Cement industry in Rüdersdorf

The cradle of the German lime and cement industry is in Rüdersdorf, where the largest limestone quarry in Central Europe is located.

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Limestone has been mined for more than 700 years, and the first cement factories sprung up in 1885.

Since the quarry is a stone's throw from Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate, the Olympiastadion, and the facade of the Reichstag were built with limestone from Rüdersdorf.

Most impressive is the battery of 18 shaft kilns, active between 1874 and 1967. According to Museumspark.de, the kilns illustrate the transition from manual lime burning to large-scale industrial production.

During both the Second World War and the GDR regime, forced laborers had to work in cement factories.

In 1967, the last kilns were shut down. A significant demolition of the cement factories on the site followed. The redesigned museum park opened its doors in 1994, so you can now walk around the shaft furnaces. Cement is still produced in Cemex Rüdersdorf, only a few kilometers away.

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Cement industry in Rüdersdorf

Cement industry in Rüdersdorf

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