In the former Ermen & Engels cotton mill, an electricity plant was built around 1900 to supply the town of Engelskirchen with electricity. Over the decades, the function of the building changed and the production site became a museum. A tour gives visitors a vivid impression of what it was like when the power of the River Agger was transformed into electricity.
Mysterious blue light and the sound of flowing water greet visitors as they descend into the turbine cellar. They give the impression that water is still flowing through the corridors with their mighty walls today. As soon as your eyes have adjusted to the darkness, you can see the turbines that drove the machines in the factory via a complicated transmission system.
On the floors above the turbine cellar, the large switchboard shows how the electricity was distributed in the factory. As early as 1903, the factory owner's home and the town of Engelskirchen also benefited from local electricity generation. Thanks to the power station in the factory, the electric streetlights here usually lit up reliably.
The power of the steam engine
But there were also other times: The impressive steam engine at the entrance to the museum floor is a reminder that there was not always enough water power available to drive the machines. Steam power was therefore used early on as a supplementary source of energy. A step that guests can still understand today.
Speaking of guests, special exhibitions give them the opportunity to learn more about the history of the industry or to take on technical challenges. In addition, schoolchildren can experiment at the six stations of the electricity workshop throughout the year and discuss electricity generation, the importance of electricity and its impact on the environment with their teachers.
