Built as a cotton mill in 1884 with the utopian ideal to be a "city within a city" for its employees, the Bauwallspinnere (Cotton spinnery) was one of the biggest spinning works in Europe. With employee housing, gardens, stores, and a hospital, the area became a modern example of industrial society. In 1993 after the wall fell and Liepzig lost 90 percent of its industry, the Spinnerei was sold and became a tire cord factory. The empty rooms and large spaces began to draw artists, who started setting up studios, workshops, and exhibitions. Photo courtesy Spinnerei.
