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Writer's pictureMaximus Nostramabus

Völklingen

Updated: Apr 21, 2022

German industrial marvel and heritage - Völklingen Ironworks 687

Völklingen Ironworks
What and Why

Völklingen Ironworks (German: Völklinger Hütte) was one of the most important ironworks or ironmongeries in the world. While it was only closed recently in 1986 CE, it remained as a testament of the Europe's economic success, technological innovation and social projects. The ironworks was established in the mid-19th century CE, and this site was chosen for its abundance in iron ore. The factory employed some of the most advanced technologies during the period, including energy recovery and recycling and these innovative technologies lasted until the factory closed. These technologies were adopted in other parts of the world.

In 1994 CE the Völklingen Ironworks was the first monument of heavy industry to be classified by UNESCO as WHS. It represents an important step for UNESCO to inscribe this particular site: until that moment only sacred buildings, castles or historical city centres were awarded UNESCO WHS status. In so doing, UNESCO recognised industry and technological culture as an outstanding achievement of humanity and placed it under special protection.

While Völklingen Ironworks retains a glorified status, the factory also carries a dark history involving acts that would have been punished as war crimes. This dark history includes the use of forced labourers during the two world wars and the ironworks associations with Adolf Hitler and the Nazism.  During the Second World War, around 70,000 foreign workers and prisoners of war worked in the mines, ironworks and factories in the region. More than 12,000 men, women and children were registered as forced labourers at Völklingen Ironworks and its auxiliary plants. These forced labourers included French, Italian and Russian prisoners of wars (POWs) and civilians deported from all over Europe. It took violence and threats of punishment to force most of these labourers to manufacture munitions that would later be used against their home countries. The working conditions were discriminatory and inhumane, and many, including children, died in the factory.

Toponymy

The name Völklingen goes back to the name Fulcolingas from the 9th century CE. Untraceable derivation.

See

The ironworks is now a full-fledged monument converted partly to a multi-media museum. A full tour of the site will wander through more than 7 km of marked walkways. It does take a very good guide to explain all the details of all the processes as it is genuinely a massive site!

Signboard and sitemap

Walkways

Walkways

More walkways.

More walkways

Blast furnace.

Blast furnace

Chimney stack and furnace.

Chimney stack and furnace

Eye candy for mechanics.

Even more ironworks

Crane for coal transportation.

Crane

More view of the various walkways.

Walkways

Panoramic view of the site.

Panoramic view
Eat and Drink

Saarland cuisine (Saarländische Küche)

The area is known as Saarland, and has developed its special cuisine based on German cuisine infused with a lot of French influence. There is a clear extensive use of potatoes.

Saumagen

The main dish is Saumagen, which is almost a German version of a Scottish haggis. The name means a sow's stomach and is meat stuffed into a casing and usually fried like a pork cutlet.

The second important food of the region is Leberknödel. Leberknödeln are large spherical dumplings meatballs, usually served with soup, potatoes or sauerkraut.

Leberknödel

Apparently South German loves dumplings and there is a giant ball of potato dumpling called Kartoffelklöße that is everywhere in the south, serving either sweet or savoury. The ball is mashed and mixed with flour to give a very tangy and bouncy texture.

Kartoffelklöße
Getting There and Around

Entrance fee to the ironworks is EUR 15€. There is a train station three minute walk away from the site. The site might take you longer than you expect due to its labyrinth-like walkways.

UNESCO Inscription
UNESCO sign
The ironworks, which cover some 6 ha, dominate the city of Völklingen. Although they have recently gone out of production, they are the only intact example, in the whole of western Europe and North America, of an integrated ironworks that was built and equipped in the 19th and 20th centuries and has remained intact.
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