Kaolin Lake Hohburg

In 1707, Johann Friedrich Böttger and Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus discovered the secret to producing European porcelain using the white clay from Colditz and Aue. Kaolin pits were established near Hohburg, Bad Lausick, Colditz, and Altenbach near Wurzen. From 1901 to 1965, kaolin was mined at the foot of the Kleiner Berg (Little Mountain). Near the bridge, remnants of kaolin and a seam of lignite can still be found on the embankment. Today, the lake is used for fishing and swimming.

The kaolin deposits in northwestern Saxony were formed by chemical weathering processes of the mineral feldspar during the tropical climate of the Tertiary period. Feldspar is an important component of the quartz porphyry rock, which was formed by supervolcanism in the geopark area 300–290 million years ago. The regional kaolin deposits can be 20 to 60 meters thick, 400 to 800 meters long, and 200 to 300 meters wide.

Please pay attention to the information provided by the municipalities and owners regarding the condition and accessibility of the geotopes.