Freiberg

Population: 41,640

Freiberg is a historic town in Saxony, in the foothills of the Ore Mountains, roughly halfway between Dresden and Chemnitz. The town was founded around 1170 and for centuries was a centre for silver and ore mining. In the Middle Ages, Freiberg was one of the largest towns in the Meissen region and also had a mint. Later, mining in the region declined and the town lost some of its importance for a time. In the second half of the 18th century, however, there was a massive industrial boom and Freiberg began to flourish once more. In 1765, a mining academy was founded here, now known as the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg. Today, Freiberg is a modern university town with a rich cultural life, proud of its mining traditions.

http://www.freiberg.de