Traces of famous visitors
Art and history intertwine on the site of Sympatec GmbH's Pulverhaus. The installation by artist Sina Heffner, unveiled in August 2025, refers to the cultural memory of the area. As early as the 18th century, the Harz Mountains were a popular destination for study travellers from all over Europe – attracted by natural beauty, geological phenomena and the technical sophistication of mining. In addition to climbing the Brocken, a tour of the mines was a must for many travellers to the Harz Mountains.
The sculptures transform the landscape into a place of reflection, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the stories of the past while experiencing the beauty of the present.
Concept of the sculpture walk
The idea for the sculpture walk originated from company founder Dr.-Ing. E.h. Stephan Röthele. The inspiration for the design derives from visits by well-known personalities who explored the profitable Dorothea and Caroline mines on what is now the Pulverhaus site of Sympatec GmbH.
The design introduces landmarks to the Upper Harz landscape in the shape of oversized white feathers. Today‘s visitors get the impression that they have just floated to the ground. The feathers create a variety of images and associations and are reminiscent of the feather as a writing tool: signatures on the quills indicate the visitors in the past.
The feather also serves as a deeper symbol tied to mining history. In earlier times, a distinction was made between “Bergleute von der Feder” (miners of the feather) and “Bergleute vom Leder” (miners of the leather). Those “of the feather” were administrative officers responsible for planning, organisation, and documentation. Those “of the leather”, by contrast, laboured physically underground, named after the leather aprons they wore for protection. This historical division of roles within the mining world is mirrored in the sculpture concept: the feather represents not only thought, writing, and administration, but also honours the legacy of the people behind the scenes whose intellectual labour also shaped the mines’ success.
With sweeping curves, the feathers describe gentle movements that invite you to follow them visually and contemplate in your thoughts and dreams. They feature various contrasts, depicting something small in an overwhelming size, something evanescent and soft in a durable, hard material and with great clarity.
Each sculpture is built on a steel substructure and formed using polystyrene and glass fibre reinforced synthetic resin (GRP). The feathers range in size, measuring between 0.70 m and 3.00 m in length, and up to 2.99 m in height.
The artist - Sina Heffner
Sina Heffner is a Braunschweig-based artist known for her diverse work in public space and art-on-building projects. Her installations often investigate relationships between animals, humans, and their habitats—always with a sensitive eye on nature. Heffner has received numerous awards and scholarships, and her solo exhibitions include venues such as the Kunstmuseum Tønder (Denmark), Museumsberg Flensburg, the Natural History Museum in Braunschweig, the Moritzburg Art Museum in Halle, and the Palais für aktuelle Kunst in Glückstadt.
Famous visitors to the Dorothea and Caroline mines
The Dorothea and Caroline mines attracted international attention as early as the 18th and 19th centuries. Numerous scholars, artists and statesmen travelled to Clausthal-Zellerfeld to visit the Harz mining industry - and immortalised themselves in the so-called visitors' books, the guest books of the Dorothea mine. Today, these books are considered historical sources of European importance.
Some of the most famous personalities who signed their names in the mines include:
Senior Mining Official Wilhelm August Julius Albert (1787–1846) was a pioneering mining engineer who played a vital role in the technical transformation of the Upper Harz mining industry. After studying law in Göttingen, he began his career at the mining and forestry offices in Clausthal and Zellerfeld in 1806. In 1825, he was appointed Senior Mining Official and shaped an era of groundbreaking innovation. Most notably, Albert invented the first practical wire rope, developed in 1834 and successfully tested at the Caroline mine. This invention revolutionised mining and quickly became widespread as it offered a safer, more durable alternative to the chains and hemp ropes previously used.
From 1836 onwards, Julius Albert was in charge of mining, metallurgy and forestry in the western Upper Harz region. However, his influence extended far beyond engineering. He actively supported the Clausthal Mining and Forestry School and helped modernise the region’s miners’ welfare systems by supporting the miners' guild in the Harz region. Though never officially appointed "Berghauptmann" due to his non-noble status, Albert earned widespread recognition for his contributions and he was awarded the title of ‘Oberbergrat mit Obersten-Rang’. His legacy lives on as a key figure in the industrial advancement of mining.
Few names are as closely associated with the cultural legacy of the Harz Mountains as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832). As Germany’s most celebrated poet, polymath, and thinker, Goethe’s visits to the region left a lasting impression—both on the land and in his own literary work.
