantities!

594
00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:40,440
For that, muta magna is required!

595
00:49:40,559 --> 00:49:46,159
Hey, those are dandelion roots for my
rabbits! Or does it look like speik to you?

596
00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:50,159
Perhaps it's not genuine
speik, but the Italian nobility

597
00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:53,559
loves the imitation just as much!

598
00:49:53,679 --> 00:49:56,199
We'll measure it with gold.

599
00:49:56,400 --> 00:50:01,480
Excuse me, what? This is robbery,
not a toll - as everyone always says!

600
00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:08,480
Individual social groups were
favored or even exempted from the toll.

601
00:50:08,559 --> 00:50:11,639
But those who were asked to pay

602
00:50:11,719 --> 00:50:15,199
often had to transport their
goods on specific routes

603
00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:18,840
and were hardly allowed to deviate.

604
00:50:18,960 --> 00:50:23,280
The controlling authorities
could be very unpleasant at times.

605
00:50:24,440 --> 00:50:29,039
I'm used to it already, but today
they're particularly annoying!

606
00:50:31,039 --> 00:50:32,480
Look at them!

607
00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:38,559
The strictly controlled toll
stations were not easy to bypass.

608
00:50:40,559 --> 00:50:48,079
Personal favors and bribes to
officials were certainly not uncommon.

609
00:50:53,519 --> 00:50:58,079
Pilgrims were usually
not required to pay tolls,

610
00:50:58,199 --> 00:51:03,280
but they were not safe from the
arbitrariness of the officials either.

611
00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:14,320
Today they even tax
pilgrims as if they were Jews!

612
00:51:14,400 --> 00:51:17,199
What? Twice as much as usual?

613
00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:20,679
Specially tariffs applied to
Jews, which were usually

614
00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:23,599
twice as high as the
generally customary ones.

615
00:51:23,679 --> 00:51:27,519
Moreover, they had to
pay body toll, which was

616
00:51:27,599 --> 00:51:31,079
levied even when transporting a dead Jew.

617
00:51:40,679 --> 00:51:44,280
Avoidance of toll stations
by circumventing the control

618
00:51:44,440 --> 00:51:50,400
or using secret routes
was punished as smuggling.

619
00:52:02,119 --> 00:52:06,199
At least you couldn't get caught.

620
00:52:19,119 --> 00:52:22,400
Smuggler! Stop! Hold him!

621
00:52:22,639 --> 00:52:27,320
When smuggling, the aim
was to bypass the toll stations,

622
00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:32,639
and this was of course
punished more severely than theft.

623
00:52:32,719 --> 00:52:38,880
Because it wasn't just about the smuggled
goods, but also about the unpaid toll.

624
00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:51,800
Get lost!

625
00:52:53,039 --> 00:52:59,559
Mica schist is the basic component of
the mountain, along with white marble.

626
00:52:59,639 --> 00:53:02,960
Between these layers
lies the coveted galena,

627
00:53:03,039 --> 00:53:07,840
mainly with silver and
other metal inclusions.

628
00:53:08,000 --> 00:53:11,239
Other stones are also
found in the mountain,

629
00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:17,920
such as white barite
or the rare Zeiringite,

630
00:53:18,119 --> 00:53:22,000
named after Oberzeiring.

631
00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:35,639
To extract the silver from the galena,

632
00:53:35,760 --> 00:53:39,360
a clay furnace called �Rennofen�
had to be built first.

633
00:53:42,480 --> 00:53:50,480
The furnace's shape was slowly built
up by hand in layers of stacked rings.

634
00:53:52,760 --> 00:53:57,000
Once the furnace was
completely dry and fired,

635
00:53:57,079 --> 00:54:01,119
it could be heated
through a central opening.

636
00:54:01,239 --> 00:54:06,519
Galena was alternately
stacked with coal in the bloomery.

637
00:54:06,599 --> 00:54:09,519
The furnace had to reach about a thousand

638
00:54:09,599 --> 00:54:12,119
degrees Celsius for the silver to melt.

639
00:54:12,679 --> 00:54:18,199
After several hours, it was
carefully cracked open at the bottom.

640
00:54:19,719 --> 00:54:24,320
The silver was collected and
passed on for coin processing.

