Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works
Both works reflect the splendor and the contrast, Chile experienced the late 19th and early 20th century. At the heyday counted Santa Laura 425 inhabitants, while in Humberstone more than 3500 people lived.
Geography
The saltpeter are 48 km east of Iquique in the Tarapacá Región de Atacama in the desert.
History
The Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, were established in 1872 by the nitrate extraction Society Guillermo Wendell. At that time the region was still part of Peru. That same year, James Thomas Humberstone founded the Compañía de Nitratos del Perú ( nitrate Society of Peru ) and the Oficina La Palma. Since 1883, after the saltpeter, heard the Región de Tarapacá to Chile. Already in 1889 included the Humberstone works to the largest Salpeterwerken in Chile. In the early 1930s broke the Salpetermarkt together after the introduction of ammonia synthesis developed in Germany by Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch. Many workers were laid to the mine at that time lived up to 3700 people. The saltpeter works were indeed continue to operate, but since the sale of saltpeter became increasingly difficult, Humberstone was closed in 1961. A similar fate also experienced the Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, which had to close its doors in 1960.
Today, the two works are ghost towns that are exposed to the harsh climate of the Atacama desert. Also, theft of timber beams did much to destroy. Some of the buildings are in acute danger of collapse. The rusty big industrial complexes have become a popular tourist destination in the desert. There is an open air museum.
On January 16, 1970, the works were declared national monuments of Chile. In July 2005, both works were declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO and set simultaneously on the Red List of World Heritage in Danger.
Gallery
- Entrance to Humberstone
- Workers' dwellings
- Theater
- Swimming pool