Erzgebirge Facts for Kids

Erzgebirge

The Ore Mountains (German Erzgebirge, Czech Krušné hory) are a mountain range in Germany and the Czech Republic. They form the border between both countries for 150 km, extending from the western border of Saxony to the Elbe river.

Lake in Ore Mountains.

The Ore Mountains are famous for many Christmas traditions. As the ores silver and tin were not found any more in the mines, former miners had to look for new ways to feed their families. In addition to lace making and weaving, the inhabitants went into wood carving. Nutcrackers, "smoking men", "pyramids" (carousels with figures of the Christmas story or from mining) and Schwibbogen (wooden arcs with candles in the windows, symbolising the opening of a mine) are some of many Christmas goods made in the Ore Mountains. Seiffen in the East Ore Mountains was a centre of the wooden toy industry.

Images for kids

View from Mückentürmchen in the Eastern Ore Mountains to the west. Left: the escarpment descending to the Eger Graben; right: the gentle northern dip slope.
The Ore Mountains and adjacent regions
View of Breitenbrunn in the Ore Mountains, from Joachimsthaler Strasse
Stein Castle on the Zwickauer Mulde
The natural regions on the Saxon side of the Ore Mountains
The Stürmer in winter
Silver from the Freiberg district
From the second half of the 13th century glass manufacturing in the Ore Mountains established itself, but lost its significance with the mining boom.
Historic depiction of mining on the Annaberg mining altar (1522)
Frohnauer Hammer Museum of Technology, an example of the iron hammer mills that were built as part of the mining industry.
Replica open horse gin above the Rudolph Shaft (Rudolphschacht) in Lauta
Following the decline of mining, the manufacture of wooden goods and toys developed, especially in the Eastern Ore Mountains.
The manufacture of bobbin lace and trimmings also expanded as the mining industry declined.
The first large paintmill in Saxony was founded in 1635 in Niederpfannenstiel, from which a blue paintworks later evolved.
The metalware factory of Louis Krauss, founded in 1887, in Schwarzenberg/Erzgeb. had developed by the time of German reunification into one of the most important production facilities for washing machines in Eastern Europe.
Trail map of ski resort Klínovec (Klinovec-Oberwiesenthal).
Germany's oldest, still working smelting facility in Muldenhütten near Freiberg.
VEB Zinnerz open pit mine in Altenberg (1982).
Boží Dar (German: Gottesgab) on the Czech side, is actually the highest town in Central Europe.
Annaberg-Buchholz, St. Anne's Church
Radium Palace Hotel in Jachymov.
The Svornost mine in Jachymov (the Czech Republic) (1525) is the oldest mine still in use in Europe.
Miners' parade in Marienberg
Christmas in the Ore Mountains: candle arch with nutcracker and smoking figurines in Seiffen
Climatic diagram of Annaberg-Buchholz
Climatic diagram of Freiberg
Climatic diagram of the Fichtelberg
Climatic diagram of Zinnwald-Georgenfeld
Stürmer mountain in March 2008
Old adit near Johanngeorgenstadt
Jáchymov town hall
Klínovec mountain
Uranite from the Ore Mountains
Castle Krupka (the Czech Republic)
Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad in German, Carlsbad in English) is one of the most famous spas in the world. They are located below the Ore Mountains on the river Ohře

Erzgebirge facts for kids

Images for kids

See also