641
00:54:26,360 --> 00:54:30,840
In the mint, the tool
issue was meticulously

642
00:54:30,920 --> 00:54:34,960
controlled by the ironworker.

643
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:37,119
At the end of the shift,

644
00:54:37,199 --> 00:54:40,440
none of the inventory
items could to be missing.

645
00:54:44,159 --> 00:54:49,119
This foreman checked the
silver alloy for its copper content.

646
00:54:49,199 --> 00:54:52,039
The coinage standard.

647
00:54:54,360 --> 00:55:00,199
On behalf of the sovereign, the mintmaster
purchased silver at his own risk.

648
00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:09,280
His goal was to achieve
a quality level that was

649
00:55:09,519 --> 00:55:13,639
just high enough to
put it into circulation.

650
00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:20,559
The caster poured the
silver onto hard metal plates.

651
00:55:22,079 --> 00:55:28,039
The dyesmiths hammered the
rough cast into sheets - called 'Zaine'.

652
00:55:28,559 --> 00:55:33,039
The well-coordinated team
hammered in the same rhythm.

653
00:55:33,159 --> 00:55:36,880
It was exhausting work, but the prospect

654
00:55:36,960 --> 00:55:41,000
of a drink during lunch
break lifted the morale.

655
00:55:41,119 --> 00:55:45,119
Slowly, Zaine, as thick as
paper, formed from them.

656
00:55:45,199 --> 00:55:49,440
The mintmaster always checked
the quality during this process.

657
00:55:49,519 --> 00:55:53,880
Between all work steps in
which rejects are produced,

658
00:55:53,960 --> 00:55:57,159
The mintmaster always checked
the quality during this process.

659
00:55:57,840 --> 00:56:01,679
If, for example, the scrap
master returns with the blanks,

660
00:56:01,800 --> 00:56:05,318
not only are they weighed, but also

661
00:56:05,360 --> 00:56:10,037
the offcuts, what is left
all around is weighed.

662
00:56:10,079 --> 00:56:17,679
To control that so silver went missing
and no one could have pocketed anything.

663
00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:34,199
Above all, the mintmaster
earned with the annually inferior,

664
00:56:34,280 --> 00:56:38,079
thinner pennies, which led to inflation.

665
00:56:44,079 --> 00:56:47,639
After the dyesmiths were
allowed to rest their hammers,

666
00:56:47,719 --> 00:56:52,840
the scrap master took
over cutting the silver into

667
00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,679
�Schr�tlinge� meaning coin blanks.

668
00:57:00,480 --> 00:57:03,519
Gradually, with a lot of imagination,

669
00:57:03,599 --> 00:57:08,480
a circle could be recognized
in the shape of the coins.

670
00:57:10,599 --> 00:57:16,119
These skilled craftsmen
belonged to the civic elite.

671
00:57:18,239 --> 00:57:26,159
The specialists had uniquely trained ears
to determine the quality of the blanks.

672
00:57:26,519 --> 00:57:32,239
The timbre determined whether
the budding penny was sent back

673
00:57:32,320 --> 00:57:35,199
for melting or further for stamping.

674
00:57:38,119 --> 00:57:43,119
Coins that sounded too high or
low were ruthlessly sorted out.

675
00:57:46,000 --> 00:57:50,679
Weight was the main factor in
determining the value of the coin

676
00:57:50,760 --> 00:57:54,480
and more important than
the shape or minting quality.

677
00:57:55,159 --> 00:57:59,480
As everyday currency, the coins
were only engraved on one side,

678
00:57:59,559 --> 00:58:03,440
called 'bracteates' in technical terms.

679
00:58:03,519 --> 00:58:09,559
The minting was done with a
single precise and powerful blow.

680
00:58:09,880 --> 00:58:13,199
And the coin was ready.

681
00:58:13,920 --> 00:58:18,440
There are finds of the 'Zeiring Penny'

682
00:58:18,519 --> 00:58:23,280
which means the execution
site already exists for a long time

683
00:58:23,880 --> 00:58:31,157
Mining goes further back
historically than the late Middle Ages.

684
00:58:31,199 --> 00:58:35,800
We're talking the about the Roman times.

685
00:58:36,320 --> 00:58:40,119
There are also coin finds
from the execution site.

