Carl Friedrich Dietrich from Streckewalde founded a company for the production of groundwood in 1871. Wood was honed using hydropower, and when the milky drops dried, fine pieces of paper remained – the groundwood. The hydroelectric power required for this was still used to generate the company‘s own electricity. Wood pulp was needed to produce paper – which until the mid-19th century was a scarce and expensive commodity. By 1871, 112 wood grinders were counted throughout Germany.
