Mining fans will have to wait even longer until the "Kohlewelt" museum in Oelsnitz (Erzgebirgskreis) reopens. The opening originally planned for this Saturday (October 26) has been canceled. The museum cited delivery problems with materials for exhibition furniture as the reason. Technical approvals were also pending, according to a statement. The new opening date has been set for the weekend of January 18 and 19. This will also mark the start of the European Capital of Culture 2025 in Chemnitz and the surrounding area.
The museum was opened in 1986 in the listed building of a former coal mine. It has been undergoing extensive renovation since 2019. The costs for this have risen considerably and were recently estimated at around 30 million euros. In future, the building at the authentic site will not only provide information on the history of coal mining in Saxony, but also on how coal was once produced in the first place. The new presentation will also be dedicated to the lives of those who worked in the mines and a memorial will be created for miners who died in accidents.
