Crowd pleaser: final spurt for successful mining show

The State Museum of Archaeology in Chemnitz (smac) has landed a hit with the public with its major mining exhibition. Since opening at the end of October, the show "Silberglanz & Kumpeltod" has attracted more than 43,000 visitors. This makes it the most successful special exhibition in the museum's history, explained Director Sabine Wolfram. The great success can be attributed to the topic of mining, which arouses enormous interest in the region and is very emotionally charged. The show was the first major contribution to Chemnitz's program as European Capital of Culture 2025.

The exhibition covers around 1,000 square metres and features not only archaeological finds, but also magnificent exhibits from Saxony's treasure trove, the Green Vault in Dresden. These include what is said to be the most valuable piece in the show: a drinking goblet made of pure silver, intended for guests of the Saigerhütte Grünthal in the Erzgebirge from the 17th century. Also on display are old tools and jewelry and historical documents such as the songbook with the first record of the Steigerlied from 1531 and the oldest candle arch in the Ore Mountains.

Finissage with creative workshop and music

While the first few weeks were mainly attended by visitors from the region, the Capital of Culture year has spurred interest once again, explained Wolfram. "Since the spring of this year, around half of our visitors have come from the western federal states."

If you haven't seen the exhibition yet, you can catch up by the end of this week. A finissage on Saturday (June 28) will feature guided tours, a creative workshop for children and brass music. Miners' and local dances are also on the program. The museum will be open until 21:00. On Sunday (June 29), the exhibition will be open regularly for the last time.