The Ore Mountains have formed a natural border between Bohemia and the German state of Saxony for some 800 years. Known in Czech as Krušné hory, the uniquely preserved landscape is also among the most heavily researched mountain ranges in the world.
In total, the Czech delegation to Azerbaijan has nominated five sites in this country for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. A German delegation, with which it submitted a joint bid, has nominated 17 sites on their side of the border.
Michal Urban of the non-profit Montanregion Krušné hory – Erzgebirge, formed to coordinate public and private regional groups in hopes of getting the listing explains how it would help the region.
“Inclusion on the UNESCO list would mean more prestige on the international and national levels and could boost tourism. Also, it should strengthen the regional identity, and make people living in the Ore Mountains even prouder of the region.”
Ore mining in the Krušnohoří region dates back to the 12th century. The area was exceptionally rich in silver, tin and cobalt. It was the leading producer of the world’s silver during the 15th and 16th centuries, and the boom spawned towns steeped in mining history.
For the rest of this article: https://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/czechs-germans-hope-to-win-unesco-listing-for-krusne-hory-erzgebirge-mining-sites