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Let there be light

The “Schwibbogen” that shows the two miners with hammer and pincers, the emblems of those toolmakers working for the mines, is exhibited in the Mining Museum besides the Cathedral. The toolmaker Teller gave it to the mine captain Friedrich as a Christmas present. Its name is derived from the Schwebebogen (lit. floating arch), a wide, flat, freestanding arch between two walls. The oldest example of this Christmas decoration dates back to 1740 and can be found in Johanngeorgenstadt. Its arched shape probably also reflects the impression created when the miners put their pit lights around the adit entrance on important holidays.