In the 1960s, a large poultry factory was established, among the largest of its kind in East Germany. After the German reunification, the plant was taken over by a corporate group, securing 400 jobs for the town. Another major employer manufactures laminate flooring which is sold throughout Europe. The former castle owners, the Hagens, also prospered and in 1991, they returned to Möckern and re-purchased parts of their former property. The castle, which remained town property, became Möckern's elementary school in 1998, after the state archives moved out.