History
The Gewerkschaften Richard and Reichskrone were among several small Kalischächte sunk in the Finne area south-west of Querfurt between approximately 1909 and 1913. They were contemporaneous with the post-1910 wave of Quotenschacht construction triggered by the first Reichskaligesetz of 25 May 1910, which imposed compulsory membership of the Kalisyndikat and established the Absatzquote system. Not primarily motivated by anticipated high production, these Gewerkschaften were typically founded to secure and sell a Beteiligungsziffer.
The Kaliwerke Gewerkschaften Richard and Reichskrone lie approximately one kilometre north-west of the Ortsteil Lossa of the present-day Gemeinde Finne. The two shafts are only 30 metres apart, making them a Doppelschachtanlage by definition. Both shafts reached the Kali-Flöz Staßfurt at the same Teufe of 528 metres, on the south-western flank of the herzyn-streichenden Roßlebener Sattels. The Kalilagerstätte is bounded to the north-east by Ablaugung from the Sattelkern, and to the south-west by the Finne-Störung, which represents a natural south-western limit of the deposit. To the north-west the deposit is terminated by the Ablaugungsgrenze towards the Unstrut Niederung. The underground workings covered an area of approximately 850 by 750 metres.
The Gewerkschaft Reichskrone was constituted on 20 November 1911 as a gothaische Gewerkschaft, with 1,000 Kuxe, of which 850 passed to the Kali-Industrie-Aktiengesellschaft by 1920. The administration of the Gewerkschaft Richard and the Gewerkschaft Reichskrone was jointly maintained in Lossa. Sinking of both shafts was undertaken between 1909 and 1911; the Abteufgerüste are attested from around 1910. Extraction of Carnallitit took place only in four Abbauörter, with production confined to the years 1913 to 1916. The total Carnallitit raised across both operations amounted to approximately 100,000 tonnes raw salt, representing an estimated 6,600 tonnes K₂O. The definitive Stilllegung of both Schachtanlagen was carried out in 1921.
At assemblies of both Gewerken dated 20 September 1926, the Liquidation and Gesamtveräußerung of both Gewerkschaften was resolved, with their assets sold to the Kali-Industrie A.-G. (the future Wintershall AG). On the Stilllegungsantrag of the Gewerkschaft Reichskrone, the Kaliprüfungsstelle had in 1922 assigned a Beteiligungsziffer of 86 per cent of the average Beteiligung of all works; the corresponding figure for the Gewerkschaft Richard was 87.5 per cent. Both Schachtanlagen belonged to the Wintershall AG until 1945. Post-war, the sites were declared Volkseigentum. No records have been found of post-war reuse or surface preservation. The surface plant was fully demolished, and only the covered shaft top, halden remnants, and ground plan foundations are visible in the landscape near Lossa.