The Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology celebrated its 20^th anniversary Dec 1^st to 5^th 2025 with a special focus on ore deposits and mineral systems of the Variscan Orogen. Invited speakers guided nearly 100 participants on a geological journey across the most relevant ore deposit districts of related to the Variscan basement of Central and Western Europe. More than half of the Short Course participants were students, about one third were academics and the remainder represented industry and government. The course attracted participants from nine different countries from Europe – and well beyond. A significant number of external students received financial support to participate. We sincerely thank the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) and the German Mineralogical Society (DMG) for their generous support of student participation.

The course opened with an overview of the regional tectonic framework presented by Uwe Kroner (TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany). This was followed by regional spotlights on ore deposits of the Iberian Peninsula (Íñigo Barrallo, IGEO, Spain), France (Matthieu Harlaux, BRGM, France), and southwest England (Eimear Deady, BGS, UK). One full day was dedicated to the “backyard” of the Freiberg Short Course—the Erzgebirge/Krušné Hory region. Topics included structural geology (Jan Černý, HIF, Germany), granites, gneisses, and skarns (Mathias Burisch, Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria), and hydrothermal systems (Marie Guilcher, HIF). A concluding panel discussion highlighted similarities, differences, and prominent scientific challenges across the Variscan Orogen.

The scientific program was complemented by a guided tour of Terra Mineralia, one of the world’s most spectacular mineral exhibitions, a pub quiz organized by the Freiberg student chapter of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) and two one-day post-conference excursions. The two excursions introduced the participants to field and underground exposures of the polymetallic veins of the Freiberg Mining District and the greisen-type Li-Sn deposits of the Altenberg area. The Freiberg excursion visited the Reiche Zeche Mine in Freiberg, guided by Christin Kehrer (TU Bergakademie Freiberg), while the Altenberg excursion was led by Thomas Dittrich (Zinnwald Lithium Plc) through the historic workings of the Tiefer Bünaustolln at Zinnwald. Both excursion groups reunited in Freiberg in the evening for discussion and a well-earned beer.

We are committed to continue the Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology – in close partnership between the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology. Accordingly, we have scheduled the 21^st Freiberg Short Course to take place in early December 2026 at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. 

So watch this space!

Sandra Birtel, Jens Gutzmer, Freiberg