As the basis of human life, salt has been an expensive foodstuff for thousands of years. The presence of salt springs in the town was of great importance for Soest's urban development. An Arab traveler reported the extraction of salt in Soest as early as 973, and street names such as Salzbrink, Solgasse and Salzgasse still refer to this today. In 1981/82, parts of the Soest salt district on the "Kohlbrink" were explored in an archaeological excavation. Over 100 salt boiling furnaces were uncovered in the 230 square meter excavation area. The kilns, which could be traced down to a depth of 3.5 m, were made of unfired pieces of clay. In front of them were 2 to 3 m large, shallow working pits, from which the 2 to 2.5 m long kiln channels were fired. The leaden boiling pans originally stood on these. Wattle-and-daub constructions for wind catchers were also found, as were wooden posts from the roofs of the kilns. The examination of wood samples using dendrochronology (annual ring measurement of wood) finally provided a reliable date for the existence of the Soest salt works as early as 600 AD.
It was not possible to determine by archaeological means when salt production in Soest ceased. From the 13th century onwards, there is no longer any documentary evidence of a salt works in Soest. In contrast, the Sassendorf salt works is mentioned for the first time in the 12th century and continued to produce salt until the beginning of the 19th century. It should be noted that Soest citizens also owned brine and salt house property and later also had boiling rights in Sassendorf and traded extensively in salt.
