Iron jewelry
The so-called fer de Berlin ( French , Berlin iron ') were designated in 1800 one made of fine Eisenddraht iron jewelry . The simplicity of the material, its “brittle” character as well as the clear contours corresponded to the bourgeois ideas of the time for stability, modesty and restraint. The name was later extended as a trademark for products from Berlin iron art foundries in general .
development
The rise and fall of iron art in Berlin spanned the period from the end of the 18th century to the middle of the 19th century and is largely determined by historical events. The conquest of large parts of Europe by the Napoleonic army after the French Revolution , the Wars of Liberation 1813–1815, the reorganization of Europe at the Congress of Vienna and the bourgeois revolution of 1848 .
The impetus for the creation of the “Berlin Iron” came from purely commercial state considerations around 1750: Prussia should be made independent of Swedish iron foundries, especially with regard to the need for artillery and ammunition. Chains with iron coins in memory of heroic victories quickly made iron popular. Karl Friedrich Schinkel designed the Iron Cross as a national decoration for freedom fighters .
Jewelry as a political symbol
- Main article I gave gold for iron
After Princess Marianne von Prussia appealed to all women of Prussia in 1813 to give up their gold jewelry in exchange for an iron brooch or ring with the inscription "I gave gold for iron", wearing iron jewelry became the fashion of all patriots who made theirs wanted to document personal contribution to support the wars of liberation.
The appeal was repeated during World War I. Wedding rings, brooches and jewelry rings (partly based on the symbolism of the Iron Cross ) were given out to citizens willing to donate.
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The foundries
The most important foundries in Prussia included the Gleiwitz iron foundry , which began production in 1796 and was home to the first coke oven in Germany, and the Berlin state iron foundry founded in 1804 in front of the New and Oranienburger Tor as a subsidiary . The third of the large Prussian iron foundries with a department for artificial casting was the Sayner Hütte near Neuwied near Koblenz .
In 1806, Johann Conrad Geiß , an Offenbach jeweler who had settled in Berlin, added iron jewelry from the Gleiwitz foundry to its range of goods. The good sales of the goods encouraged him to set up his own small foundry in Berlin. In this way, among other things, extremely filigree bracelets, earrings or tiaras in naturalistic flower and leaf shapes were created.
Siméon Pierre Devaranne (1789-1859) also made iron jewelry and was a major competitor for Geiss in Berlin. His work was highly regarded for its extraordinary delicacy.
In the years that followed, the number of entrepreneurs involved in the production of iron jewelry rose sharply.
technology
It was poured using the sand casting process, after the pig iron had previously been remelted in a cupola furnace or - for smaller quantities - in a crucible . In addition, the work with fine wire mesh was of great importance. In order to avoid rust formation, the jewelery was protected with a varnish made from soot and linseed oil .
The canon of forms was initially based on building elements, especially Gothic architecture, and floral ornaments from antiquity such as acanthus , palmette or vine leaf , in line with contemporary tastes. After 1820 the repertoire of motifs expanded and nymphs , graces and erots appeared. Typical Biedermeier motifs such as rose branches or flower baskets were often used to accentuate the center.
graduation
The company of Siméon Pierre Devaranne went out in 1859. In 1872 the Gleiwitzer Hütte was closed, followed a year later by the closure of its subsidiary, the state iron foundry in Berlin.
Collections: Museum Hirzenhain in Hesse , State Museums Berlin , Rhenish Iron Art Museum in Sayn.
literature
- Eva Schmidt: The Prussian iron art casting. Technology, history, works, artists . Verlag Mann, Berlin 1981, ISBN 3-7861-1130-8 .