Regional characteristics of iron production in the Ruhr
In comparison with other countries and regions within Germany, blast furnace production of iron began relatively late in the Ruhr. Iron production in pioneer regions such as Coalbrookdale in England as well as other iron-producing regions in Germany began considerably earlier. Even in bordering regions such as Siegerland, the area between the Rhein, Eifel and Hunsrück, and also in the northern lower Rhein, blast furnaces were to be found well before the first iron works in the Ruhr area.
Workmen and tenants from the earlier ironworks in the Ruhr came from the neighbouring regions, bringing their technical know-how with them. An important example is Gottlob Jacoby who learned the techniques of iron production from his father, the director of the Sayner iron works on the Rhein.
Gottlob Jacobi (1779-1823), director of works at the Neu-Essen and St. Anthony ironworks, co-owner of the Ironworks Union and Company Jacoby, Haniel & Huys-sen (Reproduction: Rhine Industry Museum/Rhineland Regional Council)
Technologies from other countries were also brought into the region. Around 1800 Eversmann, Superintendent of the Prussian Factories toured English production works as an example of a developed steel region, and brought back a wide variety of innovations to Germany. He encouraged the owners and tenants of the first ironworks in the Ruhr to experiment. This resulted in the installation of the first domed oven at the St. Antony ironworks where attempts were made to smelt iron with partly desulphurised coal from the Ruhr, which were not successful.
Even after it had ceased to be competitive, charcoal powered iron production continued in the Ruhr until the mid 19th century. It was only when better ores were found in the Ruhr and local mines were dug deeper that it became possible to extract coal which could be coked, thus enabling the technique of iron production using coke.
Friedrich August Alexander Eversmann: overview of iron and steel production at water works in the area between Lahn and Lippe, Dortmund 1804, title page (Reproduction: Rhine Industry Museum/Rhineland Regional Council)
The first coke-powered blast furnace went into operation in 1849 in the Friedrich-Wilhelms ironworks in Mülheim. Very soon large coke-powered iron works were constructed and the limited regional ore reserves quickly became scarce. Ores from other areas had to be brought into the region. The Ruhr became one of Europe's most important industrial regions.
Construction drawing of a blast furnace at the Gute Hoffnung ironworks, 1841
(Source: Source: Rhineland-Westfalia economic archive at Cologne, Reproduction: Rhine Industry Museum/Rhineland Regional Council)
Sketches of the charcoal fired blast furnace at St. Anthony Ironworks (Reproduction: Rhine Industry Museum/Rhineland Regional Council)