in the mid-14th century, glassmakers were brought into service in the spessart with special incentives. since they had to leave the forest from martinmas (11 november) until easter, they sought winter dwellings in hain and laufach. many of these workers settled here owing to family ties. already by 1469, there was a mine near the "weyber" palace ("schloss weyber", "weyberhöfe"). in "unserer lieber frauen teil", presumably part of the "liebesgrund", copper was mined. after the thirty years' war, ores were mined and smelted.