By the way

O‌n the way from Freiberg/Sachs. over the B 101 to the freeway A 4, a few kilometers before the Siebenlehn slip road, a big sign “Steinbruch Seifersdorf” catches the eyes. A number of transport vehicles follow the designated route to load material at Basalt AG Hartsteinwerke Bayern-Mitteldeutschland, Werk Seifersdorf. Before I took this way, I noticed a road called “Zum Steinbruch” (To the quarry) during a bicycle tour in the district of Seifersdorf and my interest was aroused. I followed the road accordingly and an old sign showed me the way. But after a few meters I had to give up my plan to have a look at it: big warning signs indicated to me that it was forbidden to enter. Only a large blasted off stone gave me an impression of the mining product. Later, through the official factory entrance, I arrived at the impressive quarry of immense dimensions! The depth of the opened up part of the quarry is over 100 m down to the bottom! In general, diabase is suitable for demanding gravel and chippings, but also as an aggregate for the production of building materials - like the Seifersdorf material - as well as for sculptural work or the production of ashlar. This is certainly one of the reasons why Diabas was named Rock of the Year in 2017. Since 1994 the quarry is a consistently reliable supplier for the construction industry in Central Saxony.

What is particularly remarkable for me is that the company in Seifersdorf has three activities at the same time: Extraction and production of primary products, recycling of finishing asphalt, i.e. the production of secondary products, and the redesign of the disused areas for a subsequent use. The area filled with water, partly covered with bushes and trees at the edges, is already a refuge for birds, insects and other small creatures and radiates an infinite amount of peace and quiet. A beautiful example of the sensible coexistence of economy and ecology.

Dr. Brigitte Hoffmann