Altenberg, February 12, 2025
Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in our team days with my colleagues. This time, the schedule not only included workshops, but also a very special team trip. On February 12, 2025, we all met at the office in Dresden and took off in three vans, going to Altenberg. The journey itself was a real experience – we listened to music, laughed and simply enjoyed being together again, especially with colleagues who normally work remotely.
Our destination was the Altenberger Stollen, a former mine with an impressive history. We were welcomed by our guide Andreas, who had worked in the mine himself for a long time.
However, before we entered the Altenberger Stollen, there was a very special moment: our boss, Thomas, was ceremoniously crowned a “Steiger” [foreman]! In mining, the foreman is the most important position, as he is responsible for a part of the mine as a supervisor. Thomas was exactly the right person for the job and accepted the role with pride – a successful start to our adventure!
Equipped with helmets and headlamps, we then headed into the dark corridors of the mine. Andreas took us on a journey into the past and told us how miners used to work in tough conditions. His personal stories and anecdotes were particularly fascinating and brought the whole experience to life.
An absolute highlight was being able to lend a hand ourselves: We were given the opportunity to drill into the wall with a drill and get a feel for how arduous the work must have been back then. It was exciting and great fun for all of us!
After the tour, we were treated to a rustic lunch – just the thing after a morning underground. But that wasn’t all: a quiz followed in which we were able to put our newly acquired knowledge to the test. Our head of accounting, Judith, proved her unbeatable memory and came out on top!
The culmination of our visit was the joint singing of the Steigerlied. Everyone stood up and joined in with great enthusiasm. It was a real goosebump moment and a great way to connect with the tradition of mining.
After this impressive experience, we continued on to the Altenberg sports facilities, which was yet another experience – more on this in the next diary entry :-)
This day was a welcome change from everyday working life and brought us even closer together as a team. I’m already looking forward to our next adventure together!
Yours, Jule
