Brick Factory "Dusty Stuff"
On the outskirts of a small town in the German state of Thuringia lies an abandoned brickworks whose history dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Around
1850, the local clay deposits began to be used industrially in the region - a development that was encouraged by the increasing demand for building materials following the onset of
industrialization. The geographical proximity to the Unstrut river made it possible to transport bricks by water and made the location even more attractive.
The brickworks quickly developed into an important economic factor for the
village. In the 1870s, the originally manual production was expanded with the first mechanical equipment, which significantly increased the efficiency and quantity of bricks produced. After a change in ownership in 1886 the new owner had a Hoffman kiln built.
In the period around 1900, the brickworks was at the peak of its capacity utilization - many buildings in the village and the surrounding communities still bear bricks tpday that were made in this brickworks.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the brickworks was a central employer in the village. However, the difficult economic times of the Weimar Republic led to fluctuations in production here too, until the Second World War changed the situation once again. During the war, the company - like many others in Germany - continued to be used to support the war infrastructure, albeit under sometimes difficult conditions.
After 1945, with the division of Germany and the founding of the GDR, the brickworks was converted into a state-owned enterprise (VEB) in the following years. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was involved in state-planned construction projects and continued to produce bricks under central management, albeit under increasingly outdated technical conditions.
The political change in 1989 and German reunification in 1990 triggered an economic restructuring that many smaller businesses were unable to withstand. The
brickworks in Gehofen finally ceased operations in the early 1990s.
Today, only the remains of the kilns, halls and the striking chimney bear witness to the once vibrant brick production. The old brickworks remains an important part of the town's history - a
symbol of the changes in industry, working life and community over more than a century.
Visited: January 2, 2021
Location: Undisclosed, Germany
Status: Abandoned