686
00:58:47,760 --> 00:58:53,000
Imagine it like a
festival. Miners, farmers,

687
00:58:53,079 --> 00:58:57,840
children came to witness
and watch this execution.

688
00:58:58,800 --> 00:59:03,758
Court proceedings and
executions took place outdoors.

689
00:59:03,800 --> 00:59:05,519
When will you finally
start!? Get on with it!

690
00:59:06,599 --> 00:59:09,480
A distinction was made
between serious felonies

691
00:59:09,599 --> 00:59:11,840
robbery, murder, and manslaughter -

692
00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:14,159
and lesser offenses.

693
00:59:14,239 --> 00:59:17,519
Such as theft, insult,
brawls, and adultery,

694
00:59:17,599 --> 00:59:20,599
which led to illegitimate children.

695
00:59:20,679 --> 00:59:21,960
Keep your foul mouth shut!

696
00:59:22,199 --> 00:59:28,639
People! We are gathered
here to exercise high jurisdiction.

697
00:59:28,719 --> 00:59:33,239
This is as a court by
God and Emperor's grace,

698
00:59:33,320 --> 00:59:38,079
charged with the announcement of penalties

699
00:59:38,159 --> 00:59:44,800
on skin and hair as well as with the
execution of judgments of neck and hand.

700
00:59:47,159 --> 00:59:52,880
Unlike turnips, apples, and onions,
lemons were rare in the Middle Ages,

701
00:59:52,960 --> 00:59:56,559
and only recently introduced
by Crusaders from the Orient.

702
00:59:57,800 --> 01:00:00,197
Punishments on skin and hair could include

703
01:00:00,239 --> 01:00:03,000
head shaving for adultery and fornication,

704
01:00:03,199 --> 01:00:08,199
the whipping punishment
for disobedient serfs,

705
01:00:08,280 --> 01:00:13,480
and the chopping off of
the head for noble felons.

706
01:00:18,679 --> 01:00:20,679
Your first time?

707
01:00:24,760 --> 01:00:30,039
Already known in the Middle Ages
was broccoli, then fell into oblivion

708
01:00:30,119 --> 01:00:35,400
and has been - more or less -
popular since the 1970s again.

709
01:00:37,039 --> 01:00:40,480
However, there is no evidence that a banana

710
01:00:40,559 --> 01:00:44,239
would have made it's
way to Europe at that time.

711
01:00:44,360 --> 01:00:45,960
Where is he?!

712
01:00:46,039 --> 01:00:47,480
Did we forget something?

713
01:00:47,559 --> 01:00:53,280
Vigilantism was not a legal
option for the common people.

714
01:00:53,360 --> 01:00:57,039
Don't do that, that won't
hold, that's a specialist's work.

715
01:00:57,480 --> 01:01:00,920
They're getting quite restless,
ah, where the heck is he?

716
01:01:02,280 --> 01:01:05,119
What do you mean, they couldn't afford you?

717
01:01:05,920 --> 01:01:10,239
Couldn't or wouldn't,
it's all the same to me.

718
01:01:10,320 --> 01:01:14,639
As long as they don't pay,
the head stays on the neck!

719
01:01:21,599 --> 01:01:27,559
Such an execution was very expensive.
A hangman had to come from Graz.

720
01:01:27,719 --> 01:01:31,920
He had to come specially, spend the night.

721
01:01:32,239 --> 01:01:34,480
So, where is the hangman?

722
01:01:34,559 --> 01:01:38,480
Execution without a
hangman proved difficult.

723
01:01:38,559 --> 01:01:41,760
Couldn't they afford the hangman?
Then what are we even here for?

724
01:01:41,840 --> 01:01:43,119
Just acquit him!

725
01:01:43,199 --> 01:01:45,880
What? Acquit him? No, not again!

726
01:01:46,000 --> 01:01:50,880
Your Honor! You must admonish
the rabble, we have no executioner.

727
01:01:50,960 --> 01:01:55,400
Not again. Oh, yes, exactly, we'll do that.

728
01:01:55,800 --> 01:01:57,920
Fine, we'll do that.

