Freital Eder brickworks ceases production and withdraws from brick business
The Freital Eder brickworks ceased brick production at the turn of 2025/2026. According to a statement on the company‘s website in November 2025, production will not continue in 2026. This decision is justified by market conditions. ‘After German reunification, the Freital brickworks was planned for the market conditions at the time with a very high output and, until two years ago, operated seven days a week in three shifts. In the meantime, the market for our products has shrunk so much following the energy price shock caused by the war in Ukraine and the associated decline in construction activity that the plant can no longer be utilised at full capacity even on a single-shift basis for a whole year. It is obvious that brick production, which requires continuous operation, cannot be run economically in this way despite many efforts,’ says the company.
Construction projects will continue to be supplied from stock. At the end of August 2026, Freital Eder will withdraw from the brick business in Saxony. The company emphasises that this lead time should give employees and service partners enough time to reorient themselves.
The Freital Eder brickworks will remain in place as a company. Eder‘s brick centre, where products and system solutions have been presented and consultations held to date, will continue to be used as a dialogue centre for events and for the topic of sustainable urban development and architecture.
Regional construction activity
Regional construction activity has declined significantly in recent years. The number of building permits issued for residential properties in Saxony has fallen steadily since 2021. While the figure was 10,776 at that time, by 2024 it had fallen to just 5,830, slightly more than half. The Sächsische Zeitung newspaper of 8 and 9 November 2025 quotes managing director Johannes Eder as saying: ‘A brickworks of this size is simply no longer profitable.’
