Perhaps, you’ve walked past unassuming places before without realizing their stories. Today, we pause at the Ziegelei am Roten Lehm. It is a site rich with history. Although much of the original structure is gone, its story remains etched in the land.
The Ziegelei am Roten Lehm was once a thriving brick factory. In 1997, it was considered an industrial monument. Sadly, time took its toll. Buildings fell into disrepair. Only the old machine house was saved. It narrowly escaped a fire in 2001. By December 5, 2005, most of the Ziegelei was demolished. Only the old factory apartments remain.
Why was the Ziegelei am Roten Lehm built here? In 1843, workers building the Altona-Kiel railway found red clay. Geologist Ludwig Meyn identified it as Permian deposits. This discovery led to the Ziegelei’s creation.
In 1844, Carl Theodor Arnemann secured a license from the Danish King Christian VIII. He established a brick factory on Lieth’s red clay. Production began in 1847. Workers manually extracted red clay. They used horse-drawn carts to transport it to the factory. The clay was shaped by hand and dried. Then, workers fired the bricks using peat from nearby moors.
The late 19th century brought advancements. Machines replaced manual labor. A steam-powered press formed the bricks. The old German oven gave way to a Hoffmann ring oven.
From 1869 to 1908, the Möller family owned the Ziegelei am Roten Lehm. Industrialization increased brick demand. Elmshorn saw many buildings rise using Lieth bricks. These included the St. Nikolai-Kirche tower built in 1881. Also, the Assmussen malt factory, the riding school and the Bismarck School.
In 1908, the Meinert, Eilers and Magens families purchased the Ziegelei. World Wars caused closures. After World War II, Ernst Meinert restarted production with over 40 workers.
The Kapplusch family managed the Ziegelei from 1952. They modernized it. Tunnel ovens became popular in the 1960s. However, Lieth’s red clay had high gypsum content. This made it unsuitable for high-quality bricks. The Ziegelei am Roten Lehm closed in 1965.
Interestingly, a world-record attempt occurred near the Ziegelei am Roten Lehm. From 1872 to 1878, a deep drilling project sought coal deposits. They reached 1338 meters. It was a world record then. Yet, they found no coal.
Around the Ziegelei am Roten Lehm was another industrial operation. In 1876, Ludwig Meyn discovered Lieth’s lime deposits. He realized its potential as fertilizer. Diedrich Meinert and Johannes Hell founded the Liether Kalkwerke in 1926. It produced fertilizer.
The Ziegelei am Roten Lehm is gone but not forgotten. Once a source of bricks, it now exists in memory. The bricks live on in Elmshorn’s buildings. The Ziegelei’s story is a reminder of industry and change.