Mining was the main source of knowledge about the Earth until the 19th century. Miners brought not only minerals to the surface of the Earth but also knowledge about its structure. Geology as a science has been established later and in close connection with mining and with metallurgy (also called the Mining Engineering). Beside science, there is also a cultural component associated with mining which includes centuries-old traditions and rituals associated with descending into the depths of the Earth. In the Open-Air Museum of Mining in Březové Hory the cultural history experience blends with the history of knowledge against the backdrop of the unique technical monuments of the Ševčin, Vojtěch and Anna mines. The cultural and historical significance of the mining buildings was highlighted by the leading Mining Engineering historian and former director of the mining department of the National Technical Museum Jiří Majer (1922–2008). He was the one who pushed for the sites where the mining ended to become part of the museum, which he really did achieve over the second half of the 20th century. The mining of uranium was terminated here in 1991, bringing a definitive end to mining activities in the Příbram region. The local mining past is preserved by the mining museum as well as the Příbram high school and technical college following in the tradition of the famous Mining Academy. The St Procopius Celebrations have also been preserved as was the initiation ritual of the mining education candidates: the jump over a tanned hide. The Museum activities also include organising the annual international symposium Mining Příbram in Science and Technology, that was held in Příbram from 1962 to 2011.
The open-air museum consists of several interconnected complexes. In the entrance complex of the Ševčin mine you will find an exposition about the history of mining in Příbram and local traditions. There is also presentation of the history of the Mining Academy, whose spiritual father and headmaster was Johann Grimm (1805–1874). In the outdoor area of the museum, you can see a replica of a wooden horse winch (for hauling water and ore out of the mine) as we know it from the Renaissance Mining Engineering writings of Georgius Agricola, a miners` chapel or mining equipment used in ore and uranium mines in the twentieth century. The home-made models of the underground complete with pieces of rocks, minerals, etc are remarkable exhibits.
