Every day at noon, a carillon on the east side of Goslar's marketplace tells the story of Rammelsberg mine's discovery.

The Legend Of Rammelsberg

The hunter and his horse and their accidental discovery that led to the founding of Rammelsberg

There is evidence of mining at Rammelsberg dating back 1,000 years, to the time of King Otto I, and the mine operated continuously until the ore ran out in the 1980's – © Gavailer / Wikimedia Commons

When Emperor Otto I was in Harzburg, he sent his knight Ramm to hunt game. It was wintertime, and the snow in the mountains was high when Ritter Ramm saw a wild track that he followed on horseback. It took him to a high mountain, covered in dense forest.

Soon the mountain became too steep for his horse; so he got off the horse, tied it up a tree and hurried after the game on foot. But the horse was very restless and scraped with the front hooves in the snow. When Ritter Ramm returned from the hunt loaded with game, he noticed how his horse had scraped the ground. Looking closer, he saw a rich ore vein had been exposed. He quickly took a few pieces of the sparkling ore and put them in his saddlebag to take to the Emperor.

Ritter Ramm presenting King Otto with the silver discovered by he and his horse – © Goslar Tin Figure Museum

Kaiser Otto was delighted with this wealth from the Harz. As a token of gratitude, he presented his knight with a magnificent gold necklace worth a thousand denarii. Then he sent experienced miners from Franconia to Goslar. They laid shafts and set up mining operations in the Harz mountains. The word spread quickly and more and more miners from near and far came to Goslar. In a short time, the small town became a city. And to commemorate the memory of the discoverer Knight Ramm and to honour him for all time, the Emperor gave this high mountain the name "Rammelsberg".