Limestone has been mined in Rüdersdorf for over 750 years. The Rüdersdorfer limestone was for centuries the most important building material for the metropolis of Berlin. On the site of the opencast mining, which is one of the largest in northern Germany, a museum park was created – today one of the most important industrial monuments in Germany.

Outstanding is the impressive shaft furnaces for quicklime production, which was built between 1871 and 1876 to meet the increased demand for lime in the region. The plant with 18 Rumford stoves, also called “Rüdersdorfer stoves”, was still in operation until 1967. A new cement and lime works in the Herzfelde district replaced the old plant.