Goethe explored the Harz Mountains three times—not as a tourist, but as a researcher with a strategic mission. His first journey brought him to the area in December 1777, when he travelled under the pseudonym Johann Wilhelm Weber and presented himself as a painter from Darmstadt. In reality, he had been tasked by Duke Carl August of Saxe-Weimar to revive the copper mines in Ilmenau, but lacking technical knowledge, he undertook the journey to study advanced mining and smelting practices in the Upper Harz. His descent into the Dorothea and Caroline Mines, along with visits to the prosperous mines of St. Andreasberg, Clausthal and Zellerfeld, which were then still independent of each other, can thus be seen as an early form of industrial reconnaissance.
Goethe returned in 1783 and again in 1784, this time accompanying his friend and patron Duke Carl August himself. On 13 August 1784, he "descended into the Caroline and ascended from the Dorothea", deepening his fascination with mining techniques, minerals, and the unique landscape of the Harz. His handwritten entries in the Dorothea Mine’s guestbook—now preserved as historical documents—attest to his visits and curiosity.
Among his most iconic literary works, Goethe’s Faust bears clear traces of his Harz experiences. The mountain wilderness, mysterious rock formations, and the haunting atmosphere of the Brocken peak—all made their way into the narrative, blending myth with science and giving the Harz an enduring place in world literature.
Goethe’s legacy in the Harz is still tangible today. Memorial plaques, named paths, and preserved documents pay tribute to his visits, while the region itself continues to attract those seeking the same blend of nature, insight, and inspiration that captivated him centuries ago.
James Watt Jr. (1769–1848), son of the renowned Scottish inventor of the steam engine, James Watt, was among the distinguished visitors to the Upper Harz in the late 18th century. On 23 July 1786, the engineer and businessman toured the Caroline and Dorothea mines. His visit is documented in the Dorothea Mine’s guestbook, where he wrote: “The 23. July I went down the Carolina and came up the Dorothea. James Watt from Birmingham England.”
This brief entry highlights not only Watt Jr.’s personal interest in mining technology, but also the international significance of the Clausthal mining region at that time.
In 1787, Watt Jr. began studying at the Mining Academy in Freiberg, most likely continuing until 1789. Although precise details of his studies are scarce, it is believed that he attended lectures by Abraham Gottlob Werner (on mineralogy, geology, and mining), Christoph E. Gellert (on chemistry and smelting), and Johann F. Lempe (on physics and mechanical engineering).
The famous poet, writer and journalist Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856) undertook a hike through the Harz Mountains in autumn 1824. From 14 to 21 September, he embarked on a week‑long foot‑journey that carried him from Göttingen through Goslar into the mining twin‑towns of Clausthal and Zellerfeld, up onto the Brocken plateau and onward to central Germany. On 16 September he descended the narrow ladders of the Caroline and Dorothea shafts – a hazardous undertaking that left him both awestruck and appalled. The dark depths, the clatter of iron against rock and the faint glimmer of lamp‑light revealed a world whose toughness shocked his city‑bred imagination. At dawn the next morning he entered his name in Dorothea’s guestbook – “H. Heine aus Düsseldorf, stud. juris in Göttingen”.
These experiences became the beating heart of his travelogue Die Harzreise (1826), now hailed as a milestone of modern travel literature. Heine entwines lyrical nature sketches with pointed social commentary, famously labelling the Caroline shaft “the dirtiest Caroline I have ever seen”. More than a sightseeing trip, the journey was a search for identity and inspiration, mirroring the rugged terrain and the resilience of the mining communities he encountered.
Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), best known as the inventor of dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prize, is also counted among the prominent visitors of the Harz region. The Swedish chemist and industrialist played a transformative role in the advancement of science, technology, and humanitarian ideals.
What is less widely known is Nobel’s direct connection to the Upper Harz. In the early 1860s, he carried out explosives experiments with highly explosive nitroglycerin in the region, where the challenging mining conditions and deep shafts provided an ideal environment for testing and refining his innovations. His goal was to facilitate and accelerate the construction of infrastructure projects such as roads, railway tunnels, and mines—crucial at a time when industrialisation in Europe was advancing at a rapid pace.
Yet these experiments were far from without risk: in 1864, a tragic accident claimed the life of his youngest brother, Emil Oskar Nobel, during a nitroglycerin explosion. This devastating event deeply affected Alfred Nobel and further spurred his determination to develop a safer explosive.
Clausthal-Zellerfeld, a thriving centre of mining expertise, played a key role in in Nobel’s endeavours. He actively drew upon the knowledge and practical experience of the local miners, particularly those from Clausthal, who were regarded as the most skilled in Europe. Blasting techniques had been in use here since 1632, resulting in a wealth of accumulated expertise among the Harz miners over the centuries. Their techniques and insights helped shape Nobel’s understanding of controlled detonation in complex underground settings.
His visit to the Dorothea Mine, one of Clausthal’s most renowned operations, was therefore far more than a mere field trip. It represented an intensive exchange between pioneering engineering minds and a mining tradition that had grown through generations of hands-on experience.
