Church of St Joachim and St Anne

The Church of St Joachim and St Anne rises above Jáchymov's Republic Square as a stone memory of the silver-mining boom that turned a mountain settlement into one of the most important towns of early modern Central Europe. Built in 1534-1540, it is remembered as the first Lutheran church in Bohemia and as one of the key sacred monuments of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region.

Jáchymov, historically St Joachimsthal, grew with extraordinary speed after rich silver veins were found here in the early 16th century. The local mint produced thalers, the coin whose name later travelled into the English word dollar. The church belongs directly to that story: it was built by a confident mining town that wanted a place of worship equal to its wealth and reform-minded spirit.

Silver, Reformation and Renaissance stonework

The construction was supported by Count Štěpán Šlik and leading townspeople. The west facade still carries the famous Mining Portal, a Renaissance stone relief by Jiří of Bamberg with Šlik's likeness. It is one of the finest Renaissance sculptural works in the Ore Mountains region.

The first Protestant service was held here on 25 November 1537 by Johannes Mathesius, a preacher who later became one of Jáchymov's defining Reformation figures and corresponded with Martin Luther. After the Battle of White Mountain, religious freedom ended: in 1624 the church was taken from the Protestant community and returned to the Catholic Church.

Fire and Josef Mocker's renewal

A major fire swept through Jáchymov on 31 March 1873 and almost destroyed the church interior. Lost works included an altarpiece by Lucas Cranach. The rebuilding was led by Josef Mocker, the architect known for work on Karlštejn Castle and St Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Between 1874 and 1876 Mocker transformed the original single-nave Renaissance space into a three-aisled pseudo-Gothic basilica. The church kept its monumental outer walls, buttresses and Renaissance portals, while the interior gained the character it largely has today. The tower, now about 56 metres high, gives the town centre its unmistakable vertical accent.

UNESCO mining context

The church forms part of Jáchymov's historic centre, one of the components of the Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. For visitors, it helps connect several layers of Jáchymov at once: silver, the thaler, Reformation history, later Catholic renewal and the long afterlife of a mining town.

Visiting

The church is open to the public during regular services and occasional concerts or cultural events. The exterior can be viewed freely year-round from Republic Square. Admission is free when the church is open for services.

• Services: Wednesday 16:00, Sunday 10:00
• Concerts and events: as listed in the town programme

Directions and contacts

• Address: náměstí Republiky, 362 51 Jáchymov
• GPS: 50.3726, 12.9128
• Town website: mestojachymov.cz

The church stands directly on Republic Square in the centre of Jáchymov, less than 20 km from Karlovy Vary. Buses connect Jáchymov with Karlovy Vary and Ostrov nad Ohří.