20th Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology
Mineral Systems and Metals Endowment of the Variscan Orogeny
A large portion of economically important ore deposits in Central and Western Europe is hosted by Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic rock series that can be assigned to the Variscan Orogeny. For centuries, the exploitation of these ore deposits has contributed significantly to economic development - without them, the Industrial Revolution in Europe would not have been possible. With the current increase in global demand especially for so-called critical raw materials many of the historic mining districts of the Variscan Orogen do once again attract the interest of both the exploration industry and academia. Whilst results of recent research confirm many common traits shared between the different mining districts, they also reveal that every region has its unique geological and tectonic history, resulting in (subtle) variations in the nature and metal endowment of mineral systems. The 20th Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology will pay tribute to the ore deposits of the Variscan orogeny. Invited speakers will discuss current knowledge about the Variscan mineral systems of the Iberian Peninsular, the Massif Central and Cornwall, with a particular focus on our own back yard, the Erzgebirge / Krušné hory region.
The short course will take place from 1 - 4 of December 2025, with two post-workshop excursions on 5th of December to the historic Ag-Pb-Zn Freiberg District (fully booked since Oct 21st- waiting list) and to the Li-Sn-W deposits of the Altenberg District.
- When: 1 - 5 December 2025
- Where: Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology, Lecture Hall Europium
- Co organisator: TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
- Registration: closed on 31.10.2025.- for few left places please contact: contacthif@hzdr.de
- First come first serve!
- Further information about the participant fees: see below and in the registration form
- Lecturers:
Iñigo Borrajo, IGEO; CSIC, Spain
Mathias Burisch, Colorado School of Mines, US
Eimear Deady, BGS, UK
Matthieu Harlaux, BRGM, France
Uwe Kroner, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
Jens Gutzmer, Marie Guilcher, Jan Cerny, HIF, Germany
- Target group: The course is designed for Bachelor and Master students / PhD students / Postdocs, Senior Scientist and Industry Representatives preferable with knowledge in geology and/or mineralogy, but also represenatives of other disciplines interested in the topic.
- List of hotels: download here.
- Travel options: Train: https://int.bahn.de/en, destination: Bahnhof, Freiberg (Sachsen). Plane: closest airport is Dresden, train via Dresden main station to Freiberg (1h), Berlin airport ca 2.5 h by train via Dresden. (Possible also Leipzig- Halle airport or Prague airport (Czech Republic), train connections are possible but more difficult.
Draft Agenda (updated August 5th)
|
Monday, Dec 1st |
|
| 17:00-19:00 | Registration |
| 17:00-21:00 | Icebreaker party |
|
Tuesday, Dec 2nd |
|
| 8:30-10:00 |
Registration |
| 9:00-9:15 |
Welcome |
| 9:15-10:00 |
Introduction to the Variscan Orogen – architecture, geotectonic evolution, Part 1 - Uwe Kroner |
| 10:00- 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30-12:00 |
Introduction to the Variscan Orogen – architecture, geotectonic evolution, Part 2 - Uwe Kroner |
| 12:00-13:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00- 13:20 |
Variscan Orogeny and the Iberian Puzzle - Iñigo Borrajo |
| 13:20-14:30 |
Metallogeny of the Variscan Orogen in Iberia, - Iñigo Borrajo Part 1: W-Sn-(Nb-Ta-Li) Deposits |
| 14:30- 15:00 |
Coffee break |
| 15:00- 15:40 |
Metallogeny of the Variscan Orogen in Iberia,- Iñigo Borrajo Part 2: VMS Deposits, Part 3:Other Mineralization Styles: Orogenic Gold, Magmatic Ni-Cu-(±PGE) Sulfides, Fe-Cu-Au Skarn, and IOCG Deposits |
| 15:40-16:10 | The Variscan Legacy in Iberia: Resources, Challenges, and Open Questions - Iñigo Borrajo |
| 16:10-16:30 |
Discussion |
|
Wednesday, Dec 3rd |
|
8:30- 9:30 |
Variscan Mineral Systems in France: focus on the French Massif Central: Part 1: Peri-granitic hydrothermal W-Sn deposits Matthieu Harlaux |
| 9:30- 10:45 |
Variscan Mineral Systems in France: focus on the French Massif Central: Part 2: Peraluminous rare metal (Li-Ta-Sn-Cs-F) granites and pegmatites Matthieu Harlaux |
| 10:45-11:15 | Coffee break |
| 11:15-12:00 |
Variscan mineral systems in South-West England: Hydrothermal W-Sn deposits and post-granite epithermal base metal mineralisation, Part 1 Eimear Deady |
| 12:00-13:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00 -15:00 |
Variscan mineral systems in South-West England: Hydrothermal W-Sn deposits and post-granite epithermal base metal mineralisation, Part 2 Eimear Deady |
| 15:00 | Optional: walk to Terra Mineralia (30 min), Museum Shop open before guided Tour |
| 16:00- 17:30 | Optional: Guided Tour Terra Mineralia |
|
Thursday, Dec 4th |
|
| 08:30-09:00 |
An introduction to the diversity of mineral systems related to the Variscan basement in Germany and in the Erzgebirge/Krušné hory Jens Gutzmer, Mathias Burisch |
| 09:00-9:45 |
Geological Structures Controlling Mineral Deposits in the Erzgebirge/Krušné hory, - Jan Cerny |
| 9:45-10:15 | Coffee break |
| 10:15-11:00 | Setting the scene - Late Paleozoic magmatism in the Erzgebirge/Krusné hory - Mathias Burisch |
| 11:00:12:00 | Greisen of the Erzgebirge/Krušné hory, Part 1 - Mathias Burisch |
| 12:00-13:00 | Lunch break |
| 13:00-13:30 | Greisen of the Erzgebirge/Krušné hory, Part 2 - Mathias Burisch |
| 13:30-14:30 | Skarn and epithermal systems of the Erzgebirge/Krušné horyé- Mathias Burisch |
| 14:30- 15:00 | Coffee break |
| 15:00-15:45 | Mesozoic–Cenozoic Hydrothermal Activity and Ore Genesis in the Erzgebirge, Germany - Marie Guilcher |
| 15:45-16:15 | Podium Discussion |
|
Friday, Dec 5th Optional Excursions |
|
| Option 1 |
Epithermal vein-style mineralisation of the Freiberg District External participants are prioritized |
| Option 2 |
Greisen deposits of the Altenberg-Teplice Caldera, Eastern Erzgebirge External participants are prioritized |
Fees
The basic fee for the course:
110 € for students / 320 € for academia (PhD students, postdocs, senior scientists) / 500 € for industry participants
These fees cover the course material, icebreaker party, catering for coffee breaks and lunchs.
Optional Excursions:
Day trip on Friday Dec 5th:
Freiberg District: 80 € per person (participants out of Freiberg prioritized) - fully booked
or
Altenberg-Teplice Caldera: 100 € per person (participants out of Freiberg prioritized)- fully booked
Excursion fees cover transport to the sites from and to HIF, lunch or lunch box (planing in progress) and entrance fees on excursion day
Dec 3rd: The optional guided tour for the Museum 'Terra Mineralia' 15 € per person.- fully booked
Sponsoring:
DMG student members travelling from other universities can apply for 100€ travel support at the event.
SGA student members travelling from other universities, in particular from abroad, SGA provides a limited number of grants for the basic course fee. Application is within the registration sheet to the HIF organizer.
Contact: contacthif@hzdr.de
