ABSTRACT
There are many old churches in central Europe reflecting the religious interests and instincts of miners. Some churches in the Saxon-Bohemian Erzgebirge feature altars, pulpits, statues, figures and stained-glass windows representing miners in their characteristic garb and with their tools. Miners also developed a great attachment to music, and many beautiful hymns and songs have been written in testimony of their work for the benefit of humanity. Musical bands have for centuries portrayed the miner’s interest in music. In Anatolia, after 1800 bc, silver discs called “shekels” were first used as a unit of weight. In 680 bc, coins were stamped upon discs of electrum metal by the Lydians. Joachimstahl, Freiberg and other mining cities of the Erzgebirge possessed their own mints. Coins were minted and circulated with a value corresponding to the actual weight of contained silver, although each particular mint had its own currency standards.
