Spirituosen- und Likörfabrik Louis Hilke
Hamburg, 2009

The Louis Hilke spirits and liqueur factory was one of the first companies to industrialise the then independent town of Harburg (now part of Hamburg-Harburg). The buildings at Karnapp 15 and 16, with their production facilities and distinctive chimney in the courtyard, are still standing today. The buildings were listed in 2013.

The company was founded in 1833 by Heinrich Osterhoff as H. Osterhoff Spirits and Liqueur Factory. The commercial and residential building at Karnapp 15 (listed building no. 26953) was built in 1859. Louis Hilke took over the business in 1893. The boiler house was built in 1897. The building at Karnapp 16 (listed building no. 26949) was built in 1899. The chimney was built in 1901. The Berg family took over the company in 1907. Production continued until 1980.

The buildings were bought by the builder Arne Weber. They have not been maintained in recent years and are infested with dry rot. The owner submitted another application for demolition in September 2019, which was rejected for reasons of historic preservation. The city of Hamburg is considering buying the building with the aim of reusing it.