Pressstofffabrik Römmler-Werken
THE ABANDONED FACTORY IN GERMANY
Explore ‘Pressstofffabrik Spremberg’, founded in 1867. The factory was famous in DDR-times because of the production of Sprelacart. The complex was abandoned after the Unification of Germany.
The ‘Pressstofffabrik Spremberg’ was founded in 1867 by industrialist Hermann Römmler. At first, gramophone records and insulating material were made from waste of the textile factories nearby. The electrotechnical department becomes independent and becomes the leading factory for high-quality insulation material. In 1920 Römmler started the production and processing of high-quality molding materials. For this, a pressure-heat process was used to form the products. Römmler soon became a pioneer in plastics that could replace bakelite products.
Later, in 1930 they started to produce resin bonded laminated panels. The panels were named the DDR brand Sprelacart, a name is composed of Spremberg, laminate and Carton. The heat- and chemical-resistant, scratch-resistant panels were mostly used in kitchens. Since 1930 the panels were a protected brand. The West made the same product under the brand Resopal.
The factory made weapons during the Second World War. Because of this, the Soviets dismantled the plant after the war in 1945. A lot of workers went to the American occupation zone and started a new company in Groß-Umstadt with the help of the BBC concern. Meanwhile, in Spremberg, a few former employees were gathering broken and burned-out machines to set up the first basic production facilities. Shortly after, a new factory was constructed to restart production.
The panels are still made today under the name SPRELA and Resopal. I took these photos of the old ‘Pressstofffabrik Römmler-Werken’ in 2014. A new owner partly demolished and partly reconverted the complex in 2021.
