The mining museum in Oelsnitz in the Ore Mountains, which reopened as the "Kohlewelt" at the beginning of the year, has won the Saxon Museum Prize. It is an impressive tourist attraction with offers for different target groups, said Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch (CDU). "Many people in Saxony are familiar with the history of lignite. The fact that hard coal is also an important part of industrial history is impressively conveyed in the exhibition."
The museum was established in 1986 in the listed building of a former coal mine. From 2019, it underwent a six-year general refurbishment and the permanent exhibition was completely redesigned. According to previous information, the costs amounted to around 30 million euros.
The new exhibition offers a journey through 800 years of coal mining in Saxony. The topic is illuminated from various perspectives. For example, it looks at how coal was formed 300 million years ago and how mining has influenced people's lives and culture.
More prizes for museums in Hoyerswerda and Leipzig
The award for the museum is endowed with 20,000 euros. The Schloss & Stadtmuseum Hoyerswerda and the Grassi Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Leipzig were also honored. Both received special prizes worth 5,000 euros each.
The Saxon Museum Prize is awarded every two years by the Ministry of Culture. It is intended to recognize non-state museums for exemplary achievements in museum work and profiling the Saxon museum landscape.
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