100 Years of the Fürstenberg Show Mine — Anniversary Festival with Miners' Parade

100 Years of the Show Mine — Mining Since 1491

The 'Herkules-Frisch-Glück' show mine on Fürstenberg is Saxony's oldest and first show mine — opened in 1926, exactly 100 years ago. However, the mining history on Fürstenberg is much older: As early as 1491, more than 530 years ago, ore extraction was documented here. Silver, and later tin and iron, were extracted in the narrow tunnels of the mountain by generations of Ore Mountains miners under the harshest conditions. Today, the mine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Montanregion Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří and is among the best-preserved mining sites in the region.

May 8th–10th, 2026 — Three Days of Anniversary Festival

The town of Grünhain-Beierfeld is celebrating its centenary from May 8th to 10th, 2026, with a rich program around the historic mine manager's house (Huthaus) and the mine. The opening will be on Friday, May 8th, at 5 PM by the Zwönitz Brass Band. This will be followed at 6 PM by a mining symposium with lectures on history and current research, and at 8 PM by a romantic storm lantern hike with a tour of the mine in dim light.

Saturday — Crafts, Hands-on Activities, History

Saturday, May 9th, is the broad family day: From 10 AM, a colorful event around the Huthaus with special guided tours of the mine, hands-on activities (ore washing, coin minting with historical minting tools), craft demonstrations by top lace makers, woodcarvers, and blacksmiths from the Ore Mountains, plus various entertainment programs on the open-air stage with miners' choirs, folk music, and traditional costume groups from the Ore Mountains.

Sunday — Ore Mountains Mining Flea Market and Miners' Parade

Sunday, May 10th, begins at 10 AM with the 1st Ore Mountains Mining Flea Market — a premiere where collectors and enthusiasts can trade old mining tools, books, medals, and memorabilia. At 3 PM, the miners' parade will take place on Fürstenberg — miners in historical attire, miners' choirs, and brass bands will march through Grünhain-Beierfeld. At 4 PM, a miners' service will conclude the three-day celebration.

Limited Silver Medal as an Anniversary Souvenir

The town of Grünhain-Beierfeld is honoring the centenary with a valuable silver medal — hand-minted in the Ore Mountains, strictly limited to 100 pieces, featuring a motif from the mining history of Fürstenberg. The medal can be purchased during the anniversary festival and is a collector's item for mining enthusiasts.

Saxony, Ore Mountains, and Grünhain-Beierfeld

Grünhain-Beierfeld is located in the Erzgebirgskreis district, about 100 km south of Leipzig. The town is deeply rooted in the mining tradition of the Ore Mountains — mining has shaped the economy, culture, and identity here since the 15th century. The Ore Mountains Miners' Parade, miners' choirs, incense smokers, and Schwibbögen (candle arches) are not just folklore in the region but living traditions. The show mine's anniversary festival in 2026 is the mining event of the year in the region — attracting visitors from all over Saxony, the Czech Republic, and beyond.