729
01:01:59,559 --> 01:02:04,559
So they have behaved themselves nicely,

730
01:02:04,639 --> 01:02:09,119
they have behaved well in the
cell, they were decent the last 3 days,

731
01:02:09,199 --> 01:02:17,199
they only ate a little, didn't throw any
excrement at the wall or at the guards.

732
01:02:17,519 --> 01:02:21,480
They behaved well, we can
say they had good conduct.

733
01:02:21,559 --> 01:02:27,920
And so I sentence them
to depart with a warning.

734
01:02:28,440 --> 01:02:33,039
And in the future, behave!

735
01:02:33,400 --> 01:02:39,519
Medieval jurisprudence still
suffered from great arbitrariness.

736
01:02:40,760 --> 01:02:43,039
Does that apply to me too?

737
01:02:43,159 --> 01:02:46,320
Just don't say anything,
it doesn't matter anyway.

738
01:02:49,880 --> 01:02:53,318
Even today, remnants
of a gallows can be found

739
01:02:53,360 --> 01:02:58,880
between Unterzeiring and Katzling.
Before this there stood a wooden gallows,

740
01:02:58,960 --> 01:03:03,559
where in the Middle Ages the high
court was held in the Birkachwald,

741
01:03:03,639 --> 01:03:06,079
punishments were carried out,

742
01:03:06,159 --> 01:03:10,280
and delinquents had to be
buried outside the cemetery.

743
01:03:13,119 --> 01:03:18,880
Macabre, as I always say - the
mountain miners didn't get very old then,

744
01:03:18,960 --> 01:03:22,679
and back then one probably
died from the poor air quality,

745
01:03:22,760 --> 01:03:27,559
especially in the mine.
Because setting fires created

746
01:03:27,639 --> 01:03:33,119
a lot of smoke, and the strong
draft and moisture on top of it.

747
01:03:41,039 --> 01:03:45,159
Well, woodcutter, did your
old lady let you out again?!

748
01:03:47,119 --> 01:03:50,360
How ruined do you look for God's sake?

749
01:03:50,440 --> 01:03:53,840
That's what you look like when you're rich!

750
01:03:57,440 --> 01:03:59,960
You won't have your silver for long anyway,

751
01:04:00,039 --> 01:04:03,480
soon as the devil always
takes you mountain miners.

752
01:04:03,559 --> 01:04:06,440
We wouldn't want to
get as old as you anyway!

753
01:04:10,760 --> 01:04:13,039
I'm only 12!

754
01:04:16,760 --> 01:04:19,039
Yeah, that's how it is.

755
01:04:19,119 --> 01:04:22,039
Alright, now we're going bowling.
Bye! See you later, woodcutter!

756
01:04:22,840 --> 01:04:28,800
The fact miners rarely lived
past 35 due to the lack of oxygen,

757
01:04:28,880 --> 01:04:33,159
they they with a healthy
dose of black humor.

758
01:04:36,400 --> 01:04:43,239
Ironically, a lung sanatorium today
offers patients recovery in dust-free,

759
01:04:43,320 --> 01:04:46,320
radon-rich air at the same location.

760
01:04:55,360 --> 01:05:00,800
At least minor air circulation
was provided by shafts

761
01:05:00,880 --> 01:05:04,239
for the removal of debris and water.

762
01:05:04,320 --> 01:05:09,239
The spool with the rope was
greased with tallow at both ends.

763
01:05:10,880 --> 01:05:14,119
Next to ascending the climbing trees,

764
01:05:14,199 --> 01:05:19,079
such cranks or reels, were an
additional means of transportation

765
01:05:19,159 --> 01:05:23,199
while wearing backpacks,
also known as "rope riding."

766
01:05:24,719 --> 01:05:28,800
Go on, fill it up and lift it!

767
01:05:44,639 --> 01:05:46,880
Good job boy!

768
01:05:46,960 --> 01:05:49,480
You did a good job too!

769
01:06:00,719 --> 01:06:04,400
Abseiling in the hauling buckets was only

770
01:06:04,480 --> 01:06:08,159
possible in a few places in Oberzeiring.

771
01:06:24,599 --> 01:06:28,760
The massive raw material
demand of the mine ensured that

772
01:06:28,840 --> 01:06:32,639
the mountains in the surrounding area

773
01:06:32,719 --> 01:06:36,400
were already deforested in the Middle Ages.

