{"id":1995,"date":"2025-05-04T16:03:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T16:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cesustasti.lv\/visi-stasti\/cesis-building-materials-plant\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T19:58:03","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T19:58:03","slug":"cesis-building-materials-plant","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/cesustasti.lv\/en\/visi-stasti\/cesis-building-materials-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"Cesis Building Materials Plant"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The history of the C\u0113sis M\u016brlejas brickworks dates back to at least the second half of the 19th century. As early as 1884, the list of industrial enterprises in the Vidzeme province mentioned the brick kiln in C\u0113sis of K\u0101rlis, the son of Andris, Ansilnieks (probably Aizsilnieks). It is interesting that the origin of the name \u201cMurlejas\u201d indicates the historical connection of the place with bricklaying, as Heinrihs Enzeli\u0146\u0161 mentions in his materials that \u201calready in 1750 the burgomaster Hans owned the villages of C\u012brulis and Murlejas\u201d.
\nIn March 1930, the newspaper \u201cC\u0113su V\u0113stis\u201d reported that the brickworks of Anton Stirns with Murlejas houses on Gaujmala in \u016btrup\u0117 had been sold. The new owner was Alida, daughter of Martins, Ulpe (born Jankovics, after her first husband Laur), who bought the property for 17 602 lats. Unfortunately, in 1933 Ulpe was already registered as insolvent with the Cesis City Council. <\/p>\n

The real breakthrough in the development of the M\u016brlejas brickworks came in 1937. 21. In January, the state-owned joint-stock company \u0136ie\u0123e\u013cnieks was founded to produce bricks and drain pipes. 1938. On 28 April 2008, the \u201cM\u016brlejas \u0136ie\u0123e\u013cn\u012bca\u201d was officially renamed \u201cC\u0113su \u0137ie\u0123e\u013cn\u012bca\u201d. The revival of this factory took place very quickly: as the C\u0113su V\u0113stis wrote on 6 May 1938, the state-owned joint-stock company \u0136ie\u0123e\u013cnieks acquired ownership of the M\u016brlejas brickworks, which contained \u201chigh-quality, rich clay reserves\u201d. This clay could be used not only to make bricks and drainage pipes, but also for building clinkers, roof tiles, sewage pipes and floor tiles. <\/p>\n

The company seriously modernised the factory, installing new electric machines, building a new kiln and constructing drying sheds. As many as 40 prisoners from C\u0113sis Prison were involved in the work, excavating the kiln and preparing the clay. The new 52-metre-long chimney, built by contractor M. Kalni\u0146\u0161, was particularly impressive. <\/p>\n

Innovation has been a major focus. 1938. In August 2007, the C\u0113sis M\u016brlejas plant began producing \u201cbeech bricks\u201d with seven air ducts. They made walls a third thinner, were half as light and cost more than 30% less than conventional bricks. <\/p>\n

In the same year, the C\u0113sis M\u016brlejas factory supplied bricks to the Pulvertornis in Riga, a neo-eclectic building. 1939. In July 2010, \u201cC\u0113sis V\u0113stis\u201d reported that the joint stock company \u201c\u0136ie\u0123e\u013cnieks\u201d had purchased a powerful rubber-tired tractor for transporting bricks from C\u0113sis to Riga for the needs of the War Museum.<\/p>\n

Throughout history, the plant has undergone various changes. 1940. In September 2009, the Soviet authorities nationalised all brick factories in Latvia, and the Cesis brick factory was incorporated into the Brick Industry Trust. During the German occupation, the factory continued to operate, and on 30 April 1944, the Cesis Brick Factory in M\u016brleiai was among 79 companies awarded for their diligent work. <\/p>\n

After the Second World War, the C\u0113sis Brickworks on Cep\u013ca Street near the Gauja River was reopened in the first half of 1945. On 14 July, the newspaper “C\u0113su Stars” reported: “C\u0113sis bricks have always been considered the best in our republic. Raw material such as C\u0113sis clay is rarely to be found anywhere else. <\/p>\n

The C\u0113sis brickworks became particularly famous for its production of special bricks for the restoration of the Moscow Kremlin tower and wall, which began in 1948. 183 000 \u201cbricks of the highest quality\u201d were sent to Moscow. In the same year, the Cesis Building Materials Plant (CBR) was founded on the basis of the brickworks, lime kilns and dolomite quarries of Cesis and the surrounding area.
\nOn 1 February 1968, the Cesis Building Materials Plant (CBR) with the Cesis brickworks, the Cesis (Laucini) limeworks and the T\u016bja workshop was transferred to the Lode Drainage Pipeworks (LDCR). The clay reserves in the M\u016brlejas deposit began to run out and 1970 was probably the last year of operation of the C\u0113sis brickworks under the LDCR. <\/p>\n

Today, the chimney, the workshop building and the ruins of the semicircular Hoffmann kiln are testimony to the once-famous brick factory. The site is now privately owned. Interestingly, a brick found here, in a structure unrelated to the kiln, bears an inscription from before it was fired: \u201c\u041f\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0442 \u0438\u0437 \u0426\u0435\u0441\u0438\u0441\u0430\u201d (Greetings from Cesis). <\/p>\n

Known buildings using bricks from the Cesis brickworks<\/span><\/p>\n