Tradition in danger: Who else knows the Steigerlied when celebrating?

Tradition in danger: Who else knows the Steigerlied when celebrating?

On September 12, 2025, the deep-rooted tradition of the Steigerlied will once again be visible in the mining capital Freiberg. Josephine Ludwig, a seventh-semester student in Geotechnical Engineering, Mining and Geo-Energy Systems, describes how the song becomes a communal experience at midnight parties. The music system falls silent and the singing begins: “Der Steiger”. This tradition not only seals the students' connection to mining history, but also preserves a piece of cultural heritage.

The former mining engineer Wolfgang Gaßner also experienced the sociable and unifying effect of the Steigerlied. As a long-time climber and member of the historic Freiberg miners' and ironworkers' association, he reflected a lot of what the song means to the miners. Interestingly, Gaßner notes that fewer and fewer people, including young students, are familiar with the traditional songs. They are often unsure about the lyrics, which means that the song is sung but not fully lived.

Origin and distribution of the Steigerlied

The Steigerlied has its origins in the German folk songs of the Erzgebirge and can look back on traces from the first half of the 16th century. The first documented mention took place in 1678 during a celebration in honor of the Saxon Elector Johann Georg II in Schneeberg. Since then, the song has spread throughout all of Germany's mining regions and is still an anthem among miners today.

There are two main versions of the Steigerlied: the Freiberg version from East Germany and the Clausthal variant from the Ruhr area. Both variants contain regional variations and additional verses that are written for different professional groups such as smelters or geologists. This tradition of adapting verses to honor different professions is particularly important in the mining scene.

The Steigerlied as an intangible cultural heritage

In 2019, an application was submitted to add the Steigerlied to the list of Germany's intangible cultural heritage. This application was met with controversy, particularly between the Ruhrkohle-Musik e.V. and the Saxon State Association of Miners', Smelters' and Squires' Associations regarding the version to be recognized. Ultimately, the Clausthal version was included in the state inventory of intangible cultural assets of North Rhine-Westphalia on April 17, 2020.

On March 15, 2023, the Conference of Ministers of Education decided to include the singing of the Steigerlied in the nationwide list of intangible cultural heritage. This decision underlines the important role the song plays in the mining tradition and shows how it is still alive in active mining regions as well as in former mining districts. With each repetition of the Steigerlied, traditional mining values ​​are passed on and research is conducted into how the song also resonates outside of the mining regions.