A Trip Through Fribourg’s Vanished Industries
Three Fribourg-based photographers turn their attention to the city’s vanished industrial heart, diving into their archives to pay homage to sites that no longer exist. The exhibition reconstructs the story of emblematic places such as the Cardinal brewery, the Ritter hall (the former warehouse area), and the Boxal aluminum packaging factory, offering visitors a compelling journey through Fribourg’s industrial heritage.
These images do more than catalog old machines. They capture the last moments of factories that once shaped the local economy and skyline. As Yves Eigenmann recalls on the 19h30 news broadcast from September 29, “There’s still the smell of the factory that lingers. The worker is still there.” The sensory memory, he suggests, remains even after the structures fall silent.
The Key Sites in Focus
Among the sites revisited, the Cardinal brewery stands out as a symbol of Fribourg’s industrial identity. The first real threat of closure surfaced in 1996, and the 2010 revisit by photographer Christophe Maradan captured a plant half alive, with workers drastically reduced—from about 400 to perhaps twenty—still performing essential tasks as the site wound down its operations.
Other focal points in the show include the scierie de la halle Ritter and the Boxal factory. The halle Ritter, once a hive of activity, has since been repurposed as the Haute École d’ingénierie et d’architecture de Fribourg (HEIA-FR), illustrating the broader trend of reusing industrial spaces for modern needs while preserving memory of their former functions.
Describing the Human Trace
Beyond the machinery, the photographers sought what they call “the trace of the elements that humans left in these architectures.” The result is a collection that emphasizes human presence in an industrial landscape: signs of labor, wear on surfaces, and the quiet, almost intimate moments captured between workers and workspaces. Christophe Maradan notes that the process can be emotionally charged—“When we take the photos, it’s a bit emotional as we turn a page.”
From Demolition to Memory: A Public Archive
Today, many of these former sites have been demolished to make way for new infrastructure or repurposed for different uses. The exhibition, however, serves as a public archive, filling memory gaps left by urban renewal and rationalization. It invites visitors to step back in time and reflect on Fribourg’s industrial past, which remains an integral part of the city’s identity and urban landscape.
What the Exhibition Offers Now
By presenting a layered narrative of the Cardinal brewery, Ritter hall, and Boxal, the show offers a nuanced portrait of an industrial era in flux. It demonstrates how memory can be preserved not only in preserved monuments but in captured moments that reveal daily life within industrial walls. The project acts as a bridge between past and present, helping residents and visitors alike understand how modern Fribourg grew out of, and alongside, its erstwhile factories.
Credits and Context
Propos recueillis by Carine Regidor. Adaptation web: Sébastien Foggiato. The initiative underscores a shared effort to safeguard Fribourg’s industrial heritage through photography, archival practice, and reflective storytelling.
