UNESCO World Heritage Fagus Factory

In 2011, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee added the Fagus Factory to the world heritage list. It is now one of the 42 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. 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.