774
01:06:52,920 --> 01:06:54,840
Timber!

775
01:07:03,239 --> 01:07:06,157
Not only for building
timber and pine splinters,

776
01:07:06,199 --> 01:07:11,159
vast amounts of spruce wood were
also consumed by charcoal burners.

777
01:07:29,000 --> 01:07:36,280
Older and injured miners found employment
in quieter activities on the surface.

778
01:07:36,599 --> 01:07:39,039
For example, with the charcoal burners.

779
01:07:39,119 --> 01:07:40,639
So, how are you doing?

780
01:07:41,159 --> 01:07:42,639
Uh... yeah.

781
01:07:46,119 --> 01:07:50,519
Smelting was only
possible in forested areas.

782
01:07:50,920 --> 01:07:54,679
The charcoal burners, who
lived secluded in the forest,

783
01:07:54,800 --> 01:07:58,280
represented an important
profession for the industry.

784
01:08:03,840 --> 01:08:08,679
The guild of the miners resembled
a modern insurance company.

785
01:08:08,760 --> 01:08:15,760
They stepped in for the family of the
disabled person and found him a suitable job.

786
01:08:19,520 --> 01:08:22,239
Due to the toxic gases emitted,

787
01:08:22,439 --> 01:08:28,079
the charcoal kilns were always
located outside the villages.

788
01:08:36,079 --> 01:08:41,000
The insurance of the
profession was not limited.

789
01:08:41,159 --> 01:08:44,600
As a result, recovery
sometimes took a bit longer.

790
01:08:53,760 --> 01:08:58,520
Speik, "Valeriana Celtica,"
had been a coveted medicinal

791
01:08:58,600 --> 01:09:03,000
and cosmetic plant from the
Eastern Alps since antiquity.

792
01:09:04,720 --> 01:09:12,039
Root diggers or speik harvesters were
landless members of rural lower classes.

793
01:09:12,319 --> 01:09:18,159
These were mainly woodcutters,
former miners, and charcoal burners,

794
01:09:18,239 --> 01:09:22,920
later also specially employed women.

795
01:09:28,800 --> 01:09:36,640
For harvesting, a sophisticated,
specialized tool, the speik hoe, was used.

796
01:09:38,880 --> 01:09:45,319
The work was extremely
laborious and left no leisure time.

797
01:09:49,039 --> 01:09:55,119
Boiled in milk or wine, speik
became a popular medicine.

798
01:10:11,199 --> 01:10:16,199
Thus, Styria was very significant
for the extraction of genuine speik.

799
01:10:16,279 --> 01:10:22,680
Particularly notable is Judenburg,
which was a center of speik processing.

800
01:10:24,479 --> 01:10:28,920
The harvesting season for speik was
from mid-August to mid-September,

801
01:10:29,000 --> 01:10:34,439
when the leaves turned yellow
and it developed the most fragrance.

802
01:10:40,560 --> 01:10:44,960
Where the habitat is
suitable, where there are

803
01:10:45,039 --> 01:10:49,039
alpine meadows, that's where
speik really grows frequently.

804
01:10:49,119 --> 01:10:55,560
So there's one plant, and next to
it, another and another and another.

805
01:11:00,720 --> 01:11:05,920
In addition to their main transport
goods grain, wine, and salt,

806
01:11:06,000 --> 01:11:10,880
muleteers were also available
for transporting small quantities.

807
01:11:11,800 --> 01:11:18,439
Muleteers formed into
columns or pack trains.

808
01:11:18,520 --> 01:11:22,920
They would travel with up to 30 animals.

809
01:11:23,960 --> 01:11:30,359
And sumpter - or pack animal transport
was actually practiced everywhere.

810
01:11:32,399 --> 01:11:39,520
Long before the horse was used as a
riding animal, it served as a pack animal.

811
01:11:46,039 --> 01:11:50,319
To avoid congestion at narrow
passages in the mountains,

812
01:11:50,399 --> 01:11:54,479
muleteers announced
themselves from afar with bells.

813
01:11:56,119 --> 01:12:00,000
From this time comes the German expression

814
01:12:00,079 --> 01:12:03,600
'keine Zeit vers�umen'

815
01:12:05,159 --> 01:12:10,720
Speik is most widespread
in the eastern Styrian Alps.

