Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region
The Erzgebirge/Krushnohori (Ore Mountains) stretch across an area in southeastern Germany (Saxony) and northwestern Czechia, and contain a wide variety of metals that have been mined since the Middle Ages. The region became the most important source of silver ore in Europe between 1460 and 1560, and mining was the region's main industry. Mining was a trigger for the global transfer of technological and scientific innovations. Tin was the second metal mined and processed in the region's history. At the end of the 19th century, the region became a major global producer of uranium. 800 years of almost uninterrupted mining activity from the 12th to the 20th century deeply shaped the Erzgebirge cultural landscape, which includes mining, pioneering water management systems, innovative mineral processing and smelting sites, and mining cities.