SLO:
Za Pringlnam - (Pringl - iz nem. Brennhügel, žgalni grič/hrib, tam kjer se nekaj žge)
Žganje cinabaritne rude je imelo vedno pomembno vlogo pri procesu pridobivanja živega srebra. V prvih letih delovanja rudnika so živo srebro pridobivali s spiranjem in žganjem rude v kopah. Spirali so s samorodnim živim srebrom bogato rudo, v kopah pa žgali na podoben način kot so pridobivali oglje. Ta dva postopka pa je zelo hitro nadomestilo žganje rude v glinenih vrčih in kmalu tudi v glinenih retortah. Ta metoda se je ohranila približno 150 let, potem so postavili prve žgalniške peči na Prejnuti (Brennhütte - “hiša za kurjenje”). Kasneje so peči iz levega brega Idrijce - Prejnute premaknili na desni breg reke, kjer so rudo žgali do konca delovanja rudnika (pod Raufnkom, danes tovarna Kolektor). Na tem mestu je še ohranjena rotacijska peč.
Od 16. stol do sredine 17.stol, so rudo žgali v glinenih vrčih in retortah. Znanih je 17 lokacij, kjer so rudo žgali na tak način in se nahajajo tudi do 10km iz Idrije. Sprva so domnevali, da so bile tam postavljene ilegalne žgalnice, vendar to ne drži, saj so žgalnice po dimenzijah za tak namen prevelike. Najverjetneje so bogato rudo znosili do območji, kjer je bila stalna voda in ogromne količine lesa.
Leta 1652 so žgalnice prestavili v Idriji in opustili žganje v vrčih in retortah. To metodo so nadomestile retortne peči, sprva so bile retorte glinene, kasneje jeklene.
ENG
Za Pringlnam - (Pringl – german Brennhügel, burning hill, where you would burn ore)
The burning of cinabar ore is central to the process of acquiring quicksilver in liquid form. At first, the ore was burnt in large heaps similar to those for producing charcoal, but this was soon replaced by burning the ore in clay jugs and later in clay retorts. This technology held for about 150 years, when it was replaced by large smelting furnaces in Prejnuta (Brennhütte – german ‘the smelting house, the house for burning’). The furnaces were later replaced by newer rotary furnaces on the right bank of Idrijca where they stayed until the mine closed in 1995 and remain there today. There are 17 known burning sites removed up to 10km out of the city where the ore was burnt in clay vessels – mainly from the 16th and the 17th century. It was first thought these were illegal ore burning sites, but the theory was later dismissed, saying the sites were too large to be kept secret. More likely the locations were chosen with abundant water and wood supply in mind. In year 1652 the smelting activity was moved into the town with special furnaces set up.