Mining museum on the site of the former hard coal plant “Karl Liebknecht” in Oelsnitz/Erzgeb.
KohleWelt – Museum Steinkohlenbergbau Sachsen
09376 Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. (Pflockenstraße 28)New on Amplifa
About the museum
KohleWelt – Museum of Saxon Hard Coal Mining – is a mining museum located on the site of the former hard coal plant “Karl Liebknecht” (Kaiserin-Augusta shaft) in Oelsnitz/Erzgebirge. It is operated by the kul(T)our-Betrieb of the Erzgebirgskreis district. The museum documents the roughly 800-year history of Saxon hard coal mining with a permanent exhibition in the former pay office hall, a demonstration mine recreated underground in the former pithead bathhouse, and a surface area featuring historic large machinery such as winding engines, the cage bank and the headframe; on the open-air grounds stands a class 52 steam locomotive. After extensive renovation, the museum reopened in January 2025 as KohleWelt and received the Saxon Museum Prize 2025. Since November 2025, the permanent Ganzfeld installation “Beyond Horizons 2025” by artist James Turrell has been part of the complex; since 2017 the museum has been an associated site of the UNESCO World Heritage Montanregion Erzgebirge.
- Site
- Oelsnitz/Erzgeb.
- Processes
- Permanent exhibition on the history of Saxon hard coal mining, Demonstration mine (underground area), Museum education programmes and guided tours, Rentable event and lecture rooms, Museum shop, Ice cream café, Publicly accessible library/archive/study rooms
- Materials
- Permanent exhibition, Demonstration mine, Surface area, Beyond Horizons 2025, Erzgebirge Landscape Art Collection
- Certificates
- Barrier-free access, Accessible WC, Museum shop, Café, Rentable event rooms
- Founded
- 1986
- Industries
- Museum/Culture, Heritage conservation, Tourism
- 01
Permanent exhibition on the history of Saxon hard coal mining
- 02
Demonstration mine (underground area)
- 03
Surface area with historic large machinery
- 04
James Turrell light installation
- 05
Museum education programmes and guided tours
- 06
Events
- 07
Rental of event and lecture rooms
Exhibitions and areas
Permanent exhibition
A journey through the 800-year history of Saxon hard coal in the former pay office hall.
Demonstration mine
Galleries faithfully recreated in the former pithead bathhouse, some with functioning machines from everyday miners' life.
Surface area
Large machinery such as Leonard converter, electric tower and drum winding engines, steam winding plant, cage bank and headframe.
Beyond Horizons 2025
Permanent Ganzfeld by James Turrell – the artist's largest permanent Ganzfeld to date, housed in an industrial hall.
Erzgebirge Landscape Art Collection
Collection area featuring Erzgebirge landscape art.
Location
Oelsnitz/Erzgeb.
DEMuseum (former hard coal plant “Karl Liebknecht”, Kaiserin-Augusta shaft)
- Materials
- Permanent exhibition · Demonstration mine · Surface area · Open-air grounds · James Turrell installation
- Headframe
- Electric tower winding engine
- Electric drum winding engine
- Steam winding plant
- Cage bank
- Leonard converter
- Steam locomotive BR 52 8199-3 (Jung, 11263/1944)
Exhibit objects
Inside the production
Industries
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam locomotive BR 52 8199-3 | Jung BR 52 (11263/1944) | 1 | – | 1944 | Open-air grounds Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
| Leonard converter | – | – | – | – | Surface area Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
| Electric tower winding engine | – | – | – | – | Surface area Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
| Steam winding plant | – | – | – | – | Surface area Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
| Cage bank | – | – | – | – | Surface area Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
| Headframe | – | – | – | – | Surface area Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
| Electric drum winding engine | – | – | – | – | Surface area Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
Additional services
Visitor information and accessibility
The museum offers museum education programmes, guided tours, as well as a publicly accessible library/archive/study rooms. The buildings are step-free or accessible via ramps; an accessible WC and a first aid room are available.
| Evidence | Oelsnitz/Erzgeb. |
|---|---|
| Barrier-free access | |
| Accessible WC | |
| Museum shop | |
| Café | |
| Rentable event rooms |
History
- 1967
Decision on a concept for the establishment of a technical monument with museum character devoted to hard coal mining in the GDR
- 1976
Begin of the conversion of part of the surface facilities into the “Karl-Liebknecht-Schacht” mining museum
- 1986
Mining museum handed over to the public on 4 July
- 1996
Purchase of the steam locomotive BR 52 8199-3 by the museum; refurbishment in 1997/1998
- 2015
Welcoming of the one-millionth visitor on 27 February
- 2017
Since June, the museum complex has been listed as an associated site of the UNESCO World Heritage Montanregion Erzgebirge
- 2019
Closure of the museum in January for extensive renovation and renewal
- 2020
Venue of the 4th Saxon State Exhibition “Boom. 500 Years of Industrial Culture in Saxony”; temporary opening July to December
- 2025
Reopening on 18 January as “KohleWelt – Museum Steinkohlenbergbau Sachsen”; winner of the Saxon Museum Prize 2025
- 2025
Opening of the permanent light installation “Beyond Horizons 2025” by James Turrell on 28 November