Explosion accident in the Reinsdorf explosives plant

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The explosion at the explosives plant in Reinsdorf occurred on June 13, 1935 in the WASAG plant near Reinsdorf (since 1993 part of Lutherstadt Wittenberg ). It killed over 100 people, just as many seriously injured, more than 300 slightly injured and led to serious property damage at the plant and in the surrounding villages.

History of the work

The Reinsdorf plant of WASAG (Westfälisch-Anhaltische Sprengstoff AG) went into operation in 1894. According to the provisions of the Versailles Treaty , it was the only one in Germany that was still allowed to manufacture explosives . The production capacities were constantly expanded, especially after 1933. In 1935 the plant had almost 8,000 employees.

Course of the accident

Funeral service on June 18, 1935

An acid glove that had fallen into the collection box of a worker in the residue laundry of the toluene plant started a fire. The collecting boxes exploded, and the resulting pressure wave and flaming slingshots led to a chain reaction through which two nitroglycerin systems and a large nitroglycerin powder magazine caught fire, exploded and were completely destroyed. At least 27 tons of explosives exploded. Iron gadgets , tank cars and storage tanks were thrown hundreds of meters. The three to four km away places Reinsdorf and Braunsdorf were particularly affected by the pressure waves of the explosion, even in eight km away Wittenberg numerous shop windows were destroyed.

Most of the injured were driven in confiscated private vehicles to the Paul-Gerhardt-Stift hospital in Wittenberg, which was under the direction of the surgeon Paul Bosse . With one exception, all seriously injured people were rescued. On June 18, a state funeral took place in Reinsdorf with the participation of Hitler , Goering and Goebbels . Despite the severe destruction, production was resumed on June 19, and the destroyed plants (except for the toluene plant) were rebuilt.

After 1945

The plant was occupied by the Soviet Army on April 27, 1945 , then dismantled and then blown up. Only the administration building and the casino at Tor 1 (Heuweg / Kastanienweg) remained, which were used as a TB hospital from 1959 and as a specialist hospital for pulmonology , surgery and urology from 1974 . In 2005 the hospital was closed.

literature

  • Otto Blüthgen: The explosion in the Reinsdorf explosives factory on June 13, 1935. In: Heimatkalender 1998. Drei Kastanien Verlag, Lutherstadt Wittenberg 1997, pp. 54–66.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Munitions explosion near Wittenberg. 80 years ago, there was a devastating accident. In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung . June 12, 2015.
  2. ↑ Inaugurated as a tuberculosis sanatorium 50 years ago. In: Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. January 29, 2009.

Coordinates: 51 ° 53 ′ 43 "  N , 12 ° 34 ′ 54"  E