20 Years Brickworks Association Borgwedel – Anniversary Festival

The Old Brickworks – an Industrial Heritage

The site of the Old Borgwedel Brickworks was an industrial location for centuries: on the clay-rich banks of the Schlei, bricks were fired here that were used throughout Northern Germany for houses, churches, and fortifications. With the decline of brick production, the site fell into disrepair until 2006 when committed citizens came together to preserve it as a nature experience area.

The Association – Founded in 2006

On January 12, 2006, the "Association for the Care of the Borgwedel Brickworks Nature Experience Area" was founded. Its goal: to maintain the former industrial site as a nature experience area, to convey the historical significance of brick production, and to protect the specific flora and fauna on the Schlei. Over the past 20 years, the association has developed the site into a meeting place for nature enthusiasts, walkers, and school groups.

Borgwedel – Small Community on the Schlei

Borgwedel is located on the north bank of the Schlei in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, about 6 km east of Schleswig. The Schlei – a 42 km long freshwater arm of the Baltic Sea – is one of Germany's most unusual bodies of water and an attraction for nature lovers, sailors, and birdwatchers. With under 500 inhabitants, Borgwedel itself is one of the smaller communities in the Amt Haddeby.

The Anniversary Festival on September 12, 2026

The 20th anniversary will be celebrated with an association festival on Saturday, September 12, 2026, starting at 2:00 PM on the grounds of the Old Brickworks. The exact program will be communicated by the association in the weeks leading up to the event – traditionally with a look back at the association's history, guided tours of the grounds, nature experience stations for children, and a convivial gathering of association members and the Borgwedel village community.

Nature Experience Areas in Schleswig-Holstein

Nature experience areas are a specific format of nature education in Schleswig-Holstein, supported by the state. They are freestanding, freely accessible areas in nature where children and adults can gain their own experiences – beyond standardized nature trails. The Old Brickworks nature experience area is a good example of this format: industrial heritage and nature development are combined.