Saigerhütte Grünthal

About the museum

In 1537 the mining master Hans Leonhardt founded a Saigerhütte in Grünthal near Olbernhau, in which silver was separated from raw copper. The complex formed a community of its own with production, administration, residential, and supply buildings, which were surrounded by a wall after the Thirty Years' War. Under Electoral Saxon management it became the center of copper processing, and coins were minted here at times as well.

Nearly all the buildings have survived. The copper hammer outside the smelter's courtyard was converted into a technical demonstration facility from 1958 to 1960. In 1994, for the 500th birthday of Georgius Agricola, an exhibition on the history of the works opened, from which today's museum of the town of Olbernhau emerged. Since 2019 the Saigerhütte has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region.

The museum is spread across several historic buildings: the carpentry shop and butcher's stall, the Neue Faktorei, the Seiferthaus as a workers' residence, and the open-air area of the Lange Hütte with reconstructed furnaces. During the tours, the water-driven hammer technology, renewed in 2023/24, is demonstrated in the Althammer.

Highlights

• Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Erzgebirge Mining Region
• Demonstration of the water-driven copper hammer
• Reconstructed furnaces in the Lange Hütte
• Seiferthaus workers' residence
• Strike your own coins

Permanent exhibitions

• Grünthal – ein Ort als Fabrik – Exhibition in the former carpentry shop next to the ticket desk about the Saigerhütte as a self-contained smelting and residential area.
• F. A. Lange und das Dachkupfer – Exhibition in the former manor house, the Neue Faktorei, on copper processing and the production of roofing copper.
• Lange Hütte und Althammer – Reconstructed hearths and furnaces in the foundation walls of the smelting works as well as a demonstration of the water-driven hammers in the copper hammer.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Stadt Olbernhau (Regiebetrieb Kultur und Tourismus)

Admission & discounts

Admission includes the tour and exhibitions in four buildings.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Bronze tactile model of the smelter complex for blind and visually impaired visitors next to the Lange Hütte.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Children's adventure tour "Dem Geheimnis der Saigerhütte auf der Spur" (On the Trail of the Saigerhütte's Secret) (approx. 1.5 hours) for children's groups and families on certain dates, with wall building, coin minting, and smelter school. Coin minting is also possible during a regular visit. Programs for elementary school classes.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Amenities & dining

There are several food and drink businesses within the Saigerhütte area.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit