Johanna Silver Mine (Ritterstein No. 191)

One of the Palatinate Forest Association's more than 300 knight's stones is located here.
This knight's stone "marks the former, now only partially visible, tunnel entrance to the 'Johanna lead ore mine' near Bobenthal. This is the oldest mine for silver-containing lead ore in Wasgau.
The name [of the Ritterstein] was probably INCORRECTLY because [silver-containing] lead ore was actually mined in this pit. The ore contains only a small amount of silver.
The mine was first mentioned in a document in 1571, but lead ore had probably been mined there since 1520.
At the beginning, open-cast mining was carried out, then excavations were carried out in open pits and it was only from the Middle Ages that tunnels were created for productive underground mining. [...] The mine was in operation until 1767, despite interruptions during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). The mine was only reopened in 1803 [...]. Between 1817 and 1819 up to 70 miners and iron workers were employed in the mine. In 1841 mining came to a complete standstill. [...] The Ritterstein was built by the PWV in 1987.”
Source (quoted verbatim): kuladig.de Objektansicht/KLD-279013

You can find a list of knight stones here: de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Rittersteine