Frister Lamp Factory | 1897–1916

Around 1900 this was the largest lamp factory in Europe. It produced novel electric lighting fixtures like chandeliers and table lamps. After WWII, the building was used by the VEB Institut für Nachrichtentechnik, an East German communications R&D center. It was rumored to be a “Stasi” operation, serving the needs of the Ministry for State Security. Telecommunications systems were produced for the entire Eastern Bloc. After German reunification the building became a home to artists, was sold several times, and then turned into a business center.