Some facts
Saarland in the 1950s: 1 million inhabitants, 33% working in mining and steelworks. In the 19th century the Völklinger Hütte was one of twelve smelter. The Völklinger Hütte was founded in 1873 by Julius Buch. Six years later, in 1879, it was closed due to cheaper pig iron from England. Two years later, in 1881, the Röchling brothers bought the plant and made it successful. By 1890, it was the largest pig iron plant in Germany.
In the 5 steelworks, 24 blast furnaces, 33,000 employees, producing 2.6 million tons of crude steel annually
Röchling Works, the largest plant with 65,000 tons of crude steel per month. At its peak, 17,000 people worked here.
The smelter was closed on July 4, 1986. Shortly before that, the blast furnace plant was listed as a historic monument by the Saarland. In 1990, the site was opened to the public. Since 1994, almost 7.5 hectares of the total 220 hectares have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. First industrial monument from the era of industrialisation.
Visitors can walk through original production halls, climb the furnace platforms, and explore the labyrinth of steel, gaining insight into the lives of the workers and the technological innovations of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Here some impressions in classical black & white
The video of the trip is available on YouTube (German language)…enjoy.