Freiberg

Freiberg, town in east central Germany, in Saxony, on the Freiberger Mulde River near Dresden and Chemnitz. It lies on the northern slopes of the Erzgebirge about 404 m (1325 ft) above sea level. Freiberg has long been the centre of the state's important lead- and silver-mining industry. Factories here produce gold and silver articles, woollen cloth, leather, china, machinery, chemicals, scientific and optical instruments, and cigars. The Mining Academy (1765) and a radium research facility are located here.

The area was settled about 1180 after the discovery of silver deposits nearby. Freiberg contains a cathedral originally dating from the 12th century, rebuilt in Gothic style after its destruction by fire in the late 15th century, and restored in 1893. A doorway known as the Golden Gate remains from the original building. Henry the Pious, duke of Saxony, and a number of his successors are buried in the cathedral. Population (1989 estimate) 51,300.