Just a few years later, in 1867, dynamite was officially patented—offering a far safer and more stable alternative to the highly volatile nitroglycerin. This invention revolutionised not only mining, but also construction and infrastructure development around the world.
The irony of history: although dynamite would later be used for military purposes, Nobel considered himself a committed pacifist. The establishment of the Nobel Prizes, as stipulated in his will, remains his enduring legacy—intended to honour achievements in science and peacebuilding, often interpreted as an attempt at atonement for the wartime use of his invention.
Clausthal-Zellerfeld :: A town with a mining history
For centuries, Clausthal-Zellerfeld was the centre of mining in the Upper Harz region. With the founding of the Clausthal Mining Academy, the town developed into a hotspot for research and innovation. The internationally recognised academy is now one of the oldest technical universities in Europe. This tradition is continued by Clausthal University of Technology. The strong academic tradition still shapes the town’s identity through its community of students, researchers, and international guests.
The Dorothea and Caroline mines - milestones in the history of technology
The neighbouring Dorothea (1656–1886) and Caroline (1711–1867) mines were among the most productive in the Upper Harz in the 18th and 19th centuries. For generations, silver, lead, and zinc were extracted here. At the same time, both mines played a key role in advancing mining technology—from the use of water power to early mechanical transport systems.
In 1834, Oberbergrat Julius Albert developed the wire rope, which he tested in the Caroline mine, a groundbreaking invention that revolutionised not only mining worldwide. These technical achievements shaped the industry as well as the people who came to witness it.
Mining Curiosity – A Must-See of Early European Travel
From the 18th century onward, the Harz Mountains became one of Central Europe’s most popular destinations for educated travellers. Long before modern tourism took hold, visitors were drawn by the region’s natural beauty, geology, and technological sophistication. Alongside the ascent of the Brocken—the region’s highest and most fabled peak—a descent into one of the Harz’s many active mines became an essential part of any well-rounded journey.
In the Kingdom of Hanover’s Upper Harz region, the mining authority granted even those without a professional connection to mining—so-called Bergfremde—the opportunity to enter the mines. However, such educational trips were usually reserved for a small, privileged group of people who could afford such excursions.
Visitors documented their experiences in guestbooks placed at the mine entrances. These books not only served a practical function—tracking who was underground in case of accidents—but also became a canvas for personal impressions. Guests recorded comments, poems, and even drawings, often right after resurfacing from the depths.
The Dorothea mine visitors' books - historical sources of unique European significance
Between 1753 and 1886, nine guestbooks were filled at the Dorothea mine, offering a remarkable snapshot of the era. They include the signatures of over 20,000 individuals—from aristocrats and industrialists to scholars and poets. Famous names such as Goethe, Heine, Schopenhauer, Hans Christian Andersen and the Humboldt brothers can all be found within their pages.
These books were transferred in 2017 from the holdings of the official library of the State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG) to the Lower Saxony State Archives in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, where they are recognised as documents of exceptional cultural value. They not only provide an insight into the history of mining in the Harz, but also reflect the social and scientific curiosity of an entire era.
Among the earlier and most remarkable entries is that of Dorothea Schlözer, who at just 16 years old undertook a mining and geology study tour through the Harz in the summer of 1786. As the daughter of a prominent Göttingen professor, she would go on to become the first woman awarded a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Göttingen at age of 17. Her visit also highlights the unique openness of the Harz region, where even women – unlike in many other coal mining areas – were allowed to descend into the mines, as there was a prevailing superstition that their presence would bring bad luck.
A Living Legacy in the Landscape
Today, remnants of shafts, tunnels, and water management systems from the Dorothea and Caroline mines can still be seen on-site—impressive evidence of a unique cultural heritage. Together with the preserved guestbooks, they provide a rich link to the cultural and scientific exchange that once defined the Upper Harz.
Visit the sculpture walk
Located by the former Dorothea and Caroline mines, which once formed the heart of mining activity in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the Sculpture Trail lies in a historically significant landscape. Today, their grounds are part of the Pulverhaus site, home to Sympatec GmbH, continuing the area’s legacy of technical innovation in a new form.
Just a short walk away lie the Upper and the Middle Pfauenteich, two ponds that form part of the Upper Harz Water Management System. This intricate network of ponds, ditches and water channels was mainly built between 1540 and 1750 to generate energy for mining and is still largely preserved today. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010, it stands as the world’s oldest and most important pre-industrial water management system. Experience a place on the Sympatec GmbH site in Clausthal-Zellerfeld where art, history and technology merge in a special way.
The sculpture trail ‘Traces of famous visitors’ invites you to pause, reflect and marvel - about the past, the present and the feather-light traces that great personalities have left behind.
Opening: from August 2025, freely accessible
