Regional history – written in stone

Cathrinesminde was one of the last operating brickworks, dating back to an era when more than 70 similar brickyards still seamed the banks of the Flensburg Fjord. Production in Cathrinesminde took place from 1732 to 1968. Quite a long time span, and even on a large scale. Entries show for instance that more than two million stones left the factory in the year1921. Today, the former brick kiln houses a museum that holds plenty of facts and stories about regional brick production. Did you know that the colour of the bricks depends on the layer of earth from which the clay was obtained? The typical yellow colour was provided by the calcareous clay from the deeper layers. The clay was heated to over 1,000 degrees Celsius. 126,000 stones fit into the ring-ovens, which were built around the 41-metres-high chimney.