555 Years Schneeberg Berggeschrey — Anniversary Week

The Berggeschrey of 1471 — Schneeberg's Founding Moment

In mining vocabulary, "Berggeschrey" refers to the loud cry with which miners announced the first ore find — a word that became synonymous with the start of a new mining boom in the Erzgebirge. In 1471, miners near present-day Schneeberg discovered rich silver veins. Within months, thousands of miners streamed in from the Harz, Tyrol, Bohemia, and all of Central Europe — Schneeberg grew explosively from an insignificant village to one of Saxony's wealthiest cities. The Electoral Saxon mint minted a large part of its precious metal from Schneeberg's silver finds; the word "Thaler" — ancestor of the modern "Dollar" — goes back to the "Joachimsthaler," which was paid for with Schneeberg silver.

"…and Still Loud" — A Mining Town with Self-Confidence

The motto of the 2026 anniversary week ironically quotes the Berggeschrey tradition ("loud"): With just under 14,000 inhabitants, Schneeberg is now significantly smaller than during its heyday, but it asserts itself in the Erzgebirgskreis district as a self-confident mining town with a vibrant tradition of customs, a university of art (HfBK Schneeberg, a branch of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts), and a dense network of clubs. The city administration deliberately opted against a high-budget major event with star fees for the anniversary week — instead, "Ingenuity Instead of Fee Lists": an open program that involves many Schneeberg clubs, initiatives, and citizens.

Five Days, Five Themes

Each festival day has its own focus:

• Wednesday, July 22 — Mining Day and Tradition: Kick-off with market activities, tower brass music, official opening, children's program, and the traditional miners' parade through the city center. Evening with a church service and musical program.
• Thursday, July 23 — "Wetten, dass…?": The focus is on a bet between the mayor and the citizens of Schneeberg; in the evening, an open-air cinema for families and adults.
• Friday, July 24 — Rock and Culture: Creative pop-up stages, Tango dance evening, UNESCO World Heritage formats (Schneeberg is part of the UNESCO Ore Mountains/Krušnohoří Mining Region), urban art installations, rock concerts in the evening.
• Saturday, July 25 — Enjoyment, Festival, and Clubs: Large club mile at Fürstenplatz, craft beer market; in the evening, a summer concert by the Schneeberg Mining Brass Band; additionally, a "Mensch ärgere dich nicht" (Ludo) tournament with €555 prize money (11 AM–3 PM).
• Sunday, July 26 — Baking and Festival Finale: Large anniversary cake, festive morning pint, final citizens' gathering.

5x€555 and Citizen Engagement

A special feature of the anniversary week is the support for small citizen projects: The "5x€555" program supports five initiatives with up to €555 each, creatively engaging with the anniversary — art actions, readings, exhibitions, concerts. In addition, there's the "Geleuchte 555": 555 lanterns are to illuminate the market square on the festival evening — an initiative in which citizens can participate with their own light installations. And a photo calendar campaign with a submission deadline of April 11, 2026, for the Schneeberg city calendar 2027.