On Sunday, September 10th, the time has come – after several delays, the 170 meter high chimney of the former “Max Reimann” thermal power plant in the south of Leipzig will be blown up. The old chimney on the municipal utility site on Arno-Nitzsche-Straße has been out of operation for many years. There is a temporary restricted area around the area and affected residents have to evacuate their houses. The LZ is there in the live ticker, colleagues are following the events on site.
Leipzig’s largest chimney will probably be history in a few hours. A demolition decision made by the municipal utilities last year stipulates that the artifact on Arno-Nitzsche-Strasse, which has not been used for tens of years, should finally be removed after options for possible subsequent use for the municipal company turned out to be unprofitable. In addition to the financial aspect, there are also security reasons. 
Where there is a restricted area everywhere
A larger restricted area around the property is intended to ensure security on Sunday. According to the specifications, the area must be completely cleared by 8:00 a.m. at the latest; the actual demolition is scheduled for between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Those specifically affected are: Arno-Nitzsche-Strasse 29, 31A, 30, 32, 35, 35A and 37; the Köhraer Straße 5, 6, 7, 9 and 14; the Meusdorfer Straße 80 as well as the Threnaer Straße 1, 1A, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 13. There are also parts of the allotment garden associations “Reichsbahn Connewitz e. V.” and “Waldidyll e. V.” as well as the entire Connewitz cemetery.
Landmark of the lignite era with a short career
There had been a gasworks on the current site at Arno-Nitzsche-Straße 35 since the end of the 19th century. The chimney itself is much younger, its foundation stone was only laid in 1984. At that time, the old gasworks had long since become a thermal power plant that had been called “Max Reimann” since 1952 – a reminder of him communist politician and Nazi resistance fighter (1898–1977). During the GDR era, lignite was burned locally to provide heat, a total of more than 20 million tons. In 1987 the chimney went into operation to remove smoke gases.
In the video you can see the current press conference from the municipal utilities about the chimney and the demolition.
However, his effective period of service was just nine years; with the last brown coal train in 1996, his days seemed to be numbered. The reinforced concrete giant was temporarily converted into a transmission tower support for TV and radio. When this was also over with the construction of a nearby radio tower, the chimney now stood without any function, purely as an industrial monument and a landmark of the lignite era. An age that seems outdated in times of climate change.
By the way, the chimney should have been blown up on September 15, 2022. But the appointment was canceled because there was still a need for clarification with some residents. Even in November 2022, not all questions had apparently been resolved, and so the tower was now given another year’s reprieve almost to the day.
+++ All developments in the live ticker from here below. +++
12:00 p.m.: A lot of rubble remains, requiring several months of rework
The demolition went largely according to plan, and the crowd of onlookers had long since dispersed two hours later. There is a lot of rubble left behind – and therefore a lot to do in the near future. The municipal utilities estimate the follow-up work, which also includes removing the rubble, to take around five months. That would be until spring 2024.
11:00 a.m.: “There are always residual risks” – but the municipal utilities managing director is satisfied
According to Karsten Rogall, everything went well at first glance, after a lot of time and effort had been invested in the blasting project. He is one of the municipal utilities managing directors.
10:53 a.m.: Fanfare blasts signal the end of the demolition
Three short blasts of fanfare signal that the demolition has officially ended and the danger is over.
Here is the explosion in slow motion:
And in fast motion:
10:11 a.m.: The chimney fell, everything went according to plan
The old chimney is now history; the chimney collapsed a few minutes after the corresponding fanfare signal. According to initial information from one of our reporters, the demolition went according to plan. A clear wave of pressure could be felt from close up, and old window panes on the railway site were broken.
10:00 a.m.: Video from the chimney
Our colleagues are of course on site for you and you to provide photo and video material. According to our colleague, the last train ran about ten minutes ago and the route is now closed.
9:45 a.m.: Tension increases, blowing up of the chimney is approaching
Onlookers have already secured their places, for example at Schlachthofbrücke Richard-Lehmann-Straße. The atmosphere is relaxed, the blast itself was planned for between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Short-term changes can of course never be ruled out, even with the most careful planning.
9:00 a.m.: Close-up photos of the chimney and pictures of the road closure
You can see, among other things, one of the places where the old chimney was rigged with explosives. According to the plan, the old chimney should collapse in a north-south direction through a so-called triple fold with explosive mouths opened alternately.
To do this, the explosives were installed in three different locations. The blasting is carried out by blasting master Ulrike Matthes from the Thüringer Sprenggesellschaft; her company cooperates with the Reinwald company from Böhlen.
It is advised to Windows and doors should be kept closed even beyond the exclusion zone due to the expected generation of dust.
The residents of the shared accommodation at Arno-Nitzsche-Straße 37, who are temporarily staying in a school, are mainly affected by the explosion and the necessary evacuation. Otherwise, mainly commercial buildings, gardens and the Connewitz cemetery are in the restricted area.
8:50 a.m.: Road closure and onlookers
In the meantime, onlookers have already arrived on site and the exclusion zone is in place. The blast is expected to take place between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.