About the location
Schwarzheide is a German translation of the Sorbian town name Zschornegosda (corny = Schwarz = black, godz = Heide = heath). The village of Nuwendorff, known today as Schwarzheide-Ost, was first mentioned in 1421. The earliest industrial development in the region was a hammer mill built in 1725. Lignite coal was discovered in 1789, but the Ferdinand Briquette Factory did not open until 1897. The Synthesewerk, founded in 1935, was the precursor of today’s BASF Schwarzheide GmbH. The Kulturhaus is a focal point of the city’s cultural life.