1571
Leopold Shaft sinking began
The Leopold Shaft at Solivar, originally known as the Imperial Shaft, began to be sunk in 1571.
Site overview
Solivar Prešov — Leopoldova šachta is the historic Leopold Shaft of the former Prešov saltworks at Solivar, now part of the national cultural monument managed as Múzeum Solivar. The shaft was begun in 1571 and was originally known as the Imperial Shaft. It descended to approximately 155 metres and served the extraction of rock salt and brine.
In 1674 a large horse-gin building, or gápeľ, was erected above the shaft; the winding mechanism was turned by four pairs of horses and raised brine in large leather sacks. The surviving Solivar complex also includes brine storage tanks, the boiling house, salt warehouse, blacksmith workshops and signal tower.
The supplied coordinates do not correspond securely with the Rožňava iron-ore field, so the setting of this site cannot be described with confidence until the location is verified.
Map
Map markers and directions links are provided for location reference only and do not indicate public access or permission to enter a site.
No site photograph is currently available. Images will be added as field visits are carried out.
History
The Leopold Shaft belongs to the historic Solivar saltworks at Prešov, one of the most important technical monuments in Slovakia. The salt deposit at Solivar was worked for rock salt and brine, and the preserved saltworks complex developed around the extraction, storage, boiling and distribution of salt. The complex includes the Leopold Shaft, the gápeľ or horse-gin building, brine storage tanks known as četerne, the boiling house, blacksmith workshops, salt warehouse and signal tower.
The Leopold Shaft was begun in 1571 and was originally called the Imperial Shaft. It became the central and oldest work of the Solivar saltworks. The shaft reached a depth of about 155 metres. In 1674 the large horse-gin building was erected above it. This building housed the winding mechanism by which brine was raised from the shaft in large leather sacks. The mechanism was powered by four pairs of horses and is recognised as one of the largest structures of its kind in Central Europe.
Brine raised from the Leopold Shaft was carried by wooden pipework to storage tanks built in 1815. From there the brine was delivered to the boiling and evaporation process, where salt was crystallised, drained, dried and stored. The historic salt warehouse, completed around 1825, became the dominant architectural building of the complex. Industrial salt production at Prešov continued into the modern period, including the newer Masaryk salt plant, before finally ending in 2009. The preserved Solivar complex remains a major technical and industrial heritage site.
Timeline
1674
Horse-gin building erected
In 1674 the gápeľ, or horse-gin building, was erected above the Leopold Shaft to raise brine from the 155-metre shaft.
1807
First major repair recorded
The Leopold Shaft mechanism and building required a major repair in 1807.
1815
Brine storage tanks built
The brine storage tanks, known locally as četerne, were built in 1815 to receive brine delivered from the Leopold Shaft by wooden pipework.
1844
Second major repair recorded
A further major repair to the Leopold Shaft mechanism and building was recorded in 1844.
2009
Salt production at Prešov ended
The Solivar saltworks company was closed in May 2009, ending salt production at Prešov, while the historic Solivar monument complex remained preserved.
Sources and records
Múzeum Solivar: The History of the Salt Plant; KamNaVylet.sk: Solivar in Prešov; Mapy.com / OSM: Leopold šachta, Solivar; Slovak Technical Museum / Múzeum Solivar visitor material.
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