The St. Anna am Freudenstein mining concession, dating back to 1518, is a relatively small mining area particularly characterised by silver ore mining in the 16th century, which in the process has yielded numerous historic mining sites. The first rich discoveries of silver ore in this mining concession occurred in 1526, resulting in an upswing in mining activities. The St. Anna Fundgrube subsequently developed into the principal mining complex. The mine workings are connected by underground structures with the other mines in the Schneeberg mining landscape. No built structures are preserved and the adits mouths were reconstructed during the clearing-out of the mines at the end of the 20th century.
The underground workings are an exceptional and a rare almost completely preserved example of a 16th century mines (95% originated from this period). Huge silver mine workings, and wheel chambers provide outstanding testimony to the mining activities in the 16th century. Research activity have clearly shown that the layout and structure of underground workings correspond to the technological descriptions of Georg Agricola (e.g. Heinzenkunst (pumping system) and water wheel, hand winder, horse gin, layout of the shafts, adits and mine workings). Moreover, the mining regulations (size and borders of the mine fields, layout of the adits, decisions in legal issues) valid at that time are illustrated by the mine.
A special feature of the Freudenstein mining concession was a vein consisting of Fettquartz (type of quartz with a greasy shine). The extraction of quartz ensued on an intermittent basis and was oriented to the demand of the blue dye works in the Ore Mountains, because – in addition to cobalt and potash – highly pure quartz was also required in the production of the dye. In the 1920s, mining here was completely abandoned.
