The salt trade connected much of old Europe. Transylvania in today's Romania was once inhabited
by many Germans. Bordered by the South and East Carpathian Mountains, between there and the
Transylvanian Highlands is a wealth of gorgeous valleys, among them the Oderhellener Senke
(Depresiuena Odorhei), the Fogarascher (Fâgârs), the Hermannstädter Senke (Depresiuena Subiului)
and the Großpold (Apoldu de Sus). Large salt deposits are found in some of these depressions and in
the high Country. For thousands of years these deposits have been mined. Salt here was in high
demand even in prehistoric times. The Praid is one of the most important areas in the "Salt Zone".
The salt mine from Praid is one of the most important salt mines of the Transylvanian Plateau and
the settlement was inhabited back to Roman times, although the first written record of the locality
date back to 1567. In the Middle Ages, in the 1200's, the Praid mine was trading salt. The Habsburgs
immensely improved the mines through the centuries of their rule. In 1762, under the leadership of
the Austrian engineer Frendl, the Jozsef mine was opened, which had the shape of a bell, and in
which the first elevator drawn by horses called the "horse lift" was installed. Systematic mining was
established after the year 1787, when the mine from Praid became the property of the Treasury from
Vienna. The Habsburgs established local railways to facilitated the transport of the salt, which until
then had been handled by hand carts.
German Hermannstadt (Sibiu) in the 12th century was on the trade route through the Olt valley and
was the site of the Roman city of Caedonia and the first reference to the German settlement refers to
Praepositum Cibin (Hungarian: Nagyszeben). It was the most important city of the Transylvanian
Saxons during the middle ages. It is one of the seven major Saxon cities that gave Transylvania its
German name, Siebenbürgen, Land des Segens. The Germans here were expelled after 1945.
by many Germans. Bordered by the South and East Carpathian Mountains, between there and the
Transylvanian Highlands is a wealth of gorgeous valleys, among them the Oderhellener Senke
(Depresiuena Odorhei), the Fogarascher (Fâgârs), the Hermannstädter Senke (Depresiuena Subiului)
and the Großpold (Apoldu de Sus). Large salt deposits are found in some of these depressions and in
the high Country. For thousands of years these deposits have been mined. Salt here was in high
demand even in prehistoric times. The Praid is one of the most important areas in the "Salt Zone".
The salt mine from Praid is one of the most important salt mines of the Transylvanian Plateau and
the settlement was inhabited back to Roman times, although the first written record of the locality
date back to 1567. In the Middle Ages, in the 1200's, the Praid mine was trading salt. The Habsburgs
immensely improved the mines through the centuries of their rule. In 1762, under the leadership of
the Austrian engineer Frendl, the Jozsef mine was opened, which had the shape of a bell, and in
which the first elevator drawn by horses called the "horse lift" was installed. Systematic mining was
established after the year 1787, when the mine from Praid became the property of the Treasury from
Vienna. The Habsburgs established local railways to facilitated the transport of the salt, which until
then had been handled by hand carts.
German Hermannstadt (Sibiu) in the 12th century was on the trade route through the Olt valley and
was the site of the Roman city of Caedonia and the first reference to the German settlement refers to
Praepositum Cibin (Hungarian: Nagyszeben). It was the most important city of the Transylvanian
Saxons during the middle ages. It is one of the seven major Saxon cities that gave Transylvania its
German name, Siebenbürgen, Land des Segens. The Germans here were expelled after 1945.
| The Horse in Salt Country |
One salt horse was the Norik. For 2000 years, the Norik Horse ( Noriker, Norisches Kaltbult, or
Pinzgauer) has lived in Austria. Named after the Roman province of Noricum, they descend from an
ancient Celtic horse that bred with heavy Roman draught horses. The breeding of Norik horses
flourished under Charlemagne in the 8th century. The first stud farm that bred Norik horses was not
opened until 1576 near Hallein and was under the control of the Salzburg Archbishops who bred the
Noriks primarily as ceremonial or parade horses, with the colorful specimens especially popular.
The frescos in Salzburg of the "Pferdeschwemme" portray similar horses. For the construction of the
Salzburg cathedral, rocks had been cut out from the Moenchsberg mountain. In 1693, Archbishop
Johann Ernst von Thun decided to use this cavity in the mountain, and he had a riding school built in
which tournaments were held. According to plans by Fischer von Erlach, it included 36 boxes for
guests and the Archbishops, and it was also used as an open-air theater.
It continued in use for sport, dance and theater performances since the 18th century. The Horse
Pond next to it was built in 1695 by von Erlach as a watering place for the Archbishop's riding
stables.By the 18th century, Norik horses, excepting those horses which had been interbred with
riding horses by the Archbishops, became important as work animals for farmers, and the more
common type of less temperamental, heavy work horses were preferred in difficult terrain.
In time, these useful animals which had served as a riding and carriage horse for knights and
merchants in the Middle Ages as well as a work horse for farmers, evolved into the heavy alpine
Norik horse, some of which would one day depart with their banished Protestant owners, bound for
a long trek into unfamiliar lands.
