Chainforge Museum

The production of chains determined the industrial history of the town of Fröndenberg for over a hundred years. The product range extended from chains for agriculture to heavy chains, especially ship and anchor chains.  Besides the German shipyards and the mining industry of the Ruhr area, oil companies also developed into important trading partners. They required heavy chains for anchoring oil rigs in the sea.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the chain industry in Fröndenberg almost disappeared as a result of structural changes in the coal and steel industry. In order to keep the history of chain production alive and to make it comprehensible for future generations, the Förderverein Kulturzentrum Fröndenberg e.V. has established a chain forge museum in the straw storage building of a former paper factory.

The museum's collection includes a large number of machines from the Fröndenberg chain production from the 1920s to the 1950s. Practical demonstrations at the forge fire, on electric hand welding machines and automatic chain welding machines complete the exhibition.

Chainforge Museum
Kulturzentrum Ruhraue
Ruhrstrasse 12
58730 Fröndenberg
Germany
+49 (0) 2303 - 82004
Homepage

Admission:Free
Access for persons with disabilities:For details see website
Infrastructure for children:

April to Oktober:
Saturday, Sunday 10am-4pm

  • Guided tours optional
  • Guided tours for children