Engelsberg Ironworks (Swedish: Engelsbergs bruk) is an ironworks located in Ängelsberg, a village in Fagersta Municipality, Västmanland County, Sweden. It was built in 1681 by Per Larsson Gyllenhöök (1645–1706) and became one of the most modern ironworks in the world between 1700 and 1800. It has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.

Name

Engelsberg Ironworks is named after Englika. Englika was born in Germany and began producing iron in Engelsberg in the 14th century.

History

Iron production in the region began in the 13th century. Local peasants mined the ore and made iron using simple furnaces.

In the late 16th century, newer production methods were introduced in Engelsberg. Production increased a lot in the following decades.

The mill, which belonged to the Västervåla parish and Norberg, was built in 1681 by county sheriff Per Larsson Höök (1645–1706). By that time, ironworking had already been done at the site for many years by miners.

Description

The buildings that have been kept in good condition include a manor house, a house where the inspector lived, and a building where metal is melted using a blast furnace.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Engelsberg Ironworks is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was included on the list in 1993. UNESCO provided the following notes:

Gallery

• Conference center
• A road located at Engelsberg Iron Works
• The mansion and its wings
• The two slag stone towers
• The west wing
• The forge
• The mansion viewed from the garden side
• The kitchen and the pleasure garden
• The old office
• The archives of Axel Johnson Group
• The old barn
• The new office
• The dam and the blast furnace
• A rope railway used for transporting charcoal to the blast furnace
• The casting house, the blast furnace, and the air duct for preheated combustion air