Iron ore extraction in the numerous mines of the Gottlob in Friedrichroda dates back to the 16th century. However, the focus shifted towards manganese ores from the middle of the 19th century onwards. The veins of the Gottlob also contain a rich variety of rare and attractive minerals such as Hausmannite and Goethite. Five minerals were first discovered here and scientifically recorded:

Braunite (HAIDINGER 1827), opaque manganese mineral

Crednerite (RAMMELSBERG 1847), opaque copper-manganese mineral

Vésingnéite (Guillemin 1955), yellow-green copper-vanadate

Gottlobite (Witzke et al. 2000), Calcium-magnesium-vanadate (orange brown)

La-Wakefieldite (Witzke et al. 2008), Lanthanum-vanadate (brownish-violet)

Only 14 minerals have their type locality in Thuringia. Gottlobite and Lanthan (La)-Wakefieldite are very exotic minerals that have only recently been found and described. The type mineral was found on the spoil heaps of Glückstern mine in Friedrichroda. Both minerals have never been found anywhere else in the world.

References:

Witzke, T. Steins, M.; Doering, T. & Kolitsch, U. (2000): Gottlobite, CaMg(VO4) (OH), a new mineral from Friedrichroda.– Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Monatshefte, Seite 444-454.

Witzke, T.; Kolitsch, U.; Warnsloh, J.M. & Göske, J. (2008): Wakefieldite-(La), LaVO₄, a new mineral species from the Glücksstern Mine, Friedrichroda, Thuringia, Germany. – European Journal of Mineralogy Volume 20 Number 6 (2008), Seite 1135 - 1139.