Nordhausen the Augustines, Franciscans and Dominicans. Agriculture plays an important role to the present day. Approximately 57% of the municipal territory is in agricultural use. Cereals from the region are used in the making of a famous local spirit, the "Nordhäuser Korn". Historically, sulfuric acid produced by the distillation of green vitriol (iron(II) sulfate) was known as Nordhausen oil of vitriol. The primary industry of Nordhausen is in the production of heavy machinery. The region had a factory for the production of rail engines until 1942. Later the region's plants produced truck motors, augers and excavators. Today, engineering is still the
Kusum oil Kusum oil Kusum oil is a type of oil extracted from the seed of the Kusum tree ("Schleichera oleosa"). The plant, which is also commonly known as Ceylon oak, lac tree, or Macassar oiltree, belongs to the Sapindaceae family. The schleichera family is named after J. C. Schleicher, a Swiss botanist, and the species name means "oily" or "rich in oil." The tree is native to India and Pakistan, but is also found in some parts of Southeast Asia. The bunches of fruit are plucked by climbing the "Schleichera oleosa" trees. The fruit pulp is removed by rubbing the fruits