Märkische Ölmühle

Märkische Ölmühle is an industrial complex on the Elbe River in Wittenberge made up of brick factory buildings, a laboratory, octagonal oil storage tanks, and a factory mansion. The site spreads along the riverbank and displays the typical layout of a major 19th-century production facility.

Merchant Salomon Herz founded the oil mill in 1823 and built it into Europe's largest facility of its kind, transforming Wittenberge into an industrial center. The operation grew over decades and profoundly shaped the city's economy and development.

The industrial complex displays preserved original features like wooden beams and period doors that show how workers moved through the space during production days. These architectural details give visitors a sense of the building's working past and the craftsmanship involved in its construction.

The site is located on Bad Wilsnacker Street 52 in Wittenberge and functions today as a hotel with dining and wellness facilities open to visitors. Its position on the Elbe makes it easy to find and provides a good base for exploring the city's industrial heritage.

The site once had a canal system that replaced horse-powered operations with three water wheels for oil production, operating until 1937. This mechanical solution demonstrated the factory's innovative approach and made it less dependent on manual labor.