One year of Steigerlied as cultural heritage

The song also has a firm tradition in other, once important mining regions such as the Harz, the Ruhr and Saarland. It describes the miners' hope of returning to the light and their families after hard and dangerous work underground. Its origins date back to the 16th century. The oldest evidence is a print in the songbook "Bergreihen", which was published in Zwickau in 1531. A copy of it is kept in the local council school library.

The old march can also score points in a new guise: Whether classically with orchestra, in Persian, in the style of blues, swing, rock or breakdance - 26 versions have been recorded so far for the Free State's image campaign "So geht sächsisch" (That's Saxon) and have been clicked on millions of times on the internet. These include recordings with the Dresden Kreuzchor as well as the musical cabaret duo Zärtlichkeiten mit Freunden, a version on the carillon of Chemnitz Town Hall and one on the Silbermann organ in Freiberg Cathedral.

This range is very exciting and helps to give the well-known song a new lease of life, says Bretschneider. "Musical tastes are different and every variation finds its circle of friends. In the end, that's a good thing." Bretschneider does not believe that the whole thing will wear out over time and that audiences will tire of the song. After all, it has been sung and played for centuries. "Even today, it is still emotionally moving for many people every time."