Tin soaps in the Greifenbach Valley

Tin placer mining dominated the Ehrenfriedersdorf mining region during the 13th century. As a result of mining activities during this initial period, a miners' settlement emerged around 1230 near the Sauberg, alongside the pre-existing agricultural village. Towards the end of the 13th century, tin placer mining gradually came to a halt. The sand and gravel residues — the barren rock — remained in the Greifenbach Valley as "Raithalden" (tailing mounds) dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries; these mounds, still visible today, serve as a testament to that early mining activity.