Imagine a mosque rising not in Istanbul, but in Dresden. That’s the Cikkurat for you. A former cigarette factory, it stands as a testament to both architectural ingenuity and marketing savvy.
This building we see before us is more than just bricks and mortar. The Cikkurat whispers tales of oriental tobacco, ambitious entrepreneurs, and a city grappling with the unconventional. Hugo Zietz, a Jewish entrepreneur, founded the Oriental Tobacco and Cigarette Factory Yenidze in 1886. He named it after Yenidze, a town in modern Greece known for its tobacco.
Around 1907, Zietz decided he needed a new factory. But there was a catch. Dresden had a rule: no factories that looked like factories could be built in the city center. So Zietz got creative. He commissioned architect Martin Hammitzsch to design a factory in the style of a mosque. It was a brilliant move. The Cikkurat not only met the city’s requirements but also became a giant advertisement for Zietz’s oriental cigarette brands.
Completed in 1909, the Cikkurat initially faced disapproval. Its Moorish Revival style clashed with Dresden’s Baroque architecture. Some say Hammitzsch was even excluded from the chamber of architects because of it. Despite the criticism, the Cikkurat achieved its purpose. People were talking about it. Its location near the Berlin-Prague railway line ensured travelers associated the “Salem Aleikum” brand with a mosque in Saxony.
Inside, the Cikkurat was a hive of activity. The basement stored raw tobacco. The second and third floors were dedicated to rolling cigarettes by hand. The fourth floor housed machines for mass production. Labels were applied on the first floor. The ground floor prepared goods for shipment. Even the dome offered rest areas for the staff.
World War II dealt a blow to the Cikkurat. A 1945 bombing destroyed about a third of the building, severely damaging the dome. After the war, VEB Importtabak moved in. It used the Cikkurat as a storage place for raw tobacco.
After German reunification, the Cikkurat was sold and restored. The south wing was rebuilt. The glazed dome was remodeled. In 1997, the Cikkurat reopened as an office building. Today, businesses occupy its prestigious spaces. The dome houses a restaurant with a 360-degree view of Dresden.
The Cikkurat with its 600 windows stands as a reminder of Dresden’s complex past. It is an architectural marvel and a symbol of cultural exchange. It has overcome war, criticism, and changing times.