Südharzer Eisenhüttenmuseum und Industriedenkmal Königshütte

Description

The Kings’ hut in the city of Bad Lauterberg with its South Harz Ironworks Museum, is a former ironworks and iron foundry. It was built on the site of a former ironworks, the privately operated Süssenhütte, which was established around 1580, passed into state ownership in 1617, and ceased operations in 1623.

 The Kings’ hut was founded by Elector Ernst August II of Hanover, and construction began in 1733. This also included the Oder Weir—now called the Scholmwehr-Bridge —which is located today in the spa park of Bad Lauterberg, approximately 1.5 km from the smelter site. A millrace branches off there, supplying water to the waterwheels (now used for the turbines) at the Kings’ hut.

The Kings’ hut The Kings’ hut also included a wire mill, which was located outside the hut yard

 downstream, and is no longer part of the complex of the Kings’ hut. Among other things, the wire mill produced the wire that Chief Mining Officer Albert needed to manufacture his wire rope.

About 100 years after the first buildings were erected, several of them had fallen into disrepair and were replaced by new structures, such as the casting hall. Starting in 1815, additional buildings were erected, including the machine shop. Today, the industrial heritage site includes the factor’s house, the iron warehouse, the machine shop, the smelter tavern, the moulding house, the foundry building, two rolling mill buildings, a former residence for smelter officials, the former testing house—now the South Harz Ironworks Museum—and the former mill.

The kings’ hut remained state-owned until around 1870; in 1871, it passed into private hands, iron smelting was discontinued, and only the foundry operations continued. In return, the new owners gained an additional source of income: an industrial mill. Operations at the Kings’ hut ceased in 2001.

As early as 1983, on the 250th anniversary of the Kings’ hut, an association was founded: the support group of the Kings’ hut in Bad Lauterberg. It has made it its mission to contribute to the preservation of the kings’ hut and to document and pass on its history. The association converted and furnished the former testing house into the South Harz Ironworks Museum. (Note: During the fiscal period, the iron ore delivered to the tasting house was tested there for its iron content.) In 1986, the complex was designated a historic landmark. And since October 2014, the industrial monument has been recognized as a “cultural monument of national significance.”

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)