The history of Altaussee salt mine: Of the Middle Ages, “Monuments Men” and 1.47 million m³ of brine

The Altaussee salt mine in Ausseerland, Styria, looks back on a colorful – and in some cases, movie-worthy – history, extending from the High Middle Ages to the present day. And perhaps unexpectedly, its story isn’t always about salt. But rather, art treasures of inestimable value, Nazi bombs that were never detonated and courageous Aussee miners…. Sound exciting? Well, it is! So exciting in fact, that this chapter of Altaussee mining history was filmed with a cast of Hollywood stars.

Hollywood in Altaussee: How the “Monuments Men” met courageous miners from Altaussee …

The story that played out at the Altaussee mine during the last years of the Second World War, would eventually provide the material for a Hollywood “flick” with a star cast. The movie entitled “The Monuments Men”, starring George Clooney along with other Hollywood A-listers such as Matt Damon and Bill Murray, tells the story of how art treasures were rescued by the so-called “monuments men”. You see, the Nazis had stolen art treasures of incalculable value from across Europe and hidden them away, safe from Allied bombing, deep inside the mines. Facing defeat, Adolf Hitler issued the so-called “Nero Order”. In other words, the artworks stowed away in the mines, along with anything else that might be important to the enemy, were to be destroyed. For the monuments men, this meant a race against time, a race which also led them to the mine here in Altaussee …

The true story of how the artworks were rescued: the “Mountain of Treasures”

A Madonna by Michelangelo, paintings by Rubens and Rembrandt, the Ghent Altarpiece by the van Eyck brothers, the Tassilo Chalice, works by Dürer and Vermeer – art of inestimable value came within a hair’s breadth of being blown up in 1945 during the last weeks of the war! But let’s start right back at the beginning of the story: As the German Reich began to collapse and the Allies were bombing German cities, the National Socialists, who had looted treasures across the length and breadth of Europe, began to hide those treasures underground. The idea was that the mines would protect the paintings, sculptures and other priceless objects from the bombs of the enemy. However, they were in no way protected from the insanity of the Führer himself: In spring 1945, the dictator gave the order from Berlin that, in the event of defeat, everything the German people had created – factories, roads, bridges, art – was to be destroyed. This so-called “Nero Order” also included the artworks in the tunnels of Altaussee, which had originally been destined for a “Führer Museum” in Linz. Hitler would revoke this order a little later.

The Fortune of Art - Experience the spectacular rescue of the art treasures in 3D

Here you can virtually zoom into the Altaussee salt mine and explore the true story of how the artworks were rescued during the last days in WWII: 

The biggest active salt mine in Austria

The salt mine doesn’t only look back on a colorful past: It’s a hive of activity even today! In addition to the historic mine that is open to visitors, Altaussee happens to also be the biggest active salt mine in Austria! There are currently 30 active mining sites and 18 drilled probe holes manned by the 57 people working inside the mine. Annual brine production amounts to around 1.47 million cubic meters – equating to 500,000 tons of salt, which Salinen Austria AG then processes into a wide range of products. Kitchen salt for your dining table, salt for the swimming pool, as well as salt used as an essential component of medical and cosmetic products. In fact, you will come across salt from Austria’s biggest active salt mine practically everywhere!

The salt mine in Altaussee – from the Middle Ages until today