The Revival of Rare Metal Research in Freiberg/Germany - Continuation of a Success Story

The mining and smelting region of Freiberg is well-known for its Pb-Zn-Ag lodes. These have been mined for their high silver contents since 1180. From the 18th century on, Pb, Zn, Sn and Ni became increasingly important as by-products. But the hydrothermally formed deposit also contains rare metals as In and Ge at unusually high concentrations.
Although metal prices decreased at the end of the 19th century and the operation of mines and smelters was more and more dependent of federal subsidization, parts of the research and industrial landscape were preserved. With semiconductor industry, a second economic pillar was established. The recent rise of metal prices may give a further momentum for economic growth.