Friedrichshütte (Bad Laasphe)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sticker of the Friedrichshütte on the back of the cast plaque for the company anniversary 150 years of Krupp 1811–1961.

The Friedrichshütte in today's urban area of Bad Laasphe is on the cadastre of the former municipality of Kunst Wittgenstein . It is a mixed development with a few commercial enterprises, the municipal building yard, a small number of single and multi-family houses and the DRK rescue station Friedrichshütte, which was set up in the former Friedrichshütte station.

history

The southeastern part of the municipality of Kunst Wittgenstein was named after the establishment of an ironworks in 1799 by the then ruling Count and later Prince Friedrich Carl zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (1766–1837). However, documents about the forerunners of this smelting operation refer to a more than 500-year history of the Friedrichshütte.

The Laaspher Hammer, which was previously located on the same area, as well as documents about a former fulling mill, attest to the continued pre-industrial use of the place. The mill and hammer were operated by the water power of the Lahn ; Corresponding water weirs to raise the river bed and drainage ditches on the Lahn at the level of the earlier water art are still partially preserved.

In 1799, Count Friedrich Carl had a blast furnace set up on the company premises . The ores obtained were brought in from the dill area's own pits and processed into pig iron using charcoal from the Wittgenstein forests. Furthermore, the first cast goods were made and the production of their own stoves began.

As early as 1830, the company had around 50 workers who were engaged in the manufacture of cooking pots, plowshares , oven plates, stoves and washing kettles.

In 1854 the first steam engine was purchased in order to make itself independent of the water power of the Lahn. The first cupola furnaces were built around 1860 , with which one could produce thin-walled cast goods. The ovens manufactured in the Friedrichshütte were mainly sold in the Westphalian region, the sales market was then expanded to include the regions of Saxony and Thuringia.

In 1875, 112 workers were already employed in the Friedrichshütte. After the furnaces were initially charged with local charcoal for iron smelting, they switched to hard coal when the railway line from Cölbe to Laasphe (1883) and from Laasphe to Kreuztal in Siegerland (1889) was set up and transports from the Ruhr area were possible. Nevertheless, the blast furnace installed in the Friedrichshütte became unprofitable in the long run, so that it was shut down in 1891. Now the company has been converted exclusively to iron processing.

Around 1900 the Friedrichshütte ironworks was generously expanded. This included taking over the hardware shop, which was previously operated on the company premises by the master locksmith Mittelmann. In addition, a cleaning house was set up, the foundry expanded, the warehouse building expanded and an enamelling plant built.

A dormitory was set up in one of the company buildings for around 25 external workers.

Armaments material was produced during the two world wars. In the first few years after 1945, the first manure barrels, briquette carriers, water carts and large-capacity ovens were manufactured. After the enamelling plant was restarted in 1948 and the foundry in 1949, the company returned to furnace production. Tellus brand stoves continued to be sold successfully by Friedrichshütte for two decades. Another sales branch was the production of artificial castings . Among other things, Friedrichshütte was commissioned with the production of the cast plaque designed by the sculptor Jean Sprenger for the 150th anniversary of the Krupp company in 1961.

In 1965 the plant had to temporarily stop production, 165 workers lost their jobs. Three years later a revival of the company started with the production of cast goods with a workforce of 45 employees. Friedrichshütte KG finally had to cease operations in 1971. Former employees of the Friedrichshütte meet every year to exchange ideas in Bad Laasphe.

Number of employees

Art cast plaque (design: Jean Sprenger, Essen), made by Friedrichshütte for the 150th anniversary of Krupp 1811–1961 .

1830 50 workers

1856 57 workers

1875 112 workers

1900 200 workers

1914 approx. 50 workers

1924 200 workers

1965 165 workers

1968 45 workers

Successful ownership of the Friedrichshütte

Friedrich Carl Graf (from 1804 Prince) of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (1766–1837)

Princess Luise zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein b. Langenbach (1788–1864)

Carl Baron von Wittgenstein (1809–1866)

Berta Freifrau von Wittgenstein (1818–1905), (community of heirs)

Albrecht Freiherr von Wittgenstein (1850–1903)

Julie Baroness von Wittgenstein (1850-1911), (community of heirs)

Erich Freiherr von Wittgenstein (1880–1914)

Friedrich Carl Freiherr von Wittgenstein (1887–1967)

Winfried Freiherr von Wittgenstein (1924–1974)

Residence of the Barons von Wittgenstein

In 1845, the princely master builder Grupe began building a villa-like house above the hut. After nine years of construction, the family of Baron Carl von Wittgenstein, who had previously lived in a building on the company premises, moved to the new building in 1854, which was named Carlsburg after the client . The villa served as the family seat of the Barons von Wittgenstein for over 120 years.

literature

  • Friedrich Wilhelm Goebel : Historical fragments from the life of the ruling counts and princes of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein. Victories 1858
  • August Spiess: The Lahnthal from its origin to the mouth . Publishing house Kirchberger, Dillenburg 1866.
  • Günther Wrede : Territorial history of the county of Wittgenstein . NG Elwert'sche Verlagbuchhandlung (G.Braun), Marburg 1927.
  • Wilhelm Hartnack and Friedrich Carl Freiherr von Wittgenstein: 500 years of Friedrichshütte. Commemorative publication for the anniversary celebration on August 2, 1954, Carl von Wittgenstein OHG, Anding Verlag, Herborn 1954.
  • Eckhard Linke: Laaspher Industriegeschichte In: Wittgenstein, Blätter des Wittgensteiner Heimatverein eV, Vol. 63, December 1999, Issue 4. Bad Laasphe 1999.
  • Michael Ferger: Industrial culture in Central Hesse. Blast furnaces on the Lahn, Dill and in Upper Hesse. Publishing house Michael Imhof, Petersberg 2018.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eckhard Linke: Laaspher Industriegeschichte In: Wittgenstein, Blätter des Wittgensteiner Heimatverein eV Vol. 63, December 1999, Issue 4. Bad Laasphe 1999, p. 142.
  2. ^ Wilhelm Hartnack In: ​​500 years Friedrichshütte. Festschrift for the anniversary celebration on August 2, 1954, Carl von Wittgenstein OHG, Verlag Anding, Herborn 1954, pp. 5-8.
  3. ↑ Friedrich Carl Freiherr von Wittgenstein In: 500 years Friedrichshütte. Anniversary publication on August 2, 1954, Carl von Wittgenstein OHG, Verlag Anding, Herborn 1954, pp. 19, 21.
  4. ^ Michael Ferger: Friedrichshütte, Bad Laasphe, Siegen-Wittgenstein district . In: Industriekultur Mittelhessen. Blast furnaces on the Lahn, Dill and in Upper Hesse. Verlag Michael Imhof, Petersberg 2018, p. 99
  5. ^ Friedrich Carl Freiherr von Wittgenstein: 500 years of Friedrichshütte. Anniversary publication on August 2, 1954, Carl von Wittgenstein OHG, Verlag Anding, Herborn 1954, p. 28
  6. ↑ Eckhard Linke: Laaspher Industriegeschichte In: Wittgenstein, Blätter des Wittgensteiner Heimatverein eV Vol. 63, December 1999, Issue 4. Bad Laasphe 1999, p. 142.
  7. ↑ Wolfgang Thiel: You are right with the hut councilors . In: Westfalenpost, local section Wittgenstein from October 30, 2017