Wendener Hütte

The Wendener hut is as old iron and hammer work, a technical monument from the early days of industrialization. The facility is located in the Sauerland community contact in the district Wendenerhütte and can be visited as a museum. She is one of the oldest blast furnace plants in Germany.

History

Parts of today Olpe developed since the early modern period on the basis of mining, iron production and processing to the main commercial center of the Duchy of Westphalia. After declines in the wake of the Thirty Years War, the area experienced a new upswing in the 18th century. Specializing was the space Olpe in particular from the manufacture of iron plates, which were taken mainly from finished goods producers in the county of Mark. Although the necessary semi-finished goods came to a part of the neighboring country winner, but also from the surrounding area. These were based on the iron mining and charcoal production in the region. In Olpe district still existed in 1855 7 smelters of these were only 5 in the area of contact. While most cabins only pig iron produced, presented, founded in 1728 by John Ermert Wendener hut crude steel. The company went through in the 1740s in the possession of John Remy from Bendorf, in whose possession it remained until the operational setting. This was then the most important iron- commercial family in the Middle Rhine. The Wendener hut stood in direct competition with the iron industrial enterprises in the neighboring country winner. In a contemporary report from the 18th century it was said that the hut: " the winner's country and his Stahlcommercium with crude iron and coal do huge crash. " Permanent extensions and conversions they were always on the latest technical standard, the mechanical equipment of the iron work was regarded as corresponding to an exceptional quality. However, the lodge held also because of the lack of railway connection at the charcoal. Like the other huts of the area as well, she succumbed ultimately the overwhelming competition of coal -based emerging industries in the Ruhr and presented in 1866 finally ceased operation.

The cottage as an industrial monument

The complex consists of seven buildings: dwelling-house, former stables, coach house, casthouse furnace with the ground and blast furnace, boiler house, material storage and hammer work. A history of technology special feature of the blast furnace dar. He has not as yet widespread in time and still get in the Luisenhütte Wocklum, an "open chest ", but a so-called " shock stove ". Of this only a short time in use transitional form " closed chest " is preserved in the Wendener hut.

The Museum Society Wendener hut is a carrier of this unique technical cultural monument. Since 2007 there is a new visitor house and a small museum about the history of iron production. In the Visitor Center also changing events and exhibitions.

Cottage Archives

A considerable part of the written tradition of the cottage is preserved and is now in the Westphalian Business Archives in Dortmund.