Brikettfabrik Louise, Technical monument and museum in Domsdorf, Germany.
Brikettfabrik Louise is a two-storey red-brick factory building in Domsdorf with a stepped gable, rows of small white-framed windows and a band of round porthole openings near the top. A dark green cylindrical tank stands in front of the facade, and a tall yellowish-brown brick chimney with a lighter band near its top rises from the complex, carrying a white sign reading "LOUISE".
The factory began briquette production in 1882 and operated continuously for more than a century. It was shut down in 1992 and now stands as a preserved record of the industrial era.
The factory's name comes from the Louise mine field, and the settlement of Alwine, 500 metres away, housed many of its workers. Since 1994 the volunteer association Freundeskreis Technisches Denkmal Brikettfabrik "Louise" has kept the machines running, and visitors can watch them operate during demonstrations.
The site is best explored during opening hours, which are held on selected days. Guided tours help visitors understand the complex machinery and how it operates.
The factory's chimney carries a white sign with black lettering reading "LOUISE", visible from a distance. About 500 metres away lies the Alwine settlement, where many of the factory's workers lived. The site is the oldest briquette factory in Europe.
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