2016. 11. 20..

Although Tokaj-Hegyalja became a World Heritage cultural landscape as a wine region in 2002, the area is much more than a monoculture based on grape-growing: in addition to miners, craftsmen, fishermen, farmers, and lumberjacks have also been living and working here for centuries. In a broader sense of the word, local mining is as old as humanity, and fulfils important social demands that have a profound impact on our lives.

In August, 25-year-old Colas Északkő published its book entitled Tokaj-hegyvidék kőbányászatáról – Kulturális örökségünk nyomában (Quarrying in the Tokaj Highlands – Exploring our cultural heritage), serving to emphasize that the traditions of quarrying are just as inseparable from the Tokaj region as winemaking is. The publication’s explicit aim is to prove that local quarrying is an activity with its own traditions and rich history, which are certainly worth knowing and exploring.

“The goal of this book is to offer a schematic summary regarding the history of mining in this historical wine region. Through illustrations in the form of several photographs, and by limiting jargon to the absolute minimum, it aims to familiarise readers with the area’s mining traditions, the motivations behind the typical uses of natural resources, and how the methods of extraction kept changing over time” – explains the book’s proposer and co-author, Colas Északkő CEO Zoltán Cseh.

In Tokaj-Hegyalja, we can hardly find a family without an ancestor whose life hadn’t been defined by quarrying at some point in time. However, local residents’ passion for our industry currently exists only in traces, although the related traditions are comparable to those of viticulture and winemaking.

Mining yards and related industrial facilities are often branded as scars on the landscape – Zoltán Cseh is confident that the new book will succeed in changing this image in readers’ minds. We sincerely hope that we will manage to awaken curiosity towards the cultural history of the trade – perhaps some of the readers will even seek the opportunity to visit one of Északkő’s quarries, and have a few words with the miners.

If we have managed to raise your interest regarding the book, please get in touch with Anita Matolcsi at the offices of Colas Északkő Kft. under H-3915 Tarcal, Malom utca 10. For further information, please visit eszakko@colas.hu