intangible cultural heritage

Brick firing technology - ring kiln Großtreben

area : Ostelbien
category : traditional craftmanship
Standing in the ring kiln Großtreben documented an ancient traditional crafttechnology, the brick burning. Here at the oldest still standing in Germany rign kiln can be traced to a particular technique brick burning.
On the northern outskirts of Großtreben erected in 1865 stands a ring of fire brick oven, which is considered according to current knowledge, the oldest preserved ring brick oven in the world. It represents the transition from periodic to continuous fire brick. With its high thermal efficiency, it is an outstanding example of the art history of national importance. At the same time, the transition from the artisanal production of bricks for industrial brick production is initiated by such systems.

Since Thousands of years bricks were fired in periodic kilns with very high thermal energy consumption. With the invention of the ring furnace by Friedrich Eduard Hoffmann (1818 - 1900) could be burned bricks continuous (patent 1858). In this case, thermal energy contained in the flue gas is transferred to the existing brick blanks of clay. The heat energy contained in the fired brick is in this case used for preheating the combustion air and the bricks are characterized simultaneously cooled. These two heat exchange processes take place within the circular scale fuel channel in the ring oven. This air or flue gas flow through the kiln equipped with internal channel and convert the blanks by the high temperature (up to 1000 ° C) in order to brick. The fuel is continuously replenished during the fire through the openings in the ceiling in the oven (hot) combustion channel, where it ignites immediately. Was heated at 19 Century mainly solid fuels such as coal, briquettes Deaf, sawdust and lignite.

In the steps before burning - obtaining the raw material (near-surface alluvial clay), preparation, molding and drying - the handiwork were gradually industrialized. This mechanization with simultaneous reduction of energy consumption by almost an order of magnitude and the uniform quality of the product by the new method process contributed significantly to make the building brick in very large quantities for cities, industry, agriculture.
Throughout the world thousands of kilns for brick, fireclay, limestone and gypsum were built during this period. The principle of two series-connected heat exchangers was varied and found today in modern tunnel and tunnel ovens or its implementation, except that there the kiln and the fire is not moving.

The world's oldest completely preserved example of the continuous fire brick has been used industrially in Großtreben until 1971.
After 1990, more than any other use was available, the system fell into disrepair until the "Association for the Preservation and Promotion of rural areas east of the Elbe in the district of North Saxony eV" in 2006 accepted this heritage. The condition was recognized, published, the threat of total loss averted by security measures for the time being. With the help of county, state, federal, and sponsors from the region and support the community Beilrode systematic safety fuse was initiated.
Today, the basic substance is structurally secured, limited foot traffic and anchored again in the memory of the public.
The completion of the rehabilitation services and ongoing maintenance care are current work object.

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