Niederschmiedeberg

Niederschmiedeberg is in a very romantic location. The popular "Preßnitztal cycle path" brings many cycle tourists to the village, especially in the summer months. The "Preßnitztal Museum" in the town center houses a vivid collection on the history of the region. A wonderful adventure playground on a large recreation area with a public barbecue area invites families with children. On the other hand, the ruins of the formerly flourishing DKK refrigerator factory still characterize the townscape and its a painful reminder of the past. At its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, the company employed more than 2,000 people at the Niederschmiedeberg plant and produced 1 million refrigerators for the first time in 1988. The company also shaped the social and cultural life of the place, which made the liquidation of the company after reunification more painful. Even a hopeful new start after the end of the GDR with the world's first CFC and FC-free refrigerator could not save the company's existence. The decay of the empty factory buildings means a social problem, but today the place can also record an increase in young families with children. In addition to several small businesses, there is once again a large employer in town. The company Purkart, a metalworking company active throughout Europe, has chosen Niederschmiedeberg as its location in East Germany and uses the buildings of the former freezer production of the DKK refrigerator factory. Niederschmiedeberg can look back on a long mining history. Iron ore was mined in the region early on. Although it was first mentioned in a document in 1501, a hammer mill is said to have existed in the area of today's Niederschmiedeberg as early as 1400. A former colliery with a hat house and a tunnel mouth above it can still be admired in the center of the village. After the decline of the mining industry, other branches of the economy had to be developed. Since agriculture was only possible with difficulty on the steep slopes of the Preßnitztal, sawmills, an oil mill and a flour mill were built in the town. Towards the end of the 19th century, the town's industry initially shifted to paper and cardboard production. The paper mill was dismantled in 1946 as part of repair services to the USSR. The vacant buildings were briefly used by the GDR's state-owned collection and purchase company (VEAB) to store grain and hay. The VEB DKK Scharfenstein bought the property in 1954 and expanded it for the assembly of domestic refrigerators. In the district of Niederschmiedeberg, the carving and bobbin lace association takes care of the maintenance and passing on of regional traditions and of course the town pyramid as well as carved signs for bridges and benches. The "Rot-Weiss" sports club runs a modern bowling alley and takes part in sporting competitions with several teams. Highlights of the year are the traditional witch fire and the pyramid festival before the 1st Advent, and if necessary, the clubs also work together with the local volunteer fire brigade to organize various events in town.