"The wild years"
Successful prospecting for uranium immediately after WWII prompted the Soviet occupation forces in 1947 to establish the state-run Wismut company in Aue.
Run by the Soviet military, the company's sole aim was the exploitation of German uranium deposits for the Soviet nuclear programme. This followed the transfer of Saxon mining companies into Soviet ownership to cover reparation claims of the war. Employing an enormous workforce, uranium ore mining quickly spread across the Ore Mountains and to Eastern Thuringia.
During the early "wild" years, uranium ore mining in Saxony and Thuringia was characterised by poor working conditions, complete disregard for the environmental concerns of the densely populated areas, and the destructive exploitation of resources.
Run by the Soviet military, the company's sole aim was the exploitation of German uranium deposits for the Soviet nuclear programme. This followed the transfer of Saxon mining companies into Soviet ownership to cover reparation claims of the war. Employing an enormous workforce, uranium ore mining quickly spread across the Ore Mountains and to Eastern Thuringia.
During the early "wild" years, uranium ore mining in Saxony and Thuringia was characterised by poor working conditions, complete disregard for the environmental concerns of the densely populated areas, and the destructive exploitation of resources.
