Bergregal

The hammer and pick: symbol of mining

The Bergregal[1] (German: [ˈbɛʁk.ʁeˌɡaːl]) was the historic right of ownership of untapped mineral resources in parts of German-speaking Europe; ownership of the Bergregal meant entitlement to the rights and royalties from mining. Historically, it was one of those privileges that constituted the original sovereign rights of the king.[2]

In addition to the Bergregal, another important sovereign privilege was the Münzregal or minting rights, which was a consequence of the Bergregal since coins were minted near the mines from which their metal was obtained.[3]

  1. ^ Berg, "mountain" or, in this context, "mining" + Regal, "regalia" or "right", as in droit de régale. Sometimes seen as Bergwerksregal.
  2. ^ Wirtschaftsvereinigung Bergbau e.V.: Das Bergbau Handbuch. 5th edition, Verlag Glückauf GmbH, Essen, 1994, ISBN 3-7739-0567-X
  3. ^ Hermann Schulz: Das System und die Prinzipien der Einkünfte im werdenden Staat der Neuzeit. Druckerei Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, 1982, ISBN 3-428-05144-0