Heynitz (Heinitz), Friedrich Anton von

(b. Dröschkau, near Torgau, Germany, 14 May 1725; d. Berlin, Germany, 15 May 1802)

mining.

Heynitz’ father was a privy councillor and royal counsel of Saxony as well as inspector of the Fürstenschule at Meissen; his mother was related to K. A. von Hardenberg, who was later chancellor of Prussia. After education at home and in Schulpforta, he began mining studies at the end of 1742 in Dresden and continued them in the following year at Freiberg, where he did practical work in mining. He also took study trips to the Erzgebirge and Bohemia.

Heyntiz entered the service of Brunswick in July 1746 as associate inspector on the Mining Council at Blankenburg. In 1747 he visited mines in Sweden, and in 1749 and 1751 he became acquainted with mining in Hungary and Styria. For his achievements the Mining Administration of Brunswick named him member of the privy finance council, and on 13 August 1762, ten years after his promotion to deputy chief inspector of mines, it appointed him director of all mining in the Harz Mountains.

On 10 December 1763, Elector Frederick Christian of Saxony appointed Heynitz director of the Saxon mining industry. In this new office he exceeded all expectations, making many important contributions. His service to the Freiberg Bergakademie was especially important: for instance, as of Easter 1766, mining was taught systematically on the university level. He also became curator of the Bergakademie.

In 1768 Heynitz took over the management of the Saxon salt works. While inspecting this industry, he discovered abuses and abolished them, in recognition of which he was made chief inspector of mines. In this post too he brought about order through careful inspection and strict supervision. This involved him in intrigues at the electoral court and in disagreements with the elector, and he therefore asked to be allowed to resign. His request was granted on 24 August 1774 and he returned to Dröschkau to devote himself to extensive studies in political economy, which led to extensive studies in political economiy, which led to his Essai d’économie politique.

In October 1775 Heynitz went to Paris for a year and a half and was placed in charge of certain Spanish mines owned by an international finance company. On 7 November 1776 the Prussian inspector general of mines, Baron Waitz von Eschen, died in Berlin. Frederick the Great considered Heynitz to be a suitable successor and offered him the post. Heynitz accepted, becoming a Prussian state minister and inspector general of mines, heading the mining and metallurgy departments. He took office on 9 Septemeber 1777.

In this position Heynitz visited all of Prussia’s mining and metallurgical operations, reorganized the mining administration, began a systematic investigation of the mineral deposits, improved the management, established relief funds for the miners, and attended to the sale of the output from the mines. In addition he was responsible for the construction of turnpikes, canals (including the Klodnitz Canal), and railways, the improvement of mapping of the mines, the building of housing for miners, and the extension of the miners’ health insurance system. His activity also extended to the extraction of raw materials of various kinds and their processing in factories, iron forges, steel works, and brass foundries, as well as to coinage and to manufacturing of porcelain at Berlin.

Heynitz founded the Friedrichshütte, the foundry at Gleiwitz (now Gliwice, Poland), and the Konigshutte in Upper Silesia; he also restored ore mining near Tarnowitz (now Tarnowskie Gory), He is particularly remembered for his introduction of the steam engine and the coke oven. As a result of Heynitz’ efforts the Berlin Bergakademie was reorganized in 1778, the kunstakademie received a constitution in 1790, and the Bergakademie was founded in 1798. His outstanding service in all these fields was recognized by award of the Order of the Black Eagle in 1791.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Original Works Heynits’s works include Grundriss über die Gange and Züge am Oberharz. Copirt von Schink (1799); Abhandlung über die produckte des Mineralreichs in den königl. preussischen Staaten und über die Mittel, diese Zweig des Staats-Haushaltes immer mehr emporzubringen (Berlin, 1786); Tabellen über die Staatswissenschaft eines europaischen Staates der vierten Gröss nebst Betrachtungen über dieselben (Leipzig, 1786).

II. Secondary Literature. See E. Burisch, “Oberberg hauptmann Friedrich Anton von Heinitz, der Vater der deutschen Bergleute,” in Glückauf, 98 (1962), 28–39; “Stiftung einer Heinitz-Plakette durch die Wirtschaftsvereinigung Bergbau,” ibid 44; “Friedrich der Gross und der Freiherr von Heinitz,” in E. Reimann, Abhandlung zur Geschichte Friedrichs des Grossen (Gotha, 1892), PP. 125–163; “Friedrich Anton von Heynitz,” in C. Schiffner, Aus dem Leben alter Freiberger Bergstudenten II (Freiberg, 1938), 14–16 F. Schröter, “Fredrich Anton Freiherr von Heynitz,” in Monatsschrift für Deutsche Beamte, 16 (1892), 366–373, 411–420, 462–470; Walter Serlo, “riedrich Anrton von Heynitzs,” in Männer des Bergbaus (Berlin, 1937), pp.67–68; and “Friedrich Anton von Heynits (Lebensbilder zur Geschichte des Bergbaus),” in Zeitschrift für das Berg-, Hütten- u. Salinenwesen im Preussischen Staat, 82 (1934), 285–286; H. Spethmann, “Friedrich Anton von Heynitz zum hundertfünzigsten Todestage,” in Glückauf, 88 (1952), 492–495; O. Steinecke “Friedrich Anton von Heynitz,” in For schungen zur Brandenburgischen und Preussischen Geschichte, XV (Leipzig, 1902), 110–158; and “Friedrich Anton von Heynitz,” in Allgemeine deutsche Biographie, LV (Leipzig, 1910), 493–500; O. Täglichsbeck, “Heynitz oder Heinitz,” in Monatsschrift für Deutsche Beamts, 24 (1900), 81; “Friedrich Anton Freiherr von Heinitz und seine Vardienste um den Aufschwung des schlesischen Berg- und Hüttenwesens,” in Konrad Wutke, Aus der Vergangenheit des Schlesischen Berg- und Hüttenlebens, vol V of Der Bergbau im Osten des Künigreichs Preussen (Bresslau, 1913), 25–90; and “Friedrich Anton von Heynitz,” in Anshnitt, 10 (1958), 23–25.

M. Koch