Location Henschel Werk 3

In 1810 de first small factory was started by the Family Henschel en overtime they start to focus more and more on mechanical engineering and inventions, like the steam boiler and turbines. From 1840 they started to build locomotives and with the start of World War 1 they got involved in the production of weapons. With the increased demand of guns and other weapons they build a new factory in this area in 1918. Initially they build guns, but after World War 1 they were no longer allowed to make them so they had to shift focus and started to build locomotives in this location and from 1925 also busses and trucks.

With the rise of the Third Reich Henschel started to produce weapons and from mid 1942 they started to develop and build the Tiger I and Tiger II tanks. Henschel became 1 of the 3 biggest tank producers in Germany.

Henschel had approximately 6000 forced laborers working in their factories. In total in Kassel there were more than 30.000 forced laborers divided over more than 200 different camps.

Currently the old industrial area is the home of different companies and they are still building locomotives, tanks as well as parts for trucks in the same buildings as in 1918.

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Source

• Text: Gio Theunissen
• Photos: Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3965-21 (1), Gio Theunissen (2, 3)