URANIUM MINING AND PROSPECTING NEAR REIMSWALDAU, SILESIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00418R001100050007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2009
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: September 29, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATIO C-O-! P r~_TL _u _T S A T
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Poland
SUBJECT Uranium Mining rt:rid Prospecting near
Reimstraldau, Silesia
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO,
DATE DISTR. 2> September 1555
NO. OF PAGES 4
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS I NFORMATIOA AFPECTIN6 TNS NATIONAL DEPEMSQ
OP TM! UNITED STATES. WITHIN TRR MEANINR OF TITLE IS. SECTIONS 7R5
AHD 794, OP TUB U. S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVEL-
ATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT ST AN URAUTMORIYSD PERSON
LS PROMIRITED MII AAW 'Hit REPRODUCTION OP THIS FORM IS PRORIEITAD.
A mine gallery was constructed in the course of the summer of 1954.
The exact date of its being put into operation is unknown. According
to Polish workers, the gallery extended horizontally into the
mountain for some 300 meters and then split up into three secondary
galleries. Waste material from the gallery was dumped near the
entrance. Height and width of the gallery are undetermined. The
aj,pearence of the mined material was not remembered. The gallery
was apparently extremely wet since the worker's clothes had to be
washed and dried continuously. Blasting operations within the
gallery were heard outside. Two above-ground pipelines led from
C..O..N-F-I_D-E-N T_X .A-L
CLASSIFICATION
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATIO 25X1
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In the course of 1950, exploratory trenches were dug and criss-
crossed the woodless mountain ranges around Reimewaldau. In 1954, the
first mine gallery was conatruglted which the Reimswa3dau people
believed to be designed for uranium mining. During the year 1954, a
female Soviet chief engineer was frequently observed inspecting and
checking with measuring sets the trenches on Zuckerberg Rill located
south of Reimewaldau. These activities. were believed to be uranium
prospecting. The earth dug up from the trenches was red-colored and
interspersed with small and medium-size grayish brown stones.
21, Uranium m~ninz actfvj't e
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pipes served ventilation purposes.
a compressor unit into the mine.
these air 25X1
2. I 25X1
Polish workers initially employed at the mine designated the
material as uranium. They referred to ore lodes and "eggs".
These "eggs" were reportedly white rock material. No details
are available.
Three Soviet radiometrists operatiz ^ with Wnidentified equipment
were daily seen at the gallery. 25X1
these Soviets came from Schrriede o
4. The ore mined was shipped out daily on closed trucks which were
loaded at the mine entrance. the 25X1
material was being brought to Schmiedeberg. The ore was
contained in closed boxes 25 cm in diameter.and 25 cm high
apparently made of aluminum or tin-plated. No figures regarding
the number of boxes are available.
5.
the ''o viet central maaeg ment '. of ore mining activities located
in the Sch;.Aedeberg area. all supplier 25X1
bills directed to the Reimswaldau enterprise were addressed to
"R.I.". Further details are not available.
the Reimswaldau is subordinated to 25X1
6. No names of leading personnel or workmen are available. On
Christmas 1954, the majority of the Polish workers were replaced
by Soviets, including the following personnels
e female chief engineer as chief manager of the 25X1
mine;
a Soviet engineer, husband of the manager;
3 Soviet radiometrists,
I Polish foreman in charge of the billets,
1 Polish foreman (Tatownik) working at the mine,
1 Soviet f oremari working at the mine,
3 Polish compressor operators:
30 Soviet workers alternating at the mine,
2 Polish washerwomen for the cleaning of miners clothes,
2 Polish guards.
i rior to Christmas 1954, 25 Poles had done the pork of the 30
Soviet workers.
`~. The mine area was neither fenced in nor guarded.. Only the mine
entrance was guarded by a Polish guard.. The area was not declared
a restricted area. It is, however, located within the Polish
frontier zone w rich may be entered only with special. per...i.ts.
Rumors among those employed at the Heimswaldau dine indicated
that new galleries are to be opened up.
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3 25X1
8. `:omen from -:Xaldenburg and its environs who, came to the
Reimswaldau area for gatherinf; berries and mushrooms reuorted
that uranium ore is being mined near Kynau and Russendorf (P 51/H 07)
Silesia. The Xynau ore finds have been exploited by the
Sov'_ets since 1952. The Reussendorf ore deposits were said
to have been exploited since 1950 but to have become
exhausted in. 1952. Both areas are said to be restricted 25X1
areas.
urvanum ore was round in Kielce,, Po and, and is presently
being exploited.
10. See annex for sketch of location of uranium ore nininc area-
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Loc zt ohSke Bch of Fe aldau Uran uq ire iinfi~ 1re
1 - Nine entrance
2 -- Compressor station, a former farm house with several compressors
cf undeter:sined capacity in. the basement. Two iron pipelines 7
to 8 cmm in diameter led to the dine gallery. The first floor of
the building contained drying equipment for .user's clothes.
ravel road to the mine
4 - Arens crisscrossed by exploratory trenches
5 - Former "Zum Horn.chloss" inn housing the kitchen and billets
for Reimswaldau mine employees anci Workers
6 - Vehicle station of the Rei.!iswaleau Kolkhoz
7 - Poster indicating border of the restricted zone with the
inscription ' Pa.$L:o f'o,raaliczny" C)sobon~ pie :Frzystapienin (order Lii
no admittance).
8 - Same as Item (7)
9 - :4.uarry conta:'Lrin_; layered yellowish rock used for .;ravel roads.
Presumably yellow sandstone.
10 - Small civilian dwelling
11 - Former "andreaa-Baude" (hostel) now used as recreation center
for .young Polish workers
1.2 Dismantled former ". eundenschloss--Baude"
13 Polish-Czech frontier. The hatched line indicates a cleared
aisle in the forest.
14 - Section of Polish- Czech frontier secured by a barbed wire fence
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 LUNNUhN!1AL
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Legend see nexrpager
s
0 0,2 0,4 0,6
SCALE
O jeer
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A 25X1
CONFIDENTIAL ,
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