1. Die Steinmühle
Die Steinmühle wurde 1303 als Getreidemühle von den Zisterziensermönchen aus dem Kloster Zinn erbaut und von diesen betrieben. Bis 1766 wurde die Mühle als Getreidemühle genutzt, bis der damalige Mühlenmeister eine Genehmigung zur Anlegung einer Schneidemühle (Sägewerk) erhielt.
1845 wurde sie wieder abgerissen und danach als Ölmühle wiederaufgebaut. Ende 19. Jahrhunderts wurde auf Dampfkraft erweitert und die Mühle zur Strohpapierstoff-Fabrik umgebaut. Sie wurde auch weiter als Dampfmühle genutzt. 1918 firmiert die Mühle als „G. Thiele Steinmühle“. Inhaber war Emil Gericke, der Schwiegersohn von G.Thiele. 1934 wurde die Dampfmaschine durch einen Motor ersetzt und die Mühle vergrößert.
Erich Mendelsohn's hat factory in Luckenwalde
The former hat factory Friedrich Steinberg, Herrmann & Co. is an expressionist industrial building in Luckenwalde. As one of the most important buildings by Erich Mendelsohn, it is a listed building. Today the hall is also known under the name "Mendelsohnhalle".
When the hat manufacturers Salomon Herrmann, Gustav Herrmann, Felix Steinberg, as well as Robert Steinberg Senior and Robert Steinberg Junior merged in 1921, they decided to build a new and large factory in Luckenwalder Industriestrasse. The architect Erich Mendelsohn, who was still quite unknown at the time and who was friends with Gustav Herrmann, received the contract. Between 1921 and 1923, four production halls, a boiler and turbine house, a dyeing hall and two gatehouses were built on a floor area of 10,000 square meters. Mendelsohn's ingenuity was particularly evident in the construction of the dye works hall, the shaft-shaped roof hood of which was given modern ventilation. It resembled a hat and eventually became the trademark of all of Luckenwalde. The factory and its builder were also amazed by the experts because of the different materials used - reinforced concrete, glass and wood.
Erich Mendelsohn emigrated to London in 1933. From there he went to Jerusalem and finally moved to the United States of America in 1941, where he carried out some spectacular building projects and died in 1953.
The manufacturer Gustav Herrmann also left Germany with his family in 1933. A year later, the hat factory was sold to Norddeutsche Maschinenbau AG and the striking roof of the dyeing hall was torn down. Aircraft cannons and anti-aircraft weapons were manufactured in the halls until 1945. After the end of the war, the machines were dismantled in 1945 and taken to the Soviet Union as reparations. The Red Army used the hall as a repair shop until 1956. The newly established VEB roller bearing factory has been producing in the former hat factory since 1957.
After reunification, the Schweinfurt-based company FAG Kugelfischer took over the plant in Luckenwalde, but withdrew at the end of 1991 and ceased production. After that the buildings were empty. A support group established in 1999 enabled the preservation and partial renovation of the industrial plant, which was also funded by the German Foundation for Monument Protection. Continuous use of the buildings has not yet been achieved; they are currently empty.
