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People in the Erzgebirge were mining underground as early as the High Middle Ages, and the archaeological silver mining sites in and around Dippoldiswalde are evidence of this. Almost completely preserved, the underground mining landscape, which dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, is of exceptional importance for research into the early history of mining in the Erzgebirge. To date, archaeological excavations have identified 15 shafts within an area of 875 m², allowing the underground operations to be reconstructed. Reliefs depicting human figures discovered in the mines have not so far been found in any other medieval mines in Europe. Other finds include winder fragments, well-preserved shaft planking, a number of mining ladders, and water management channelling. Since sources describing this mining period have been lost, the site is of huge archaeological importance, providing information about early mining history in the Erzgebirge and throughout Europe.


Active associations in the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region: 

Förderverein mittelalterlicher Bergbau Dippoldiswalde e. V. (Friends’ Association)

Impressions