Zementfabrik Kaltenleutgeben |
| Date | 2010/07/24 |
| Location | Kaltenleutgeben, Austria |
| Links | My Flickr Set - Short History (in German) |
We first came across this place on one of our weekend hikes, and the buildings just asked to be explored a bit more than just from the outside.
The cement plant, which has been shut down in 1991, basically consists of two parts on both sides of the Kaltenleutgebner Straße.
In part A the stones from the nearby stone quarries were collected and broken into smaller pieces, which were then transported to part B for further processing.
We've only visited the "smaller" part A since it's easier accessible (you just walk in). The part still offers quite a bit to explore with several floors going down under earth.
Once you have entered the main building...
...you will find yourself on the top floor of this huge hall, with several easy ways to get down.
In the center on top is the main control room for all the processes in this part of the cement plant.
You'll find controls for different kinds of crushers, conveyor belts etc.
If you leave the big hall towards the right you'll enter the area where all the electricity distribution has been taken care of.
Working as an electrician in this plant must have been a lot of fun...
Getting back into the main hall, you'll notice this chute, where the stones were delivered directly from the quarries...
...and when you take a look at the floor underneath...
...you can still find some of the machinery used for crushing...
...and then transporting...
...the crushed stones from down below...
...up again...
...towards the next building.
This huge building was probably used to temporary store the crushed stones until they could be processed further.
Here you can once again go down quite a bit, until you reach the very bottom.
The floor here is already flooded with water a bit, which you can't see on this photo.
From down here the material was once again...
...transported upwards...
...and then all the way across the street...
...towards the main part of the plant where the real processing started.
Of course the area is also perfect as a playground for local street artists, and since they have all the time in the world for their works, you will find some quite nice samples there.
Unfortunately there are always dumb people who think the world is their dumpster, and this place is no exception. But except for that it's been a very unique experience and if you ever happen to be in the area, you definitely should take a peek inside :-)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.