816
01:12:13,199 --> 01:12:19,560
Judenburg had an imperial trade
monopoly and through Genoa and Venice,

817
01:12:19,640 --> 01:12:25,880
several tons were exported annually
to the Orient, especially Egypt.

818
01:12:29,880 --> 01:12:36,279
However, the journey of the muleteers
should not end at the borders of Austria.

819
01:12:36,560 --> 01:12:41,760
It led them in lands where the people
knew how to appreciate good smells

820
01:12:41,840 --> 01:12:47,399
and the refined life of the slowly
emerging early Renaissance.

821
01:12:48,039 --> 01:12:49,880
Italy

822
01:12:50,960 --> 01:12:55,920
Venice was the final
destination for the Alpine herbs.

823
01:12:56,000 --> 01:12:59,640
Where something, perhaps
the scent of the canal,

824
01:12:59,720 --> 01:13:05,600
made aristocrats particularly appreciate
the soothing scents of Alpine herbs.

825
01:13:08,199 --> 01:13:14,159
However, the journey of the
muleteers here was fraught with risk:

826
01:13:14,239 --> 01:13:18,279
They were not allowed
to travel further south

827
01:13:18,359 --> 01:13:21,880
than this point, and
there were strict customs.

828
01:13:22,159 --> 01:13:26,920
At the Fondaco dei
Tedeschi on the Grand Canal,

829
01:13:27,000 --> 01:13:31,399
all journeys of the Germans,
Flemish, Hungarians,

830
01:13:31,600 --> 01:13:37,840
and Austrians came to an end;
only the Venetians went further south.

831
01:13:38,000 --> 01:13:42,880
And so, they could only
conduct their business

832
01:13:42,960 --> 01:13:47,199
under official supervision. The
goods were strictly controlled.

833
01:13:47,359 --> 01:13:48,720
Buongiorno

834
01:13:49,000 --> 01:13:53,119
The speik had to be
checked for authenticity.

835
01:13:53,199 --> 01:13:57,478
The noses of the Venetians were discerning,

836
01:13:57,520 --> 01:14:00,640
so muleteers with counterfeit
speik made the journey in vain.

837
01:14:08,079 --> 01:14:13,159
All the happier were the traders
when they could claim success.

838
01:14:16,479 --> 01:14:24,479
For the weight of the speik
was weighed in gold - it is said.

839
01:14:31,960 --> 01:14:38,239
Fortunately, the Styrians were already
known as a lovable people back then.

840
01:14:38,319 --> 01:14:43,159
And people gladly did business with them.

841
01:14:48,680 --> 01:14:54,920
And because extraction of
perfume had been invented as early

842
01:14:55,000 --> 01:15:00,319
as the 13th century the substances
could be preserved in alcohol.

843
01:15:01,800 --> 01:15:05,920
An invaluable treasure.

844
01:15:15,159 --> 01:15:18,159
The scent of the Alps.

845
01:15:31,680 --> 01:15:35,359
We muleteers are like
Murtal crumbled cheese.

846
01:15:35,479 --> 01:15:39,079
With age, we only get stronger and sharper.

847
01:15:48,680 --> 01:15:53,079
In my time, we used to play
with only a piece of wood.

848
01:15:53,159 --> 01:15:55,159
Or went bowling.

849
01:15:55,560 --> 01:16:00,600
Or don't you know that here, in the old
days, they used to bowl with silver balls?

850
01:16:00,880 --> 01:16:03,079
And do we remember!

851
01:16:04,159 --> 01:16:07,199
In Zeiring, in the marketplace
near the Green Woodpecker,

852
01:16:07,279 --> 01:16:09,117
people merrily bowl, laugh, and carouse.

853
01:16:10,439 --> 01:16:13,640
Laugh, scold, carouse, and curse,

854
01:16:13,720 --> 01:16:17,199
not even the devil himself
could do any worse.

855
01:16:17,279 --> 01:16:20,800
Drunken brawlers and quarreling dogs,

856
01:16:20,880 --> 01:16:25,880
and dancers and harlots mix and mingle.

857
01:16:26,880 --> 01:16:30,039
And deep in the corner,
clinking and tapping,

858
01:16:30,119 --> 01:16:33,520
the dulcimer player kept the beat.

