Ytterby mine is a unique place in the world seen from a natural science perspective. In no other place have the same number of elements, a total of eight, been identified for the first time. The mine as such offers also a very interesting story starting in the 17th century when quartz was mined for Upplands blast furnaces and later feldspar for Rörstrand’s porcelain manufacture until the early 1930s. Last the mine has been used as storage for aviation fuel and diesel during the Cold War. The Ytterby mine association has been formed to spread knowledge about this place and has as its goal to:
- Preserve the mine and its unique location for the future and make the mine area available for visitors. This includes making sure that Ytterby mine is a visitor destination that puts Vaxholm on the map the world map.
- Tell the history of the mine and the scientific achievements related to the mine so that this knowledge is spread both locally, nationally and internationally. To accomplish this should the association collect and preserve available information and artifacts.
- Be a source of inspiration for all those who want to study natural science subjects (such as geology, chemistry, microbiology, etc.).
- Favor research and studies, both in the natural and social sciences subjects, connected to the mine’s operations and its history.
