Fröndenberger Kettenschmiede

Description

In Fröndenberg/Ruhr the Kettenschmiedemuseum commemorates a regional industrial history; it is housed in the former warehouse building of the Papierfabrik Himmelmann. The conversion of the building took three years, and the museum opened on 9 May 1999.

Among the exhibits is a smith’s forge from 1910 that was previously used in a regional chain factory. The display illustrates the artisanal steps of chain production and vividly demonstrates the traditional forging technique.

Chain manufacture has a long history in the Märkisches Sauerland and was already widespread before industrialization. In the 19th century entrepreneurs from the Märkische region expanded the trade by establishing branch operations in neighbouring areas, for example in the present-day Kreis Unna and in the Cologne Sauerland. In addition to Fröndenberg, the Möhnetal near Sichtigvor and Mülheim, as well as the Röhrtal by Hachen near Sundern, formed further centres.

Characteristic of the industry until the 20th century was the combination of factory production and home-based work. In the Möhnetal some people worked year-round in firms or at home; in addition, numerous small landowners and farmers practised smithing mainly during the cold season.

Immediately beside the museum stands the Fröndenberger Trichter, protected as a historic monument since 1996; it is a facility for recovering raw materials from the wastewater of paper production.

Shortly after its opening the museum was also used as a venue for weddings; by the end of October 2022, 835 marriages and civil partnerships had been concluded there.