Annaberg is a district in Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the Czech Republic and the districts of Aue-Schwarzenberg, Stollberg and Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis.

History

In the Middle Ages the Ore Mountains were virtually unsettled and covered by dense forests. The towns of Annaberg and Buchholz (merged in 1945 to form Annaberg-Buchholz) were founded by the turn of the 16th century due to the discovery of silver and tin deposits. Now men from the Saxon lowlands moved into the mountains and founded lots of small towns and villages.

The district of Annaberg was established in 1874.

Geography

The district is located in the western Ore Mountains on the Czech border. It extends from the highest mountains on the border to more gentle hilly country in the north. The town of Oberwiesenthal is the highest located city of Germany. It is situated on the foot of the Fichtelberg (1214 m), the second highest peak of the Ore Mountains.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms displays: Top left: the arms of the counts of Schönburg-Waldenburg Middle left: the arms of the counts of Werben Bottom left: the arms of the counts of Wolkenstein; this family as well as the two above-mentioned lines all had possessions in this part of the Ore Mountains during the late Middle Ages Right: the lion was the heraldic animal of the margravate of Meissen, the predecessor state of Saxony; in these arms the lion holds the mining tools in its fore-paw, symbolising the mining tradition of the Ore Mountains

Towns and municipalities

External links

• Official website (German, requires Java for navigation)
• Inofficial website (German)