Abstract
The mining- and metallurgical activities of the Cistercian monasteries of Bohemia were thus relatively extensive. Specialized extraction of both ferrous and non-ferrous, especial-ly precious metals, is attested to on most of their domains.
Unfortunately, we know of such activities only from occasional hints in the written sources, or from archaeology. This scanty and discontinuous evidence suggests, however, that Bohemian monasteries acted rather as passive receptors of shares in the output of such mineral-yielding sites, than as active entrepreneurs engaging in the tapping of such resources.
An exception to this may be constituted by some of the gold-washing undertakings. Why this limited monastic en-gagement in ore extraction? Several factors may be at play.
First, our evidence is scanty, and full of holes. Second, if any evidence there is, it usually comes from later periods, when the mining- and metallurgical plants, no longer considered viable by the monks, were leased to private operators.
Finally, the fact that the output of the precious-metal mines flowed to the crown ex lege put definite limitations on the "elbow room" of the landholders.