What do AC/DC’s Phil Rudd and Nine Inch Nails’ Alex Carapetis have in common? Their legendary rhythm is rooted in a crumbling "Drum Palace" in Weißenfels, Germany.
Once a majestic bathhouse, then the birthplace of the world-renowned Sonor drums, this architectural gem survived fires, political escapes, and Cold War nationalization. Today, the "Cathedral of Rock" stands as a hauntingly beautiful ruin, waiting for a second chance.
Discover the incredible journey of a factory that defined the beat of generations - and the bold plan to bring it back to life.
A magnificent bathhouse
First it was a magnificent bathhouse, then entrepreneur Otto Link transformed the gleaming building on the Saale River in Weißenfels into the Sonor drum factory. Stars still beat out the rhythms on its products today. But the original building awaits its revival.
Right next to the spacious hall on the first floor, a large section of floor is missing. The room still hints at its former splendor, but today rusty steel beams hang in the air, temporarily secured with a few meters of barrier tape. Light filters through the semicircular windows onto the remnants of the wooden wall paneling. It's scratched, but hints at how impressive this building on the banks of the Saale must once have been.
What fans of forgotten historical buildings call the "Drum Palace" resembles a castle: a long, two-story building with rambling extensions right next to the Herrenmühle lock. Built nearly 100 years ago as a bathing establishment, the project was not destined for success as a spa town. The "Etablissement Bad" restaurant, established in 1890 by brewer Otto Gürth, also failed to achieve its goals.
From Cathedral to Rock 'n' Roll Factory
The building's heyday began when entrepreneur Otto Link moved the Sonor drum factory, founded by his father Johannes, from the other side of the river. Sonor had been manufacturing drums, timpani, flutes, and cymbals in Weißenfels since 1875.
After the old factory burned down shortly after the founder's death, Link purchased the site of the failed bathing establishment and made it the company's new headquarters.
A hundred years later, the building at Am Bad 1 is anything but a mundane industrial complex. Despite its obvious structural damage, the "Rock 'n' Roll Factory," with its stucco and inlays, resembles a magnificent princely palace. The view into the grand hall is breathtaking: Like a cathedral, the hall with its columned side aisles lies bathed in sunshine. The building seems to have survived the decades almost unscathed since the last drum left the factory.
Escape, Expropriation, and World Fame
The Link family lost their company in 1950. The police occupied the premises without warning to enforce the expropriation. Otto Link only escaped arrest because his maid warned him in time. He fled to the West and took the "Sonor" brand name with him to Westphalia.
There, the family established a new production facility that achieved worldwide renown: Drummers like Phil Rudd (AC/DC) and Alex Carapetis (Nine Inch Nails) still play instruments whose origins lie on the Saale River.
Meanwhile, in Weißenfels, the factory was transformed into the state-owned VEB Trommelwaren (Trowa). Under the name Tacton, they supplied East German rock giants like the Puhdys and City. But with the end of the GDR came the end for the "drum capital." Production ceased in 1990, 100 employees lost their jobs, and a bankruptcy trustee auctioned off the facilities.
Waiting for Renovation
What remains is an empty shell with a powerful atmosphere. Some of the fixtures are gone, ceilings have collapsed due to water damage. It's half a ruin, half a construction site.
An investor from Canada bought the complex six years ago. His plan: a cultural center with bowling alleys, restaurants, a ballroom, a cinema, and saunas. According to the construction manager, they are currently working on securing the roof and facade. However, complete renovation remains the stated goal to finally awaken the "drum palace" from its slumber.
Otto Link registered "Sonor" as a trademark as early as 1907. While the company continues in the West, the Trowa tradition is now being carried on by a resident of Halle.
