From the Upper Gate, the road leads on to the border crossing which has only existed since the Saigerhütte was founded. It was required for transporting mainly grain but also copper from Bohemia. In 1553, a stone bridge was built over the river Natzschung, which had been defined as the border

The Grosshammer (Great Hammer) was the last of the hammer mills to be built. It was constructed in 1732, approximately 400 metres downstream on the banks of the Flöha. Business was booming and greater capacity was required. A house was built for the mill master and an area set aside specifically

As well as the hammer sheds, the Saigerhütte complex also included a blacksmith’s forge. It adjoins the perimeter wall behind the workers’ cottages. It was used to produce iron fittings for the foundry and hammer shed and to sharpen tools. The forge is thought to have been leased since 1567/68. The

The Garhaus stands outside the remains of the perimeter wall. It was built sometime after 1560 by the Uthmann family. This was the first time the metallurgical process was broken down into separate stages and ‘garen’ (finishing) was given its own special building. The Garhaus hearth was large

The small hammer shed was turned into a brewery in 1580 by Faktor Heinze. The owner was granted the right to brew and serve beer at the time of the conversion. However, he only exercised this right after the reconstruction of the Hüttenschänke works tavern in 1586/87. Beer was brewed here and

Opposite the Upper Gate (East Gate) and just outside the perimeter wall , there is the Forester’s House which dates back to 1610. From here, the forester was able to keep watch over the log boom and charcoal pile opposite the copper hammer mill on the Bohemian side of the river. The Natzschung was

The shed containing the New Hammer can be found outside the perimeter wall on the other side of Grünthaler Strasse. It was built in 1586/87 to replace the shed for the Small Hammer, which had been converted to a brewery. It contained three hammers which were driven by a water wheel with a diameter

The Hüttenpforte was erected in the 17th century. When the Uthmann family acquired the Saigerhütte in the year 1550, the site already seemed to have taken on the characteristics of an ensemble of buildings combining production and residential accommodation. It developed into a self-sufficient

The Upper Gate (alternatively East Gate) is adorned by the arms of the Prince Elector. The figure 1694 marks the date the building of the wall was completed. However, the defences were of little use to the residents of the Saigerhütte. While they had been trained to use weapons by the forester and

Next to the Westtor (western gate), just inside the Saigerhütte complex, there is a wooden building. This was constructed in 1881 as a bowling alley for the office staff to provide a welcome source of recreation in this otherwise rustic setting. The lounge of the former bowling alley is now used as

This old house with its partially preserved half-timbered façade was built for Christoph Lange when he held the office of judge within the bounds of the Saigerhütte. His initials, CL, and the year 1611 are engraved in the main truss which is decorated with organ pipe designs. The deed of feudal

The smelting works school was destroyed by a fire, and when it was rebuilt in 1660, a gatehouse was added. The ground floor was also the way through the Lower Gate. The gatekeeper lived on the top floor. The gatehouse was demolished in 1856 because the clearance height was too low. Sächsische

The Alte Faktorei (Former Factor’s House) was built in 1604 for Faktor Eymer. In 1848, the school began using the ground floor, while the teacher and the officials lived upstairs. After the construction of the new school building on Rothenthaler Strasse in 1886, the sales premises of the F.A. Lange

The largest building on the site, towering above all the others, is the Faktorei, also known as the Herrenhaus (Mansion House). The central section of the Faktorei as we see it today was built around 1560 by the Uthmann family. After it was sold to Prince Elector Augustus of Saxony in 1567, various

The flour mill was one of the first buildings constructed on the Saigerhütte site. It was of great importance in the provisioning of the workers, because there was nowhere nearby where they could otherwise have purchased bread, cakes and flour. The Hüttenmühle had three millstones in operation. The

Haus des Anrichters (Assayer’s House) Dating back to 1586, this splendid building with its magnificent windowed gable and bay window is known by two names – Haus des Schichtmeisters or Haus des Anrichters, both of which can loosely be translated as Assayer’s House. Anrichter was the title bestowed

This building has gone by many different names during its history: Schichtmeisterhaus - altes Schichtmeisterhaus - Hüttenschänke - Huthaus - Knappschaftshaus - Gasthaus. It was originally the residence of the Saigerhütte owner and of the Master Assayer. At that time, there was already a ridge

The Elektroenergiezentrale (Saigerhütte electricity generating plant) dates back to 1905/06. It was one of the last buildings to be constructed on the site. Olbernhau was an early adopter of electric power, and Sächsische Kupfer- und Messingwerke followed soon afterwards in 1895/96. A new trench