Salzer Tannery Museum

These historical tannery buildings in the town of Eisenerz in Styria were disused for nearly twenty years until, in 2004, they were donated to a voluntary association to restore as a museum, supported by the state of Styria. After structural repair, conservation and display, the site is now a registered museum and a Styria region landmark. There was high demand for leather in the region from the Middle Ages onwards to make clothing and equipment for iron-ore mining. The factory was on the bank of the river, which provided waterpower. A tannery on the site was documented in 1548. The museum is named for the Salzer family who owned the tannery in the twentieth century. Leather production ended in 1954. Machines installed in the 1920s have been restored to working order and a new waterwheel has been built to generate electricity. Displays explain leather manufacture, the history of the region and its mines and the technology of water management and waterpower.