The History:
Deteriorating since the company relocated in 2009, the huge complex of the New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie has seen it's fair bit of history.
In 1852, Harburg, currently still part of the Kingdom of Hanover. Holding a hard rubber patent and a license to manufacture combs, this was the first German factory to produce hard rubber, a precursor to modern plastics. It was used for things like cane handles, grave decorations, and building components.
The Site was destroyed in a fire in 1866, but was rebuilt and expanded over the decades with new buildings. The last major structural changes took place during the reconstruction after World War II.
Now built up of many layers. The central section, up to the second floor, still consists of the remains of the original building from 1866. This makes it one of the oldest examples of this unique construction style in the Hamburg area.
Despite this being the first hard rubber factory in the German Empire, the site remains abandoned and deteriorating due to its listed status. No one will take on the monumental task of renovating this location.
The Explore:
This is one I've visited a few times on my trips to Germany and it never disappoints. Despite having nothing much inside but trash and remanence from the many homeless that stayed there, the architecture makes it well worth it. From climbing over roofs, to getting waders and venturing into the flooded basement, I think it's safe to say I've seen every inch of this place. Although well known with the local explorers, it has received little coverage.
Access is a walk-in, but it's quite easy to lose your sense of direction once inside. There's an abundance of nice windows, pillars and old wooden details. But we found a heavily decayed, hard to access area on a later visit that became my favourite spot.
Thanks for taking a look!
Deteriorating since the company relocated in 2009, the huge complex of the New-York Hamburger Gummi-Waaren Compagnie has seen it's fair bit of history.
In 1852, Harburg, currently still part of the Kingdom of Hanover. Holding a hard rubber patent and a license to manufacture combs, this was the first German factory to produce hard rubber, a precursor to modern plastics. It was used for things like cane handles, grave decorations, and building components.
The Site was destroyed in a fire in 1866, but was rebuilt and expanded over the decades with new buildings. The last major structural changes took place during the reconstruction after World War II.
Now built up of many layers. The central section, up to the second floor, still consists of the remains of the original building from 1866. This makes it one of the oldest examples of this unique construction style in the Hamburg area.
Despite this being the first hard rubber factory in the German Empire, the site remains abandoned and deteriorating due to its listed status. No one will take on the monumental task of renovating this location.
The Explore:
This is one I've visited a few times on my trips to Germany and it never disappoints. Despite having nothing much inside but trash and remanence from the many homeless that stayed there, the architecture makes it well worth it. From climbing over roofs, to getting waders and venturing into the flooded basement, I think it's safe to say I've seen every inch of this place. Although well known with the local explorers, it has received little coverage.
Access is a walk-in, but it's quite easy to lose your sense of direction once inside. There's an abundance of nice windows, pillars and old wooden details. But we found a heavily decayed, hard to access area on a later visit that became my favourite spot.
Thanks for taking a look!
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