The Neue Hütte in Schmalkalden is a remarkable historical industrial monument in Thuringia, Germany. Located in the district of Weidebrunn, the building ensemble is now run as the Neue Hütte technical museum and technical monument of the town of Schmalkalden (Thuringia).
Centre of iron and steel production
Since the High Middle Ages, the area around Schmalkalden has been a centre of iron and steel production in Germany. This was based on the two mining districts on the Mommelstein and the Stahlberg, which supplied high-quality iron ore. A steel hammer had already existed in Weidebrunn for centuries, and the Happelshütte blast furnace was added here in 1669. The Neue Hütte was finally built after the new (Hessian) trade regulations of 1827, which made further industrialisation possible.
In 1835, the Neue Hütte, founded by J. W. Bleymüller, replaced the old Happelshütte on the same site. The new main building was constructed as a late classicist half-timbered building surrounding the central blast furnace. From then on, the company dominated iron production in the Schmalkalden region and numerous outdated blast furnaces in the region ceased operation.
Technical Museum Neue Hütte
The Neue Hütte was in active operation until 1924 and then used for other purposes. In 1966, the building complex was designated as an important technical monument in the Suhl district, was subsequently added to the GDR’s central list of monuments and has since been renovated in stages, equipped with historical machinery and converted into a museum site. Further information on the industrial history and museum facilities can be found in the detailed article Neue Hütte/Schmalkalden (german Wikipedia).
