Schmidt and Coqui brothers
The Schmidt and Coqui brothers were a sugar factory in Westerhüsen on the edge of the Magdeburg Börde .
history
It was founded in 1838, making it the second oldest sugar factory on the Magdeburger Börde, one of the most important growing areas for sugar beet . The idea to found it went back to Herrmann Schmidt . He had got to know the local sugar production in France . The other parties involved were his brother Albert Schmidt and Henry Coqui . All three were Magdeburg merchants. Coqui retired on his death in 1853.
The factory was built on January 13th, 1838, on that day the approach to sand began in a field north of Westerhüsen, between the road to Salbke and the Elbe . A little further south of the factory site there was a starch factory that had been built recently by the businessman Schwarz. To the north extended the Schrader fields. The property was six acres and was surrounded by open fields. Five acres had been bought for 1250 thalers from Ackermann Stoeffler and one morning from Kossaten Peter Müller for 200 thalers. Trial operations began on January 11, 1839. Initially, about 100 quintals of sugar beets were processed manually a day. Albert Schmidt, who lived at Peterstrasse 23 in Magdeburg, but often stayed in Westerhüsen, was in charge of the commercial business . Hermann Schmidt (* August 31, 1803; † October 19, 1867) lived in a residential building on the factory premises.
After Hermann Schmidt passed away without leaving any children, Albert Schmidt's sons Gustav , Robert and Paul Schmidt gradually joined the company. Gustav moved into the family home.
To the north of the factory building was the residential building and a horse stable, to the east the inspector's house and the charcoal distillery . It was replaced by a lime kiln in 1878 . The warehouse building was low and more like a shed, but with a clock. At first, the factory in the west did not reach the main street. Between the road and the factory there was an open field or a small garden. In the 1870s, at the instigation of Gustav Schmidt, a large Elbe garden was laid out south of the factory facing the Elbe by the Magdeburg garden director Paul Viktor Niemeyer . Particularly noteworthy was a hidden, green-entwined grotto made of large field stones, from which there was a view of the Elbe, meadows and forests.
Agricultural land was acquired in the immediate vicinity in order to be able to grow sugar beet oneself, whereby at the end of the 1880s, due to the constant cultivation of beets, the soil became tired and could only be countered with new fertilizers after some time. In 1847 the Richtersche Hof , located directly in Westerhüsen, in today's Sohlener Straße 2, and the Sohlen estate were bought. In addition, the land north of the factory up to the Westerhüsen glassworks, which has meanwhile been built, was also acquired further north . The approach to the sugar beets was carried out by teams of oxen, which shaped the townscape for a long time. In 1873 an ox barn for 100 animals was built on the factory premises. A siding to the Westerhüsen station a little further to the north-west was also created . A loading bay was built on the Elbe. The beet transports should be able to be handled more cheaply. In 1882 the factory was expanded. In this year, behind a one-storey officials 'house built in 1865 directly on the main street, another two-story officials' house was built. The factory gate moved up to the main street, the little garden was leveled. Only a hawthorn tree and some poplars along the way remained. A large arbor called a temple was moved to the large garden on the Elbe. The area of the former small garden was used as a storage place for sugar beets in winter. In summer, garden plots were operated there for the farm residents.
An alternator was purchased very early to use electricity. At a time when electric light was still considered a luxury in the 19th century, even the pigsty belonging to the factory had electric lighting. Among other things, this should reduce the risk of fire. The company was also considered progressive in social matters. A company health insurance fund and company pension scheme were introduced as early as the early 1880s.
Further new buildings were built with the establishment of a washer system for washing the beets and the establishment of a chicory kiln on Hauptstrasse in 1888 . On the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary, a 50 made of electric light bulbs was placed on the front of the factory building, which was received as a sensation. Family, friends, business partners and employees celebrated in the magazine that was converted into a ballroom. There were performances describing the company's history and there was dancing. A few days later, the workers celebrated in the Westerhüsener restaurant Zum golden Schiff . The amount of beet processed daily had risen to 10,000 to 11,000 quintals.
Around 1900 a new round chimney was built and the square chimney that had been in operation until then was later removed. Despite the unfavorable economic development and several years with losses, a new pulp drying system was also purchased. On November 16, 1909, there was a major fire, presumably due to a dust explosion , which spread to all factory buildings. Even 3000 quintals of sugar stored on the sugar soil was completely burned. The co-owner Paul Schmidt managed to let off the steam from the steam boiler in order to prevent further explosions. The fire brigades, who had moved in large numbers, were unable to suppress the fire, but only prevented it from spreading to neighboring properties. The kiln, which was built in 1888, remained undamaged and was operated until 1917.
Due to the previous losses, the owners lacked the financial means to rebuild. The land was then only used for agriculture. After some family blows of fate, the owners decided in 1917 to sell all the fields and the Sohlen estate to A. & W. Allendorff from Schönebeck (Elbe) . The land comprised 1,820 acres of own and 2,884 acres of leased fields.
From 1917 on, a metal smelter was built on the site of the sugar factory. A specially built 75 meter high chimney was striking. The neighboring Fahlberg-List chemical plant took over the company on September 24, 1921 . The waste that remained from the pebbles after the sulfur was extracted was processed by the metal works. The copper was leached out and the remaining iron oxide was given to ironworks. However, the plant proved to be uneconomical due to its small size and was given up again in December 1928.
The area of the old sugar factory then belonged to Fahlberg-List. The former chimney of the metal works was demolished in early April 1951. Since the end of the Salbke / Westerhüsen production site in the 1990s, the area has been fallow. There is a suspicion of contaminated sites.
literature
- Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the city district of Magdeburg-S , manuscript in the city archive of Magdeburg, signature 80 / 1035n, Part II, page 65 ff.
- The Westerhüser factories , Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, 1924–1942.
- based on notes by Maria Schmidt, The Westerhüser sugar factory in Evang. Municipal newspaper Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, No. 11 November 1938 and continued in No. 12 December 1938.
Individual evidence
- ^ Friedrich Großhennig, Ortschronik von Westerhüsen in the city district of Magdeburg-S , manuscript in the Magdeburg city archive, signature 80 / 1035n, Part II, page 65
- ↑ Based on a recording by Maria Schmidt, Die Westerhüser sugar factory in Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt Magdeburg-Westerhüsen, November 1938; there the "garden director Niemann in Magdeburg" is named. Garden director Niemeyer should be meant, however.
Coordinates: 52 ° 4 ′ 7.2 " N , 11 ° 40 ′ 30.7" E