Former gasworks Neustadt (Dosse)

The former Neustadt (Dosse) gasworks stands in the Brandenburg town of Neustadt. Built in 1904, it produced town gas from coal for street lighting and heating. After light war damage it restarted in 1947 and expanded in the 1960s, adding two more retort ovens and enlarging the gas holder to 550 cubic metres. A new gas-pressure regulator station linked the works to the national grid in 1980, making the site redundant and closing it. The works has been an officially recognised technical monument since 1977. A local preservation society keeps the buildings and machinery intact. Only one other example survives in Greece, making this one of Europe’s few complete gasworks of its type. Inside, visitors find the original six-oven battery, tar separators, sulphur purifiers and a telescopic gas holder. The museum opened in 2000 and shows how gas was made, distributed and used. Exhibits include gas meters, safety gear and household appliances such as cookers, refrigerators and a heated bath. The displays explain each stage of the process in clear detail.