Lauchhammer Bio-towers are 20 meters high clover-shaped buildings used for the biological purification of coking plant wastewater. These towers are the last remnants of the coke industry which was once robust. The world’s first large-scale coking plant was established in 1952, producing metallurgical coke out of lignite for the first time. Therefore, Lauchhammer paved the way for the expansion of the East German metallurgy industry. Nevertheless, the demolition fever of the post-1989 period flattened a 120-hectare industrial facility, leaving not a single brick. the bio-towers were also out of service in 2002. Today, Lauchhammer Bio-towers stand as a monument of the industrial past of the region.
After the shutting down of the large coking plant in 1991 and its demolition in 1994, Lauchhammer Bio-towers became the last remaining relic of the German coal industry.
Likened to Castel del Monte, the bio-towers remained well-preserved until today under the protection of Internationale Bauausstellungen (International Architecture Exhibition). In 2008, they became accessible to the public as an industrial monument as well as a location to hold events such as performances, concerts, and art installations.
