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Ruins of the Düneberg Gunpowder Factory Workshop

Ruins of the Düneberg Gunpowder Factory Workshop

Highlight • Historical Site

Ruins of the Düneberg Gunpowder Factory Workshop

Recommended by 468 hikers out of 477

This Highlight is in a protected area

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Besenhorster Sandberge und Elbsandwiesen

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Location: Geesthacht, Herzogtum Lauenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

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Tips

Marius

July 6, 2025

The old gunpowder factory in Düneberg has existed since the late 19th century. Initially, it produced gunpowder, later also explosives for war. After 1945, the site was severely damaged. Because chemicals were used there for a long time, problems with the soil and groundwater persist to this day. In the late 1980s, more detailed investigations began. Some areas have been considered contaminated since then and require continued monitoring.

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JR56

January 29, 2019

The powder factory in Düneberg was founded as a branch of the combined Cologne-Rottweiler powder factories in 1877 by Max Duttenhöfer. In the early years, it produced exclusively black powder. Production of nitroglycerin powder began in 1890. During the First World War, trinitrotoluene was produced on the site alongside NG powder for the production of Tri-Powder. After the First World War, powder production was shut down or the operation was converted to civilian products. In 1934, the first powder production facilities were completed. The operation was transferred to Dynamit Nobel AG and was continuously expanded until 1945. The factory site was bombed in 1945 and partially severely damaged.

Due to the company's long history, the variety of materials used, and the destruction of production facilities by bombing raids, production-specific contamination of groundwater and soil is to be expected on the company premises.

In 1988–1989, Dr.-Ing. Slomka & Harder GmbH prepared an initial hazard assessment for the site of the former Düneberg powder factory.

Based on the evaluation of existing documents, such as site plans and archival material, as well as a literature review, the company's historical development was reconstructed and the production processes in the individual parts of the company were described and mapped. After analyzing the hazard potential, the operational areas deemed to require further investigation were identified, and a proposal for the investigation program was developed.

These areas were investigated in more detail in the following years.

Detailed reports on this topic are available from the Environmental Department.

geesthacht.de/index.php?ModID=7&FID=2495.7141.1&object=tx%7C2495.7141.1

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Alex

April 23, 2017

A nice place for friends of lost places.

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Details

Informations

Elevation 10 m

Weather

Saturday 20 December

7°C

3°C

0 %

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Max wind speed: 15.0 km/h

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Location: Geesthacht, Herzogtum Lauenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

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Ruins of the Düneberg Gunpowder Factory Workshop

1. Hiking trail in the Besenhorst Sand Mountains

2. Besenhorster Sandberge Sand Dunes loop from Voßmoor

3. Besenhorster Sandberge Sand Dunes loop from Voßmoor

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