During the Boizenburg tile factory’s first few years, tile production was hard and dirty work. The photos above you show people who did piecework in 12-hour shifts, working in conditions that would be unimaginable today. Many workers suffered from pneumoconiosis, a lung disease caused by inhaling hazardous dusts. The demand for tiles made in Boizenburg grew rapidly. Art Noveau tiles produced as from 1907 were especially popular, and they quickly spread across all of Europe. Their quality was owed to trained painters, graphic artists, modellers and technicians gathered by the company’s founder in his “studio”. The Boizenburg tile factory quickly grew to become a leading tile producer. One third of the tiles exported by Germany came from Boizenburg by 1927. Builders’ merchants from the Netherlands got involved. Representatives were engaged to promote international sales, not only in Europe but also in Buenos Aires. In 1937 the Boizenburg tile factory was Europe’s largest tile producer. 

The “Boizenburg Bahnhof” district around the “Plattenbude”, as the tile factory was colloquially known, grew along with production. New homes were built for the workers, mostly recruited from Silesia. A new cafeteria designed by the architect of the Chilehaus in Hamburg served as a social venue in addition to providing refreshments. Since so many of the workers were Roman Catholic, a Catholic church was even built in the district still called “Katholischer Bahnhof” to this day. 
In the stations that follow, you will see a selection of early Boizenburg tiles and learn about the techniques used in their production.


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