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UNESCO World Heritage Fagus FactoryHannoversche Straße 58
31061 Alfeld
Germany

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World Heritage

Welcome to Fagus Factory.

Discover Fagus Factory

Discover Fagus Factory and learn exciting things about the unique industrial architecture and the active production operation.

That's how your day in the factory can look like

Tours

Learn more about the special characteristics of the Gropius architecture and the innovative ideas of company founder Carl Benscheidt in a guided tour.

Learn more about our comprehensive offer of guided tours

Events

Experience a concert in the production hall and enjoy cultural events in a unique atmosphere in a world heritage site.

Get an insight into our event program

Meet & Celebrations

The Fagus Factory offers extraordinary conference and event facilities. Celebrate and meet in the special atmosphere of the World Heritage.

Learn more under Meet and celebrate.
Opening hours
Fagus Factory

Daily

Apr-Oct: 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.

Nov-March: 10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Closed:1. Jan; 24./ 25./31. Dec

Public tours: all year round: Sa. and Su. at 1.00 p.m.
Group tours by appointment at any time

Directions

UNESCO World Heritage Fagus Factory
Hannoversche Straße 58
31061 Alfeld (Leine)

Living Monument

to architecture and production

In 2011, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee added the Fagus Factory to the world heritage list. It is now one of the 51 world heritage sites in Germany. As the first building in the trend associated with modern industrial architecture, the Fagus Factory (which was built in 1911) represented the initial work of architect and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius. 

Carl Benscheidt, the forward-looking and innovative company founder, entrusted the young architect Walter Gropius with the task of building a shoe last factory. The Fagus Factory represents an architectural concept that was the first to consider the requirements associated with light, air and clarity and to make use of glass and steel in a manner corresponding to a brand new construction style.

Tradition meets innovation

The glass-and-steel structure and the unsupported glazed corners endow the building with a casual elegance that was quite extraordinary at the time compared with other factories of the period. The factory has been a listed architectural monument since 1946. The entire factory was completely restored between the years 1982 and 2002 and it is now in a better condition than ever before. The name of the factory is derived from the Latin ‘fagus sylvatica’, which means ‘beech’ or ‘beech wood’. Beech wood is the traditional raw material for the production of shoe lasts. Fagus shoe lasts have been produced here for more than 100 years. This production process has now been enhanced by the division GreCon. Visit the Fagus Factory and experience how tradition meets innovation and architecture lines up with production.