In 1975 first actions by volunteers were taken to save the history and heritage of the clay industry on the Rupel banks. On October 9, 1984 an association, 'EcoMuseum and Archives of the Boom Brickworks' (EMABB) was set up. In 1993 EMABB purchased with own funds the Hoffmann kiln and adjacent workers houses of the Lauwers brickworks. In 1995 the kiln was protected as a monument, and in 2000, the workers houses too. The Hoffmann kiln is used for exhibitions on the industrial history of the region. In the workers houses the living conditions of men and women are shown.
