Room V

Coal mining in Nógrád between 1965-1992

After 1965, the use of hydrocarbon-based energy sources and then nuclear energy (Paks) led to a sharp decrease in production in the Nógrád coal basin, and uneconomic mines were gradually closed.

The redevelopment directly affected 50 thousand people, so the county leadership disputed its necessity for political reasons. Several new factories were built to solve the employment problem.

From 1967 until its closure, the county mining company operated under the name Nógrádi Szénbányák.

In 1973, only 4 producing mines, Szorospatak, Kányás, Tiribes, and Ménkes, remained in production.

However, the dismantling stopped due to the "oil price boom" of 1972-1973. The annual production of 1 million tons represented a qualitative stage for the coal basin at that time.

After 1945, the production of energetic coal dominated, the main consumers of which were power plants.

In the 1980s, they increased the production of open pits and tried the so-called crust mining.

After 1986, the deep mines in Nógrád were mined at an accelerated pace. Tiribes mine shaft ended production at the end of 1987, Szorospatak and Kányás in 1989, and Ménkes in 1992. Crust mining ceased at the end of 1992.

The company was in debt, and the initiated resolution procedure was unsuccessful. Thus, in 1990, the resolution organization requested liquidation of the company. The entire workforce was laid off by December 31, 1993.



Brigade movement in the mine

From the late 1950s, socialist brigades were formed in the mines, following the Soviet model, instead of the previous work brigades. The brigades participated in socialist work competitions, made congress and festive offerings. In addition, they patronized community institutions with social work, and tried to involve them in the public education of their members. The symbols of unity were the brigade flags and brigade diaries.



Mining vocational training

In Selmecbánya, based on the decree of King Charles III, the Academy founded at that time began training for mine officers in 1735. The technical intelligentsia working in the mines of the Nógrád Coal Basin also largely completed their studies here until 1918. After 1920, mining engineering training took place in Sopron, and then gradually transferred to the University of Heavy Industry in Miskolc from the 1950s. Non-commissioned officer (NCO) training took place from 1873 in Selmec, Felsőbánya, Nagyág, then in Pécs and Petrozsény. In 1894, the idea of setting up a NCO training school in Salgótarján arose, but this did not materialize at that time. The Salgótarján Coal Mine Company (SKB Rt.) tried to train its own miners and colliers since the late 1930s. Organized collier training began at the company in 1937. The collier training school in Nagybátony began operating in 1949.