My visit of the Fagus factory in Alfeld was the last step of a 3-week-tour through Germany in summer 2009. I ticked off 11 WHS (e.g. Weimar, Dessau, Berlin, Quedlinburg, Dessau), now Fagus is the twelfth and clearly one of my favourites. The factory was constructed in 1911 by Walter Gropius, who later founded the Bauhaus school. With its characteristic glass curtain walls, the steel structure and the cubic form the building was innovative and trend-setting. Hundert years ago, industrial facilities usually were dark, clumsy and windowless. Fagus appears bright and clear. Fagus factory influenced modern architecture, e.g. the transparent glass fronts of sykscrapers. The building was constructed as a manufactory for shoe lasts and is still owned by the offsprings of the company's founder. It is not possible to visit the interior (maybe by special appointment), because shoe lasts were still produced in the factory. Visitors have access to the territory of the factory, so that you can view the buidling from all sides. There is also an exibition on the history of the building, the company and the shoe fabrication in a former storehouse. Alfeld is located 50 km south of Hannover and 25 km south of Hildsheim (another WHS), the factory is close to the railway station.

I completely agree with the opinion of Ian Cade that Germany do well when nominating their modern heritage to the World Heritage list. And there is another modern site on the german T list: Chilehaus, Kontorhaus district and Speicherstadt in Hamburg. Chilehaus is a office building from the 1920s. It probably will be nominated in 2013 or 2014.