The Hüstener Gewerkschaft founded the Brilon-Wald charcoal plant in 1880 to produce charcoal for the rolling mills in Hüsten and Arnsberg-Bruchhausen.
Until it ceased operations in 1995, the plant went by various company names, although the name "Degussa" is probably the most common in the vernacular.
The actual products and production processes were rarely changed at the plant. The products manufactured during the existence of the chemical factory were charcoal, wood tar, wood vinegar, liquid by-products of charring wood, activated carbon based on charcoal for a wide range of applications and much more. The vinegar tower building was erected in 1904 as a "wood spirit building" (later "extraction plant") for raw wood spirit extraction. In later years, structural changes were made by enlarging the floor area and raising the height of the building. The industrial facilities were completely demolished between 1999 and the end of 2003.
The vinegar tower has been preserved as a reminder of the industrial past and has been placed under a preservation order. It is part of the new settlement of the company Condensator Dominit, which has since taken place, as an integration into the industrial use of the historic site.
Further questions can be answered by the following persons:
Organizational matters - Mr. Frank Lahme (Condensator Dominit GmbH),
Historical matters - Mr. Willi Otto (private) Tel. 02961-3847