Engelsberg Ironworks (Swedish: Engelsbergs bruk) is an ironworks in Ängelsberg, a village in Fagersta Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden. It was built in 1681 by Per Larsson Gyllenhöök (1645-1706) and developed into one of the world's most modern ironworks in the period 1700–1800. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.

Engelsberg Ironworks
UNESCO World Heritage Site
LocationÄngelsberg, Fagersta Municipality, Sweden
CriteriaCultural: (iv)
Reference556rev
Inscription1993 (17th Session)
Area9.596 ha (23.71 acres)
Coordinates59°58′00″N 16°00′30″E / 59.96667°N 16.00833°E / 59.96667; 16.00833
Engelsberg Ironworks is located in Sweden
Engelsberg Ironworks
Location of Engelsberg Ironworks in Sweden

Name

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Engelsberg Ironworks is named after Englika. Englika, who was born in Germany, began producing iron in Engelsberg in the 14th century.[1]

History

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The history of iron production in the region dates back to at least 13th century. The local peasants both mined the ore and produced the iron using primitive furnaces.[2]

In the end of the 16th century more modern production methods were introduced in Engelsberg and production volumes increased substantially in the following decades.[2]

The mill, which historically belonged to the Västervåla parish and Norberg, was built in 1681[3] by the county sheriff Per Larsson Höök (1645–1706). By then, ironworking had already been carried out on the site for a long time by miners.[4]

Description

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The preserved buildings include a manor house, the inspector's house and the smelting house with a blast furnace.[2]

UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Engelsberg Ironworks is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was added to the list in 1993.[5] The UNESCO comments were:

Sweden's production of superior grades of iron made it a leader in this field in the 17th and 18th centuries. This site is the best-preserved and most complete example of this type of Swedish ironworks.

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References

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  1. ^ "Världsarvet Engelsbergs bruk".
  2. ^ a b c "Engelsberg Ironworks".
  3. ^ "Ängelsberg - Uppslagsverk - NE.se". www.ne.se. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  4. ^ "Engelsbergs bruk - Värlsdarvet - Fagersta kommun - turistinformation". 2010-08-12. Archived from the original on 2010-08-12. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  5. ^ "Sweden".
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