Harzer Holzschleiferei
THE ABANDONED GRINDING SHOP IN GERMANY
This abandoned wood grinding shop was in operation since the end of the 19th century. The facilities included a hydropower plant that was integrated into the building during its construction. The shop was used until the 1950s.
The basis for the construction of this wood grinding shop was in fact a 93-year lease from 1896. The Royal Forest Treasury allowed the landowner to build a weir and a water supply ditch on the areas of the forest treasury to collect the water from the river Sieber, to use for the operation of the wood grinder. The Sieber is 35 kilometers long and a right-hand tributary of the Oder.
The small factory was named ‘Schleiferei II’ and processed wood for the Herzberg paper factory. The company is named Smurfit Kappa today.
Operations ceased in the 1950s. But electricity was still produced here until 1989 by hydropower. Today these ruins are left to decay. I visited the Harzer Holzschleiferei in 2021. Six individual apartments, each generously proportioned and equipped, were built here in 2022. The mill is being restored to preserve its historical character and eventually the new Schleiferei II will open for May 2023.
