A Bergmagazin is a building that served as a
granary for
miners and the population of
mining towns in German-speaking Europe.
History (Saxony)
The construction of Bergmagazins in the
Electorate and
Kingdom of Saxony grew rapidly from 1806 at the suggestion of senior mining official (Oberberghauptmann), Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich von Trebra. As a result of the great famines in the upper
Ore Mountains at the end of the 18th century caused by several poor harvests, Trebra recommended the construction of multi-storey, stone Bermagazin buildings where grain could be deposited after harvesting and stored for several months or even years.
Locations (a selection)
Marienberg: built 1806-1809, from 1858 it had many other uses e.g. as a military storage facility, chocolate factory, glider school, war refugee accommodation and fruit store. Following its conversion and redesign it has been used as a museum since 2006.[1]