Another lost place is the Maxhütte in Sulzbach-Rosenberg in Germany. At the time when Bavaria was an independent kingdom in the German empire the Bavarians thought of needing their own steel works based on the meager ore deposits the Oberpfalz had to offer. The Maxhütte operated from 1863 to 2002. Today the site extends over 250,000 square meter with a maximum length of 1,300 m and a width of 400 m. Most of it was protected as a monument recently. However the city and the owners are still looking for a concept how to protect, develop and allow access to the behemoth. In 2006 the area was still mostly untouched. A similar site in Völklingen has been completely preserved, turned into a museum and now is a world heritage site.
