Water-powered 17th-century hammer mill in Annaberg-Buchholz, a blacksmithing museum since 1910 and part of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region World Heritage Site.
April 25, 2026 – October 25, 2026
This show in the folk art gallery presents the Komotau-born mathematician, astronomer and planner of the Budweis–Linz horse-drawn railway; a German-Czech project with the Regional Museum Chomutov.
In the late Middle Ages, a grain mill belonging to the village of Frohnau stood on the Sehma River. After silver was discovered on the Schreckenberg, the mining court met in its garden, and it was here in 1496 that the decision was made to found the Neustadt am Schreckenberg, the town later known as Annaberg. In 1621 the dilapidated mill was converted into a hammer mill, which first produced silver sheet for the Annaberg mint and later copper and iron goods.
The works lay idle during the Thirty Years' War until the merchant Gottfried Rubner put it back into operation in 1657. In the second half of the 17th century and throughout the 18th, the hammer mill supplied the region's mining and farming; parts of the railings for Dresden's Augustusbrücke were also made here. After a fire in 1692 the complex was quickly rebuilt, and in 1697 the manor house with its half-timbered upper story was added.
Production ended in 1904. To prevent the threatened demolition, the Frohnauer Hammerbund was founded in 1907; it bought the buildings in 1908 and opened them as a museum in 1910, which is considered the oldest blacksmithing museum in Germany. After a break in the postwar years, the hammer mill has been open continuously since 1951 and was a popular destination for outings in East Germany. Today it belongs to the Städtische Museen Annaberg-Buchholz and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region.
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3Children aged 6 and over, school students, university students, apprentices, volunteer service participants, people with severe disabilities, holders of the Sächsische Ehrenamtskarte (Saxon volunteer card), the Annaberg-Buchholz family pass or Saxon social passes, recipients of ALG II (unemployment benefit) |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Children under 6 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €3companion free · Companions of people with very severe disabilities free. |
| Students & apprentices | €3 |
| Groups (10+ people) | €4 per personFor pre-registered groups of 10 or more; reduced €2.50. |
| Families | €12 |
| Forging demonstration (2nd Saturday of the month, 17:00) | €7.50Registration by 16:00 on the Thursday before. |
| With FerienTicket Sachsen or SchülerFerienTicket | €2 |
Free admission: Free admission for children and young people up to 18 on the first Thursday of every month (groups must register in writing at least one week in advance).
All prices apply to the guided tour including special exhibitions. €0.50 discount with the Gästekarte Erzgebirge, Adam-Ries-Karte, Freie-Presse-Card, Envia-Card, VR-BankCard or SchülerFerienTicket. Free admission for, among others, members of museum associations, ICOM members, tour guides, tour leaders and bus drivers. The combined ticket of the Städtische Museen is not available in 2026 due to the renovation of the Manufaktur der Träume.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €12 |
Museum education explorer tour with the blacksmith, available even for daycare children from age 4; family ticket available.
Free parking
Free parking directly at the hammer works.
The city is looking for a new tenant for the neighboring restaurant "Frohnauer Hammer"; whether it is currently open is not clear from the websites.
Exclusive forging demonstration with a light snack for company or family celebrations from 17:00 by prior arrangement (approx. 90 minutes; €200 for up to 20 people, €10 for each additional person).
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The tour leads through the hammer mill, the folk art gallery with the Heimatberg and special exhibitions, and the manor house with a lace-making demonstration; the start of the next tour is displayed at the ticket desk. Educational programs for daycare centers and school classes, also combined with a hike through the Frohnau mining landscape. |
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