Sayner Hütte Ironworks

History

"A smeltery that has cast itself a house of iron," writes the poet Karl Simrock in 1840 about the rapidly expanding industrial site. In fact, the cast-iron components of the foundry are all manufactured in-house: the six-and-a-half-metre high hollow columns with their Doric capitals as well as the longitudinal and transverse trusses, cantilevered without rivets or screws and spanning an area of 24 by 29 metres. As early as 1769, the Elector of Trier, Clemens Wenzeslaus, ordered the construction of the first ironworks in the Sayn valley. Power is provided by the Sayn and Brex creeks, while lush woodland encourages the processing of the rich iron ore deposits. In 1815 the Prussians take over and turn the site into one of the most advanced Prussian iron foundries. This is largely due to the mining official Carl Ludwig Althans. According to his plans, an ultramodern foundry is built between 1828 and 1830 that sets standards in many respects. Given the lack of industrial models for a fireproof facility of this scale, Althans takes his inspiration from churches and possibly also from the world's first iron bridge in the Severn Valley in England. The result is an early example of the light, wide-span cast iron supporting structures later produced here, which are then increasingly used in the construction of bridges, railway stations and industrial plants. In addition, a high-quality art casting production is established here, meeting a wide range of requirements, from spiral staircases to delicate jewellery. In 1865, the Krupp company acquires the "Eisenhüttenwerk zu Sayn" (ironworks in Sayn), but shuts down the blast furnace as early as 1878 and abandons the complete site in 1926. The "Krupp'sche Halle" machine factory, which today serves as a visitor centre and also houses exhibitions, is a reminder of this era. The rescue of the dilapidated casting hall since the 1970s is mainly due to private initiative, the symbol of which is the highly committed Sayn Iron Works Association of Friends.