20 The Technical Monument Neue Hütte Schmalkalden

20 The Technical Monument Neue Hütte Schmalkalden

The technical monument Neue Hütte Schmalkalden is a late-classical blast furnace plant from 1835, where local iron ores were smelted into pig iron using charcoal.

From the early industrial development phase of Schmalkalden’s tool manufacturing industry, an almost complete factory site has been preserved here.

The Neue Hütte was shut down in 1924 due to high production costs but remains one of the last surviving examples of this technology in Central Europe.

The half-timbered building with its high central structure serves as a technical museum, vividly showcasing the development of mining, smelting, and iron craftsmanship in the region.

In 1993, a functioning wood drill and nail forge was established in a reconstructed charcoal shed on the site of the Neue Hütte.

The use of water power through a waterwheel and turbine system adds a unique charm to the forge.

Together with the towns of Stolberg, Bleicherode, Worbis, Mühlhausen, Wanfried, Treffurt, and Vacha, Schmalkalden is a stop on the German Half-Timbered House Route „From the Harz to the Thuringian Forest.“

 

Contact:
Technisches Museum Neue Hütte
Neue Hütte 1
98574 Schmalkalden
Tel.: +49 3683 403018
Fax: +49 3683 623013
www.schmalkalden.com