Cannon Foundry Workshop (1874)

Symbol of Prussian Military Industry – Buildings associated with the Royal Cannon Foundry began appearing in the shadow of the Citadel in 1854. Two are still standing: the workshop, built in 1874 in the style of Schinkel, and a hall dating to 1915. It initially focused on bronze cannon, but later gun barrels of all calibers were bored there. In the wake of German demilitarization after WWI, bed frames, agricultural machines, and cars were produced there. During the Weimar Republic, secret preparations for military production took place that then benefited the Nazi regime. During the Cold War, the facility was used for grain storage for the Senate Reserve, a stockpile of resources created in case the city was blockaded again. After standing empty for decades, an office park with a waterfront café and a dock are now planned.