The tradition of slate quarrying has deep roots in the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic the area around the Střela z Rabštejna River, Železný Brod in the Jizera Mountains, Kraslice in the Ore Mountains and the eastern Krkonoše belong among the most famous mining areas. In Moravia and Silesia slate there was mining mostly in Nízky Jeseník, i.e. in the Moravian-Silesian culm. In all of these locations the beginnings and peak periods of mining are associated with the activity of the local German-speaking population.

Slate has been mined in the Nízky Jeseník area since the 18th century. The mining in all local areas was on the surface in its beginning. The oldest slate quarries also include the largest quarry Šífr Svobodné Heřmanice, where slate has been mined since 1775. The historically important districts included Velká Střelná near the town of Libavá, where the first underground mining was launched.

The slate mined underground satisfied the strictest quality criteria. The excavated material continued to be treated manually. A decree of 1837, ordering the use of natural slate for roofing purposes, contributed significantly to the expansion of roofing slate mining.

The biggest mining boom occurred at the time of the Industrial Revolution and in the years 1860 to 1914. In this period, slate roofing from Nízky Jeseník was exported throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The fact that slate is a non-reserved mineral also contributed to the big boom in the business. At the end of the 19th century, Silesian industry statistics included numbers related to 52 factories engaged in the extraction and processing of slate.

Around 1865 there was mining in Nové Těchanovice, Čermná ve Slezsku, Nové Oldřůvky, Svatoňovice, Hořejší Kunčice, Jakartovice, Bohdanovice, Svobodné Heřmanice, Jívová and Domašov nad Bystřicí. In the 19th and 20th centuries, two smaller slate quarries in Rabštejn, Manětín and Železný Brod operated in the Czech Republic. World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire brought about a decline in mining. The invention of fiber cement and competition from foreign manufacturers also played a role. A recovery period occurred in the 1930s in Nízky Jeseník. But an era of continuous growth was soon replaced by a new decline, this time under the influence of World War II.

The post-war period of the 1950s was the turning point for the slate industry. In 1945 Jan Řihák et al. restored mining in the Velká Střelná and Hrubá Voda mines. Nationalization, however, also brought about a further decline and cessation of mining in Hrubá Voda. In Svobodné Heřmanice mining continued to the mid-fifties. The only active mine for a long time remains the only facility in Nové Těchanovice - Lhotka. In the late sixties, even this historically last active mine closed due to the building of the Kružberský drinking water feeder. A new modern mine opened as a replacement in 1971, the Vítkov - Lhotka slate mine. Another mine was opened in Staré Oldřůvky in 1971, directed by the Staré Oldřůvky agricultural cooperative.

Business euphoria after 1989 sparked efforts to restore slate quarrying. A considerable investment effort was made in the opening of deposits in Klokočov, Jakartovice, Čermenský mlýn and in Velká Střelná. However, none of the workplaces started running real mining due to property reasons and high initial investments. The mine in Hrubá Voda, which mined roof slate until the end, was maintained for several years. The Lhotka u Vítkova mine thus entered the 21st century as the only continuously active mine, maintaining its activity. Currently raw shale materials are being processed there. 

In 2014 the restoration of the Žlutý Květ mine in Čermné ve Slezsku was launched by Česká břidlice s. r. o..

The Žlutý Květ Mine in Čermné ve Slezsku

The Čermná ve Slezsku location belongs to the mining areas of the Moravice formation complex. Slate has been mined in this area since the 19th century. The Žlutý Květ mine is located in the bearing zone of the two biggest and most important former mines, which produced high quality roofing. It is the Goldův mine, known as the Black mine, and the Kunzův mine in Čermenský Mill. The history of the Žlutý Květ mine is not completely traceable in the historical annals. The mine belonged to the property of landowner Haschek. The mining complex consisted of two quarries and one mine. In contrast to the two previously mentioned mines, the Žlutý Květ mine was depleted to a lesser extent. The reason for the decline of mining in the second half of the 19th century is unknown. According to the work carried out and the closeness of large mines, however, it can be deduced that the mine ceased operation because it was not able to compete against the two larger mines with big production.

The mine lies on a high quality bearing strip, which was quarried for the production of roofing and flooring. The distribution of underground workings is technologically optimal. Česká břidlice s. r. o., which initiated its business in the Žlutý Květ mine, is seeking to restore the underground mining of quality slate with regard to preserving the landscape and its incorporation into the existing nature trail regarding the history of slate quarrying in the region. Historical mining artifacts were discovered during the preparatory work, which were sent to the Museum of Slate in Budišov nad Budišovkou. Česká břidlice is cooperating with the mining department of the National Technical Museum in Prague, whose staff is documenting the mining preparation work and the found assembly artifacts.