859
01:16:34,039 --> 01:16:37,359
Wine drips from table and bench,

860
01:16:37,439 --> 01:16:40,960
coins roll on the ground.

861
01:16:41,279 --> 01:16:44,239
And the innkeeper smiles cheerfully,

862
01:16:44,319 --> 01:16:47,880
as if he heard the angels fiddle.

863
01:16:49,159 --> 01:16:52,479
And do you know who today,
at the Green Woodpecker,

864
01:16:52,560 --> 01:16:55,760
bowls, makes noise, and
carouses so cheerfully,

865
01:16:55,920 --> 01:16:59,279
it's the miners of Zeiring.

866
01:16:59,359 --> 01:17:03,079
The pockets full of silver,
the silver in the mine,

867
01:17:03,159 --> 01:17:06,800
has made everyone's heads spin.

868
01:17:06,880 --> 01:17:10,319
They fancy themselves
free of lords and kings,

869
01:17:10,399 --> 01:17:15,079
and would've even
dethroned God Father himself.

870
01:17:16,239 --> 01:17:19,800
"Hey, scoundrel," shouts
now the foreman loudly,

871
01:17:19,880 --> 01:17:23,039
"come forth, whoever dares to bowl with me.

872
01:17:23,520 --> 01:17:26,880
I'll boldly wager this jar of coins here,

873
01:17:26,960 --> 01:17:30,079
that I'll swiftly knock down all nine."

874
01:17:31,319 --> 01:17:34,119
"Good luck, comrades! So be it, so be it!"

875
01:17:34,640 --> 01:17:37,640
The gang cheers wildly, with chaotic cries.

876
01:17:38,000 --> 01:17:41,319
"Good luck, good luck,
let's empty the cups,

877
01:17:41,399 --> 01:17:45,079
so the devil may grant us luck!"

878
01:17:46,039 --> 01:17:49,439
Then steps in, a
delicate child by the hand,

879
01:17:49,520 --> 01:17:52,479
wrapped in a poor, gray garment,

880
01:17:52,560 --> 01:17:55,479
an elderly woman from the street,

881
01:17:55,560 --> 01:17:58,239
to see what all the jubilation is about.

882
01:17:58,760 --> 01:18:01,359
The joyful child is greatly amused,

883
01:18:01,439 --> 01:18:04,880
It hops and peers back and forth.

884
01:18:05,439 --> 01:18:08,157
And as outside, the pins fall,

885
01:18:09,359 --> 01:18:12,359
so it laughs with a bright sound.

886
01:18:12,439 --> 01:18:14,840
"Do you like it out
there, you monkey face,"

887
01:18:14,920 --> 01:18:18,159
shouts one at it: "Don't
stare your eyes out then!"

888
01:18:18,239 --> 01:18:20,920
Another sneers: "That's funny, isn't it?

889
01:18:21,000 --> 01:18:23,037
I'll show you something
even better up close!"

890
01:18:24,039 --> 01:18:26,880
Then he decapitates
the child and cruelly rolls

891
01:18:26,960 --> 01:18:30,159
the bloody head out into the pins,

892
01:18:30,239 --> 01:18:32,600
so swiftly, as if with eerie strength,

893
01:18:32,680 --> 01:18:35,840
it knocks them all down to the ground.

894
01:18:35,920 --> 01:18:38,479
Then the wild, ugly crowd

895
01:18:38,560 --> 01:18:41,760
erupts in mad and neighing laughter.

896
01:18:41,840 --> 01:18:44,880
But the old woman is silent and stares,

897
01:18:44,960 --> 01:18:48,159
ghastly into the scene,
trembling and nodding.

898
01:18:48,239 --> 01:18:51,359
And she bends down and
throws gravel and earth,

899
01:18:51,439 --> 01:18:54,520
in a circle around with strange gestures,

900
01:18:54,600 --> 01:18:57,600
and murmurs a terrible incantation,

901
01:18:57,680 --> 01:19:01,079
wherein every word is a tenfold curse.

902
01:19:01,159 --> 01:19:04,319
There stood horrified, hair bristling,

903
01:19:04,399 --> 01:19:07,800
the pale crowd, still with laughing faces.

