Starting life in 1843, the Diamond Brewery was the brainchild of two brothers, Albert and Hermann Wernecke. They started by brewing in their parent's kitchen.
Expanding dramatically over the years, this is not I repeat not an image of their parent's kitchen. The brothers died, the brewery changed its name: Actien Brauerei.
Lidl.
Don't ya just love Lidl, quality food and very reasonable prices, sometimes I visit Lidl (we have four in my hometown), just to mooch the middle aisle. The middle at Lidl rules OK.
They also have very generously sized car parks, which are free for customers. Yeah well needs must, two bananas later and I am staring in awe at the brewery, which was conveniently about 100yds away.
The "Brauhaus" is now a physiotherapy type place. There is also a micro brewery keeping the name alive and various other small enterprises dotted about the site. Softly softly catchee monkey
So I spent quite a bit of time outside......trying to find a window to climb through or a door "to fall against."
lovely wrought iron stairs and I love the long drain pipe
And there it was a magical hole, complete with somewhere to rest for those queuing to get in.
C'Mon.
Let's Mooch
Lovely a dark basement, I don't eat carrots so I don't have uber night vision.
I sit. I wait. I let my eyes adjust. Silence.
Well bugger me!
I shall not go into great explanation but let's just say when the buckles are released I guess you would have a rather sore pooper
An empty bottle of solvent based liquid nearby, Not poppers but maybe just maybe.....every little helps. It certainly predates the eu directive on labelling harmful substances which came into being in the early 90's.
If my moral compass was not always pointing North, that would be framed and on the wall of my study by now. That is History, celebrating 150 years of the Diamant Brauerei. The building I am in ceased production early in 1991, but continued in a different location in Magdeburg.
Speaking of different locations let's wander a bit
"Dear customers!
The beverage market is closed on 2.2.92."
"The beverage market of Sieverstor strasse is open from 8am -2pm"
They came from far and wide to enjoy the party.
Wandering aimlessly, I have to say, the corridors of darkness, until eventually finding my way to the business end of the complex
Plenty of soft furnishings, I am thinking this place is a popular place, maybe for the local riff raff to hang out,
Another floor, another little bar of sorts. Going down again and some big big empty spaces
Just making out the footprint of where vats or vessels of some description stood
Teagle openings high up on the wall and some sturdy old steps to go back up again, follow the arrow I guess
So without much effort at all the door opened quite easily, they say "curiosity killed the cat", even with my limited German I understand the message
Although I understand what went on in the basement, I am not sure what went on in here; it is obviously part of the brewing process. It is just a guess, but given the conical shape of the structure I believe I was at the top of the tower as seen in the snap below.
But looking at the floor I did not venture beyond the threshold; if that mesh gives way then...... "Hi, I am the reaper of souls, and your is mine", would be the last words I would have heard. So I retreated.
I love old German Fonts, so artistic in their own way
In 1941, it was the largest brewery in Saxony employing just under 700 individuals and produced, it is reported, 5 million gallons of beer in that year.
“Stadt und Land trinkt Diamant!” was the enduring slogan
The site continued to produce beer right up until 1994, it has remained abandoned ever since.
What a magnificent place to visit, no floors fallen through, and more importantly I did not get bummed!
Lidl here we come.