Industrial and building materials history

 

When people think of industrial buildings today, they probably primarily think of chimneys and simple factories. The magnificent portals of former canals from the early 19th century (Bülow Portal and Heinitz Portal), as well as the elegant warehouse building at the park's entrance, demonstrate that prestige and aesthetics were still highly valued in construction during the early industrial period. The Rumford kilns from the early 19th century represent engineering masterpieces from the time before the Industrial Revolution, when high-quality quicklime was produced in Rüdersdorf. The shaft furnace battery and the pulley pillar at the rear of the park are architectural witnesses to the Industrial Revolution: They helped the city of Berlin quadruple its size between the founding years from 1871 and the First World War. The first cement was produced in Rüdersdorf in 1885 – a process that has continued uninterrupted to this day. Visitors to the park can hear the sounds of blasting in the open-cast mine, which is directly adjacent to the site, twice a day.

 

Find out more on site – for example on a historical tour or in our exhibitions .