The Heinrich Kocher tunnel near Wölsendorf i. i.e. Oberpfalz was a smaller fluorspar mine and was in operation as a tunnel pit from 1937 to 1953.
The pit was named after the operations manager of the Marienschacht fluorspar pit, employed by the then Rüttgerswerke since 1923, which went into operation in 1896.
In 1927 the Wölsendorf trade union was founded and the Marienschacht - to which the aforementioned Heinrich Kocher tunnel was always counted as a part of the business - was taken over by the Riedel de Haen company and Heinrich Kocher was appointed head of the pit.
The Kocher tunnel with a length of 300m opened up a fluorspar vein with a thickness between 0.80 and 1.50 meters. The 30m level was exposed via a 150m long cross passage and a braking hill.
In 1951, a connection was to be made from here via a swage to the nearby cross passage of the 70m level of the Marienschacht, which, contrary to other sources, was not realized due to cost reasons and the unworkable passage at this depth.
In addition, two weather cuts led, one of them as an escape route in the cross passage of the Kocher tunnel and one from the 30m level to the surface.
The latter had already collapsed in 1957.
From 1995 to 1999, parts of the Kocher tunnel were uncovered at great expense and with a great deal of personal commitment by the Marienschacht Miners' Association in Wölsendorf, and a visitor's mine was set up that is well worth seeing.
In 2009, a rupture in the tunnel just behind the mouth hole led to the cessation of visitor operations.
As a result, despite all efforts on the part of the operating association, the lease contract with the landowner was not extended and financial support from Leader funds for the approx. 40,000 euro expensive reprocessing was refused.