But where are all those minerals from and who is responsible for these great and world-wide admired collection? In the museum shop she is smiling from a painting: Erika Pohl-Ströher, passionate collector of minerals and original owner of most of the exhibits of the “terra mineralia”. She was born near Wurzen and grew up in the small town of Rothenkirchen in the Vogtland area. For more than sixty years she collected extraordinary and aesthetic minerals from all over the world and decided in 2004 to give a great part of her collection as a permanent loan to Prof. Dr. Georg Unland, former director of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, the world’s oldest mining school.
Visiting the exhibition “terra mineralia” grown-ups as well as children get their money worth. Old plank floor, rustic wooden beams and the timeless design of the exhibition together with its fascinating and magnificent minerals, gemstones and meteorites are the aspects that make “terra mineralia” as unique as it is. This combination makes the museum of Freiberg even stand out next to the collections of minerals in Paris or London. Therefore, it should be definitely on your To Do List during your trip in Saxony!
All photos ©Kai Bergmann