904
01:19:08,079 --> 01:19:11,920
But the old woman in the gray garment,

905
01:19:12,000 --> 01:19:17,199
like storm clouds against
the mountain, disappeared.

906
01:19:21,359 --> 01:19:25,159
And when in the mine on the next workday

907
01:19:25,239 --> 01:19:29,439
the first hammer strikes resound,

908
01:19:30,439 --> 01:19:36,039
the ground trembles
and with thunderous roar

909
01:19:36,520 --> 01:19:44,520
shaft and miner plunge
into darkness and horror.

910
01:20:47,760 --> 01:20:52,560
Many legends are told
of the supposed flooding.

911
01:20:52,640 --> 01:20:57,159
One chilling tale recounts
the demise of the mine,

912
01:20:57,239 --> 01:21:03,479
where 1400 women of Oberzeiring
are said to have become widows.

913
01:21:03,560 --> 01:21:07,640
In actual fact, large parts of the tunnels

914
01:21:07,720 --> 01:21:11,399
below Oberzeiring are
still flooded to this day.

915
01:21:12,199 --> 01:21:18,199
The depletion of the ore deposit and the
increasing effort to pump out groundwater

916
01:21:18,279 --> 01:21:22,079
led, at the end of the Middle Ages,

917
01:21:22,159 --> 01:21:27,720
to the inhabitants of Zeiring
largely abandoning mining.

918
01:21:39,279 --> 01:21:43,199
Zeiring without a mine,
huh? Hard to imagine.

919
01:21:43,960 --> 01:21:45,760
Guess we'll have to come
up with something else.

920
01:21:45,840 --> 01:21:47,800
Like what?

921
01:21:47,880 --> 01:21:50,039
You've already done
so many different things.

922
01:21:50,159 --> 01:21:52,880
What was the next best
thing after being a miner?

923
01:21:54,800 --> 01:21:58,159
Peddler! That's it.

924
01:21:58,279 --> 01:22:00,720
That's the profession of
the future, mark my words.

925
01:22:00,800 --> 01:22:02,520
Another peddler, great.

926
01:22:02,600 --> 01:22:04,039
What?

927
01:22:04,119 --> 01:22:06,800
It's fine, I'll explain
to you how it works.

928
01:22:06,880 --> 01:22:08,880
First, we need an investor.

929
01:22:08,960 --> 01:22:11,199
And little Stefan,

930
01:22:12,239 --> 01:22:15,239
he needs to learn how to use an abacus.

931
01:22:15,680 --> 01:22:19,560
Hmm, could it be that the
smart gentleman doesn't know

932
01:22:19,640 --> 01:22:23,279
quite as much about this
topic as he does about mining?

933
01:22:24,439 --> 01:22:27,279
I have an uncle who will
show us how it's done.

934
01:22:27,359 --> 01:22:29,520
Here - Stefan!

935
01:22:32,039 --> 01:22:33,880
Come here!

936
01:22:33,960 --> 01:22:35,319
Good boy!

937
01:22:36,640 --> 01:22:40,640
Well, look at that, they're not doing too
badly for their first time outside, huh?

938
01:22:40,720 --> 01:22:43,039
Wouldn't it be nice if they
could bring us a rabbit?

939
01:22:43,119 --> 01:22:44,399
That would be something.

940
01:22:44,479 --> 01:22:45,840
That's true.

941
01:22:45,920 --> 01:22:48,560
Well, maybe they'll
figure it out. Let's see.

942
01:22:48,840 --> 01:22:51,159
Somehow we'll make it work.

943
01:22:51,239 --> 01:22:53,640
It's going to be exciting,
just the two of us.

944
01:22:54,159 --> 01:22:56,359
While we still have to
feed those two as well.

945
01:22:57,479 --> 01:23:01,239
The side valleys of the Triebener Tauern

946
01:23:01,319 --> 01:23:04,760
are still marked by
their legends and history.

947
01:23:04,840 --> 01:23:08,479
Even today travelers hike
along old muleteers paths

948
01:23:08,560 --> 01:23:11,359
and visit the enchanted ruins

949
01:23:11,439 --> 01:23:14,720
...and the impressive mine.

950
01:23:16,119 --> 01:23:18,119
Ah goddammit!