Stollen

Is tradition the highest honour or the greatest misfortune? This is a matter of debate in the village of Pöhla. Despite the devastating health consequences, mining customs in the Ore Mountains are still alive and well, even 30 years after reunification. With the closure of the last (uranium) mines in 1992, which had irreversibly shaped the land and its people for 800 years, the community was forced to build a new tourist identity. Especially during Advent, old traditions and economic interests come together in ‘Christmas Land’ – whether it's baking stollen, singing together at the Mettenschicht in the mine or performing Christmas Mass. However, behind the peaceful façade lies hard work. Caught between its designation as a World Heritage Site and the commissioning of a pilot plant for the mining of tin and tungsten, Stollen tells the story of this special time of year above and below ground – and thus paints a psychological portrait of a region struggling to find its identity.