Briquette factory from 1918 in Hoyerswerda-Knappenrode – an industrial museum on lignite, briquetting and the transformation of the Lusatian coalfield.
March 29, 2026 – November 15, 2026
Some 150 photographs by David Brandt and Cornelia Munzinger-Brandt portray 25 former industrial workers who, after losing their jobs in the 1990s, have been preserving their old working worlds in museums and local initiatives.
June 17, 2025 – December 31, 2026
A portable tiled stove from around 1925 from the museum's own stove collection meets the art project "Athanor," whose servers generate heat as they compute.
The Werminghoff briquette factory went into operation in 1918 as one of the most modern plants of its kind in Europe; a company housing estate for the workers had already been built next to it from 1913. After nationalization, the village was renamed Knappenrode in 1950. Over 75 years of production, some 67 million tons of briquettes were pressed here until the factory shut down in 1993.
As early as 1994, the Lausitzer Bergbaumuseum (Lusatian Mining Museum) opened in the halls. In 1998 the town of Hoyerswerda took over as operator and was one of the founding members of the Zweckverband Sächsisches Industriemuseum (Saxon Industrial Museum association), to which the museum has belonged ever since as one of four sites. In 2002 it was renamed Energiefabrik Knappenrode, and in 2008 the complex passed into the ownership of the district of Bautzen.
Between 2017 and 2020, the industrial monument was converted with funding from the federal program for nationally significant urban development projects and reopened in October 2020. Since then, a new foyer, the multimedia permanent exhibition Revier.Lausitz and a viewing platform have complemented the Fabrik.Erlebnis.Rundgang (Factory Experience Tour) through the original machine halls with plate dryers and steam presses. The extensive outdoor area displays excavators, cranes and rail vehicles from the Lusatian open-pit mines; the depot also holds a collection of more than 800 stoves and fireplaces.
| Adults | €9 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6School students, apprentices, university students, participants in voluntary military service and the Federal Volunteer Service, people with severe disabilities |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 5 · Children under 6 free; school students pay the reduced price. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €6Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities. |
| Students & apprentices | €6Reduced admission for school students, apprentices and university students. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €7 per personFrom 10 people €7 per person, reduced €5. |
| Families | €18Family ticket for max. 2 adults with 2 children (ages 6–18). |
| Annual pass Energiefabrik Knappenrode | €30Reduced €15, family €50; valid for one year from the first visit, not valid for special events. |
| Zweckverband pass (one-time admission to all four sites of the Sächsisches Industriemuseum) | €25Reduced €15; valid for one year from the first visit. |
| Ride on the hand-lever draisine | €4Per person, cash only; on weekends from Easter to October in dry weather, max. 10 people per ride, children from age 6. |
Holders of an annual pass for the museums of the district of Bautzen get free admission. Guided tours by advance booking only, plus admission (max. 20 people): Fabrik.Erlebnis.Rundgang €60 (other languages €80), Mensch.Maschine.Entdecken €80, educational groups €30 (other languages €50). Children's birthday party €60 (two birthday children €70).
Step-free access by elevator or ramp to: the permanent exhibition, Lausitz.Blick, the briquette press hall (first floor), the turbine hall (by advance arrangement), ticket desk, shop, café and all paths in the outdoor area. The Fabrik.Erlebnis.Rundgang begins with a 22-meter stair tower (122 steps). Loaner wheelchairs on request, two accessible parking spaces, tactile guidance system from the bus stop, touch objects, Braille and raised lettering, audio description and a tour in Easy Language via the media guide.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 5 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €18 · Family ticket for max. 2 adults with 2 children (ages 6–18). |
Children's birthday parties with a treasure hunt around the mascot Plon and a campfire, holiday activities, a hand-powered rail draisine, and the "Kleine Kumpeltour" (Little Miner Tour) for children only. On the outdoor grounds a tunnel slide, labyrinth and boulder pyramid, as well as lawns for ball games and picnics.
Energiefabrik
Bus line 794 (Groß Särchen–Hoyerswerda), Energiefabrik stop right in front of the museum (not served on every trip) or August-Bebel-Platz (about a 5-minute walk). By bike via the Niederlausitzer Bergbautour cycle route.
Parking available
Parking lot with charging stations for electric cars and e-bikes; two designated accessible parking spaces.
Older GPS devices sometimes cannot find the address – in that case enter Hoyerswerda, Ernst-Thälmann-Str. 8.
Get directionsBistro in the foyer (in the warm months also seating in front of the museum) with regional soups, sausages and ice cream. Museum shop with regional and Sorbian products. Leashed dogs allowed.
Rooms for weddings, birthdays and other private celebrations as well as conferences, seminars and corporate events; individual offers through the event management team.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes without flash or tripod allowed free of charge. |
| Good to know | Media guide with audio description and Easy Language, among others. Tours by advance booking with visitor services (tel. 03571 60703-40); "Mensch.Maschine.Entdecken" is particularly suitable for seniors and people with mobility impairments. Educational programs from daycare to vocational school. |
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