Did you know that most parts of Europe would be completely covered by forest if it wasn’t for humankind? So what would happen if manhood disappeared overnight? Today we’re finding out.

This time we’re exploring an abandoned timber mill where everything was left behind. It looked like workers just left from one day to another. What had once been used to cut down the forest is now getting occupied by nature. How ironic.



According to our sources the lumber mill was founded at the end of the 19th century. Back then and until the permanent closure of the establishment some years ago mainly wood wool was produced here. It’s a product that is used in a wide range of applications. Amongst others, you can find it in animal farming, as packaging supplies or as insulating material. Originally, excelsior was used to produce wound dressings and even tampons.

VEB Holzwolle #07 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr


In consequence of the communization during the time of the Socialist German Democratic Republic this company became a people-owned enterprise. Or in German: “VEB”. Therefore the name the local urbex community gave to this place: “VEB Holzwolle“ (people-owned enterprise which produced wood wool).

VEB Holzwolle #01 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

After the German reunification only a part of the factory was still in use. The other has been decaying ever since. A new company was founded. The production and trade of wood wool was still the main task. But other timber products were fabricated here, too. For example, wooden façades or timber beams. The workers of this factory also attended to interior accessories and lightweight constructions. But around ten years ago the company was liquidated and the building complex consequently abandoned. Since then the site has been rotting away.


VEB Holzwolle #14 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

We even discovered a sales area. Over here parquet flooring, laminate and carpeting were displayed. But also other kinds of timber products could be viewed by customers. Meanwhile, most of the material was stolen.

VEB Holzwolle #09 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

And yeah: For some reasons there was a vast number of hay rolls which were stored right next to the small sales area.

Barn by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr


What looked like a residential house to us at first glance turned out to be the office of the enterprise. Writing desks with computers and plenty of files… As it seems this place was rifled through already. Several times.

Messy Office by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr


It’s difficult to find abandoned buildings which have such an amount of inventory even after several years of vacancy. We were glad that this site was pretty much spared vandals and metal thieves. It was really interesting to stroll around the buildings dealing with all that different kinds of machines and workstations.

Workshop by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr


We spent two hours in the old plant and we would have loved to stay longer. But it was getting dark outside and we had to set off. We needed to find a place for the night. Because after this exhausting day full of urbex we had to be ready for our next adventure.

The colors in #1 immediately make it my favorite but these are all great. Were you able to find more information about the place (beyond what your sources gave you) from the papers left behind? Or was it all just mostly accounting stuff? It's been rifled through but most of the binders are still on their shelves.

I love finding places that haven't been burglarized, that sales/marketing room would have been a field day to look through and document.

Very cool location. What were the books? Were they records, manuals, recreational reading, or a mixture of the three?

Finding documents like that at an location is always a treat.