map →

Freiberg is situated on the river Freiberger Mulde at the foot of the Erzgebirge mountains. The first villages in the area were founded by Margrave Otto of Meißen between 1156 and 1162. After silver had been discovered near Christiansdorf in 1168, a mining settlement was founded, which became the origin of Freiberg. Due to the importance of the silver mining, the settlement received the status of a town in 1186/1188 and that of a free Imperial town in 1195. The name Freiberg was first mentioned in a document of 1218. By the end of the 13th century, Freiberg was not only the most important mining town of the margraviate, but also had become an important trading town. In 1505, Freiberg became the residence of Duke Heinrich of Saxe-Freiberg. His first son Moritz, one of the most important figures from the house of Wettin, was born in 1526 in Freiberg. Moritz later became Duke of Saxony in 1541 and Elector in 1547. In 1765, the famous Mining Academy, the world's first college of mining engineering, was founded. The mining activities ended in 1913. Two of the old mines ('Reiche Zeche' und 'Alte Elisabeth') have been converted to a museum. Today, the old mining academy has the status of a technical university.

The cathedral Sankt Marien [background right] was built in Romanesque style around 1180/90. The church obtained the rank of a collegiate church and cathedral in 1480. After a fire in 1484, the church was rebuilt in Late Gothic style until 1501. The community of the church converted to the Lutheran faith in 1537. Among the treasures of the church are the famous west portal, the 'golden gate', which was created around 1230. It is one of the most important church portals in Late Romanesque style of Germany. The wood-carved triumphant crucifixion group was created around 1225. The 'tulip pulpit', a masterpiece of stone-carving, was created in 1508–1510 by the sculptor Hans Witten. The 'miners pulpit' was created in 1638. The great organ was built in 1711–1714 and is one of the best-known works of the famous organ-builder Gottfried Silbermann.