A German Delegation on a Visit to the Rudnik Company

On Wednesday, March 25, a German delegation from Saxony paid a visit to the Rudnik i flotacija Rudnik company. They were accompanied by the representatives of the Serbian Government, the Ministry of Mining and Energy, the German Development Cooperation in Serbia (GIZ) and the Geological Institute.
The Saxons arrived in Serbia in the 13th century, bringing new techniques of searching for and processing noble metals, above all silver, copper and lead. Thanks to their knowledge and skill, metal production was revived and Serbian trade gained access to the Mediterranean market. The Saxons developed mines in Rudnik, Brskovo, Trepča, Rogozna, Novo Brdo, etc. In the 15th century, after the onslaught of the Ottomans and economic changes, the significance of Rudnik dropped. Some of the Saxons were assimilated into the local population, whereas others left these regions. In the history of Rudnik, one can read about Ignjat Švaba, a descendant of Saxon miners from the village of Švabići.