Eilenburg's Mountain Cellars
The underground labyrinth of cellars is yet another completely unique feature in Eilenburg's possession and an imitation of it has yet to be discovered or attempted. The consistent cellar temperatures in the 50 or so main and side caves played a considerably significant role in the excellent reputation of Eilenburg's beer from the 16th century all the way through to the 20th. Even today the expansiveness of the mountain cellars have yet to be explored in their entirety.
These incredibly singular cellar mazes were practically forgotten during eastern Germany's socialist period. After the Reunification of east and west Germany approximately one million German Marks were allocated to go towards sustaining and protecting this impressive structure. Tours of these mountain cellars are available to tourist groups upon request. More information on this can be obtained in the 
Museum, Tel. 03423 652222, 
E-Mail
More to report from underground...
Underground
Eilenburg's Underground
A breath-takingly impressive project was constructed inside Eilenburg's own little mountain over a period of approximately 8 centuries and one has yet to find another of its kind anywhere in Europe. Generations of Eilenburg's citizens contributed to this gigantic brick-and-mortar structure. A complex, branched tunnel system joins the spacious production halls to one another. This small underground world here in Eilenburg has not even been explored in its entirety. The oldest structures are found in the upper part of the mountain, which presumably served as escape exits and shelters to provide refuge from threatening landlords. In 1525 the clay corridors were extended and expanded into storage areas for the nobility's brewing endeavours. The unchanging temperatures in the cellars supposedly played an important role in the excellent quality and impressive shelf life of Eilenburg's amber nectar. These numerous tunnels and underground shelters were in use by Eilenburg's brewers for over three centuries.
Storage
Storage of Beer and Airplane Production
The expansion of the 44 main and ancillary cellars that originated in the 16th and 17th centuries began in 1854, thanks to the brewery association in Eilenburg, was continued after 1879 by the Landsperger Brewery. Four Eilenburger breweries were forced to shut down, one after the other, in the 1920s and the cellars were relegated to storage use and the growth of various mushroom types from that point on. The old well, which had been used in the beer production process, was backfilled. Between 1943 and 1945 the corridor-like cellars were used by the Eilenburg Motor Factory as an airplane parts production plant by order of the Junkers-Werke in Dessau. Hundreds of forced labourers toiled away there under the earth for the German arms industry.
Life-saver
The Mountain's Cellars - a Life-saver?
The mountain cellars became a place of shelter and refuge from American artillery shells, that turned the city into a pile of ashes and rubble, for approximately 4500 Eilenburger residents in April of 1945. These protective caves saved the lives of hundreds of Eilenburger citizens. After 1945 the cellars resumed their former activities as storage facility and 'mushroom lab'. The number of companies using them as storage facilities dwindled rapidly and this unique system of caves and tunnels was once again nearly forgotten. Measures of preservation and conservation were not put in place and soon these man-made constructions began to crumble and fall into disrepair. Finally it was decided that the whole structure was simply to be backfilled and forgotten but because of one single person's application the mountain cellars were designated a piece of historical heritage in March of 1989. Measures to preserve this incredible monument were initiated alongside the political reunification of Germany. The building and maintenance activities that have taken place up until this very day are the reason that visitors still have the opportunity to explore, sense and awaken a breath of the secretive and adventurous spirit which permeates the very walls of these underground corridors.
