Herrmannschacht briquette factory

The Herrmannschacht briquette factory in Zeitz was built in 1889 to supply the Zeitz sugar factory with cheap fuel. The factory is considered the world's oldest surviving briquette factory of the first generation. With the exception of the transmission drive, the technical equipment of the factory has been preserved in its original condition.
In the course of industrialization, a sugar factory was built in Zeitz in 1858. To supply the factory with energy, the factory director Richard Herrmann had lignite fields developed in the vicinity of Zeitz from 1865 onwards. From 1866 onwards, the "Neue Sorge" shaft was sunk. Opposite the sugar factory, a coal loading station was built in 1880/81 directly on the railway line, which was connected to the shaft by a cable car system. From 1883, the cable car led directly to the boiler house of the briquette factory.

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