Noriks today are very large, with mares averaging between 15.2 and 16 hands and stallions between
16 and 17 hands. They have a straight profile with wide nostrils and medium sized eyes. The neck is
medium length and has a thick mane. The chest is deep and broad. They are a very muscular,
powerful animal. Most Noriks today are bay, brown or chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail, with the
blacks, bays and chestnuts making up about 90% of the Noriks. Later interbreeding with the
Mediterranean races led to unusual coloration such as Isabels, dappled horses, rare leopards and blue
roans which explains the colors which make up the remaining 10%. The Noriker became also known
as the “Pinzgau Horse” because only the Pinzgau Norik kept the purest and most massive forms as
he was bred in remote valleys far from the main connecting roads between the north and south.
When breeders consolidated the breed, the Pinzgauer Noriker was chosen as the prototype.
Unfortunately, while a very strong and hardy breed, they are not very fertile.
In 1820, the breeding programs were secularized and state-owned stud farms were built in Salzburg.
After this, other heavy breeds including Clydesdales, Belgians, Oldenburgs, Holsteins, Spaniards and
Neapolitans were introduced to the breed, with Burgundy stallions often used due to a lack of studs.
By 1885, new inspection regulations counteracted the interbreeding with other races and an
underlying goal was to apply strict selection criteria in order to achieve a pure breed and improve the
declining quality of the Norik horses. At the end of the 19th century the first registry was established.
By 1903, 135 stallions and 1081 mares were registered. World Wars I and II greatly reduced the
horse population. However, in the 1990's various breeding groups began to revive the breed as the
number of Noriks dropped rapidly in the 1960’s and 1970s from 34,510 to 9,599.
Pinzgauer) has lived in Austria. Named after the Roman province of Noricum, they descend from an
ancient Celtic horse that bred with heavy Roman draught horses. The breeding of Norik horses
flourished under Charlemagne in the 8th century. The first stud farm that bred Norik horses was not
opened until 1576 near Hallein and was under the control of the Salzburg Archbishops who bred the
Noriks primarily as ceremonial or parade horses, with the colorful specimens especially popular.
The frescos in Salzburg of the "Pferdeschwemme" portray similar horses. For the construction of the
Salzburg cathedral, rocks had been cut out from the Moenchsberg mountain. In 1693, Archbishop
Johann Ernst von Thun decided to use this cavity in the mountain, and he had a riding school built in
which tournaments were held. According to plans by Fischer von Erlach, it included 36 boxes for
guests and the Archbishops, and it was also used as an open-air theater.
It continued in use for sport, dance and theater performances since the 18th century. The Horse
Pond next to it was built in 1695 by von Erlach as a watering place for the Archbishop's riding
stables.By the 18th century, Norik horses, excepting those horses which had been interbred with
riding horses by the Archbishops, became important as work animals for farmers, and the more
common type of less temperamental, heavy work horses were preferred in difficult terrain.
In time, these useful animals which had served as a riding and carriage horse for knights and
merchants in the Middle Ages as well as a work horse for farmers, evolved into the heavy alpine
Norik horse, some of which would one day depart with their banished Protestant owners, bound for
a long trek into unfamiliar lands.
Noriks today are very large, with mares averaging between 15.2 and 16 hands and stallions between
16 and 17 hands. They have a straight profile with wide nostrils and medium sized eyes. The neck is
medium length and has a thick mane. The chest is deep and broad. They are a very muscular,
powerful animal. Most Noriks today are bay, brown or chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail, with the
blacks, bays and chestnuts making up about 90% of the Noriks. Later interbreeding with the
Mediterranean races led to unusual coloration such as Isabels, dappled horses, rare leopards and blue
roans which explains the colors which make up the remaining 10%. The Noriker became also known
as the “Pinzgau Horse” because only the Pinzgau Norik kept the purest and most massive forms as
he was bred in remote valleys far from the main connecting roads between the north and south.
When breeders consolidated the breed, the Pinzgauer Noriker was chosen as the prototype.
Unfortunately, while a very strong and hardy breed, they are not very fertile.
In 1820, the breeding programs were secularized and state-owned stud farms were built in Salzburg.
After this, other heavy breeds including Clydesdales, Belgians, Oldenburgs, Holsteins, Spaniards and
Neapolitans were introduced to the breed, with Burgundy stallions often used due to a lack of studs.
By 1885, new inspection regulations counteracted the interbreeding with other races and an
underlying goal was to apply strict selection criteria in order to achieve a pure breed and improve the
declining quality of the Norik horses. At the end of the 19th century the first registry was established.
By 1903, 135 stallions and 1081 mares were registered. World Wars I and II greatly reduced the
horse population. However, in the 1990's various breeding groups began to revive the breed as the
number of Noriks dropped rapidly in the 1960’s and 1970s from 34,510 to 9,599.
| The Noric Horse |
| Above: Horse lift, Pferdeschwemme and Norik horse |