"When history meets future"
modern techniques in an historical atmosphere

Mettlach, 17. Mai 2001 - Just the other day, the staff member of deuromedia became "lords of the castle". Due to the increase in staff members which became conditional on the growing industrial sector, the offices had become too small - an alternative had to be found.

Since May 2nd, 2001 deuromedia has moved into the new and impressive Headquarter "Schloss Ziegelberg", Mettlach which is located in the centre of the Saar-Lor-Lux region in Europe. Built in the Neo-Renaissance era, the château had been adjusted to the latest developments in technology and is now fitted with functional offices. Starting from this point, 25 staff members in Admini-stration, Sales and Marketing will represent the company worldwide. In addition to the team in Germany, further 150 staff members located in Brasov, Romania will work on the research and development of deuromedia's software solutions. A further growth in staff members is planned.

The new company headquarter

The town of Mettlach is famous throughout the world for its ceramics. As early as 1809, the main office of the internationally renowned company, Villeroy & Boch, was established here. "Schloss Ziegelberg", however, is not quite so old. In 1879, Edmund von Boch, director of the local earthenware factory and son of Villeroy & Boch's founder, Eugen von Boch, had the castle built as a residence for himself and his young family.

During the following years, the property was extended and developed several times until it reached its present proportions in 1908. Upon Edmund von Boch's death in 1931, his only son, Adolf, inherited the castle. However, eight years later, the new owner decided to leave Mettlach and move to Munich. He offered the property to Villeroy & Boch for 165,000 Reichsmarks, yet the company didn't express any interest in buying the castle. Finally, he managed to persuade the parish to buy the whole property in 1939. Whereupon, "Schloss Ziegelberg" served as the administrative headquarters of the Reich Labour Service, billet of the French occupying troops after the Second World War, a French youth centre and thereafter a children's holiday home.

In 1977, the building was renovated at a cost of DEM 2,165,000. Villeroy & Boch's ceramics museum was subsequently housed in the basement and on the first floor, while the remaining rooms were used as a restaurant and conference hall. When the museum moved out for rea-sons of space in the spring of this year, deuromedia was given the opportunity to use the vacanted rooms to set up its main office.

Despite the building's uniform neo-Renaissance appearance, the property was gradually developed over the years. In 1889, the large three-storey extension with a bay window on the west side was added to the original rectangular construction, which was based on four axes. The rooms were extended in 1907/08 to give the property its present look. Henceforth, "Schloss Ziegelberg" has retained the same form, although the interior underwent changes due to the various demands dictated by use.

Dieter Weber, managing director of deuromedia: 'It was our aim to find a head office where we could welcome our customers and guests in appropriate surroundings. The combination of old architecture and modern technology attracted us most of all. I'm confident that the history of "Schloss Ziegelberg" will continue to be written in a positive light'.

About deuromedia - the viewer company

deuromedia is removing the barriers between the Internet and television - the international software manufacturer offers a ready-to-market sender and receiver system for broadband transmissions. Deuromedia has adopted an approach that enables the seamless fusion of all types of digital channels. Thanks to products from deuromedia users can customise content for their own individual purposes. In fact deuromedia solutions offer providers of all kinds of data transfer and content the professional platform: point-to-point, point-to-multipoint as well as formats with two-way capability. The Company was established in Merzig, Germany, in 1996 and currently employs 170 staff throughout the world in development, sales and distribution.

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