Description
On a side street Fabryczna Str. 5 (formerly Ger. Kleine Crossener Str. 7/8) between Kresowa and Rycerska Str., there is a complex of Gustav's Linke stocking factory buildings. On the ground floor of the tenement house at 5 Kresowa Str. (former Ger. Crossener Str. 3), where the factory owner lived, he had his shop selling stocking goods*.
The architecturaly most interesting structure is the two-story main building, which was built of red, unplastered brick in a sparing neoclassicism. The form is diversified by tooth cornices (intermediate inter-story, less profiled and crowning, protecting the facade of the building against stains). The front facade is decorated with the inscription: "Strumpf-Fabrik Gustav Linke". Originally, the main entrance was a double-winged one. The facility is connected with the rest of the complex (production halls, shipping yard) by various types of passages.
The building was entered in the list of historic buildings in 1992.
* Photo of the Gustav Linke store: https://polska-org.pl/4588701,foto.html?idEntity=4588846
Historical background
The former factory complex was originally commissioned by the Linke family, probably at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The factory consisted of production halls, warehouses, a shipping yard and an administration building (Ger. Kontorraum). The plant employed over 200 employees.
On the night of July 20, 1911, the owner of the factory Gustav Linke, who lived nearby, on Crossener Str. 3, managed to be informed by the residents about a great fire in his factory. After calling the fire brigade, he ran to the office rooms to save the trading books. Despite his success, he had severely burned his hands. The losses in the fire were very large - most of the machines and the stockings prepared and prepared for collection were destroyed, the buildings needed a major renovation. The insurance company, Bayerische Versicherungsbank, estimated the damage at over 250,000 marks. The compensation, however, did not take into account the losses resulting from the lack of revenue during the closure of the plant for the time of its reconstruction. Linke's friend, also a factory owner from Guben, offered his employees jobs for the time of the renovation of the plant. The cause of the fire was unknown.
Soon after, the factory was rebuilt and put into use again. Unfortunately, on April 25, 1914, the building complex was set on fire again. The fire again destroyed practically the entire factory, which again had to be completely renovated.
https://www.guben.de/guben/zeitung/index.html#!Documents/20juli1911.htm
https://www.guben.de/guben/zeitung/index.html#!Documents/25april1914.htm
Fabryczna 5, 66-620 Gubin, Poland
The former factory building complex of Gustav Linke
19th-20th century
Construction material: brick
The interior of the facility is inaccessible to tourists. The exterior can be seen from Fabryczna Str. though.
