Dedication of the New Factory in Hamburg by Louis Richard Conradi

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 1, 1915

Dedication of the New Factory in Hamburg

By Louis Richard Conradi

[Brother Conradi spoke of having sent a picture of this new building. We have delayed the article for some time, hoping to receive the picture, but it has not come.]

Our publishing work in Hamburg developed so steadily that the Seventh-day Adventist Association had to buy three additional properties within twenty years. But the new factory at Grindelberg was scarcely finished when we found the room crowded to the utmost, and it was apparent that we should have to look for new quarters for stock rooms and for the installment of a proper bindery. With the growth of our mission work in Africa, larger shipments for our missionaries were demanded, and large storage and packing rooms needed.

In the course of time the sale of our health foods in Hamburg also showed a wonderful development. At first we had only small stores, with scarcely a thousand dollars' output annually. The work began with no capital whatever, but from year to year the sales increased, and the capital grew, until our yearly sales reached the sum of $60,000. The excellent situation of Hamburg contributed much to this result. Hamburg being the main shipping center on the Continent and in touch with all parts of the world, nuts, fruits, and grains could be bought here at the best rates and in the greatest variety.

As we did not like to have all our institutions in one city, we moved our food factory to Friedensau, where it could be operated in connection with our sanitarium and school. The sales of the factory finally reached about $25,000 a year. But we found that we were working under great disadvantages, as we had to secure all our raw materials at heavy freight rates from Hamburg, and then market the finished products at a heavy freight again. Our plant in Friedensau became too small, and to enlarge it would necessitate enlarging our power station, which would probably cost us over $25,000, altogether. As we found that we could use the buildings and considerable of the machinery to good advantage for our other institutions there, we thought it would better serve the purpose, both of the food factory and of the publishing house, to find a sufficiently large lot in Hamburg for the erection of proper buildings.

During 1912, considerable time was spent looking for suitable land not far from the general markets and the express and freight offices. We finally found, at Kampestrasse 18, a suitable lot of over 4,000 square meters, alongside the high railway embankment of the main line from Hamburg to Berlin, in the factory quarter of the city. The street front was only sufficiently wide to allow the erection of two houses, while the back lot would allow the erection of two factory buildings. We secured this property July 1, 1912, at the reasonable rate of $23,000.

It took considerable time to develop the plans for the large factory, so that we could not begin with the excavation and with the piling of the place until late in the autumn. About one thousand piles had to be driven before we could lay the cement foundation for the concrete building. The building consists of five stories and a large cellar, built in the shape of an L. In the lower stories of the main wing will be the bakery, the food factory, and the shipping office; in the upper stories, the bindery and stock rooms for the publishing house. In the other wing we have a fine, commodious meeting hall, and above that, dwellings and offices. The present building occupies only about one fourth of the lot, and cost us about $90,000. On the street front a food store has been put up.

The building was to have been finished in July, 1914; but the grant to build was secured so late that the beginning of the work was delayed; and then in August, the war having broke out, a number of workmen had to enlist; and so the building could not be occupied until New Year's.

Elders H. F. Schuberth, J. G. Oblaender, G. W. Schubert, and Guy Dail and the writer were present at the dedication. An appropriate program had been prepared. The new meeting hall was crowded with our brethren and friends, and the leading builders were also present. Brother Hartkop gave the building report, Elder Schuberth stated the object for which the building was erected, Elder Oblaender offered the dedicatory prayer, and the writer preached the sermon. The choir sang three appropriate songs. The best feature of the program, however, was a poem especially written by Sister Hartkop, which touched upon the momentous times in which we live, and the great object which the building serves.

A good heating plant has been installed, also a large elevator, and the building is equipped with modern machinery. We expect during the month of January to have it in full running order. The finishing of this new hall called for the organization of a fourth church in Hamburg-Altona. Thus while buildings of concrete and brick are going up to be used for the general furtherance of the third angel's message, we rejoice that there are now in Hamburg-Altona four churches, with about five hundred members, who testify to the power of the truth, who constantly grow in grace, and who will stand as an enduring monument in the kingdom of God.