Brikettfabrik Herrmannschacht Zeitz, Industrial heritage museum in Zeitz, Germany
Brikettfabrik Herrmannschacht is an industrial site in Zeitz with machinery from the 1870s and 1880s that shows the complete process of making coal briquettes. The factory equipment demonstrates how coal dust was transformed into solid fuel blocks that were used for heating and power.
The facility was built in 1889 to supply cheap fuel to the Zeitz sugar factory and operated until 1959 powered by a single steam engine. This long period of operation shows how stable and reliable this technology was for the local industry.
The factory shows how coal briquette production shaped daily life in Central Germany over 100 years ago. The preserved machinery and tools tell the story of the hard work that took place in this industrial operation.
Visitors should keep in mind that the site is outdoors and weather-dependent, so dress accordingly for changing conditions. Sturdy shoes are important since you walk across uneven ground with old machinery stations.
The factory preserves nearly all of its original machinery and equipment except for the drive system, making it the oldest surviving first-generation coal briquette facility in the world. This unusually high level of authenticity allows visitors to see the technology work in much the same way it did over 130 years ago.
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