The Contribution of „Ruda 12 Apostoli” Mining Association in Brad to the Development of Transylvanian Gold Mining Between 1884 – 1921

One of the major gold mining regions in Romania is part of the gold rectangle in the Apuseni Mountains and lies around the town of Brad. It is here that the ”Ruda 12 Apostoli” Mining Association of cuxas was established at the end of the XVIIIth century. This association was to become the most important unit for the mining of precious metals in the entire Austrian – Hungarian Empire after 1884, when it was taken over by the German company ”Harkortschen Bergwerke und Chemische Fabriken zu Schwelm und Harkorten A.G. zu Gotha”, preserving its status in the interwar Romanian as a component of the ”Mica” Mining company. This mining complex had a production of 27,919.520 kg of gold between 1884 – July 1, 1911.