Iron, Steel, and Nature
For our podcast, the year 2024 was entirely dedicated to the Greater Region’s industrial heritage and the history of the places that have made our region what it is today. To conclude this journey, in December we visited an industrial site that was permanently closed in 2016 and will be transformed into the new Metzeschmelz district in the coming decades. This month’s Minett Mash-Up took place on the site of the former Esch-Schifflange ironworks.
Our “Minett-Location” of the month: Ferro Forum
The central workshop of the former ironworks, which began producing iron on the site with its first blast furnace on 10 October 1871, is now home to the Ferro Forum. Following the cessation of production in November 2011 and the permanent closure of the site in 2016, the Ferro Forum, founded in 2019, has found its home here.
The aim of the Ferro Forum is to preserve and promote the cultural, industrial and artisanal heritage and know-how associated with the production of iron and steel. The association aims to become a key player in this field and a driving force in the cultural life of the Metzeschmelz district after its transformation.
Our guest: Do Demuth
Do Demuth is a true child of the Minett region. She has been an active member of the Ferro Forum since its inception and is now responsible for its cultural and strategic coordination.
In our conversation with this native of Schifflingen, we discussed the Ferro Forum as an organisation, her commitment to it and the future of the project on the Metzeschmelz site. We also talked about the importance of volunteers and people who are already professionally involved in the project.
We also spoke to the interior designer about her profession, the sets she has created for theatre productions, and the Minett region, which is close to her heart.
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© Minett UNESCO Biosphere / CNCI
Our quiz:
When was the Metzeschmelz founded?
- 1821
- 1871
- 1921
How many workers were employed here during the peak years?
- 1.500
- 4.000
- 8.000
Links to the topics of this episode:
- Ferro Forum: An organization dedicated to preserving industrial culture
- Esch2022: Website of the European Capital of Culture 2022
- Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande Duchesse Charlotte: A foundation supporting cultural and social projects
- Kamelleschmelz: A mini-blast furnace that produces candy instead of steel
- Esch: Homepage of the city of Esch
- Schifflange: Website of the municipality of Schifflange
- Ministry of Culture: Website of the Luxembourg Ministry of Culture
- Agora: A development company overseeing the regeneration of former Arbed brownfield sites in the south
- Schmelzaarbechtermusée: Museum established by workers of the former Esch-Schifflange ironworks
- Woodlark: A bird whose almost entire Luxembourgish population lives within the region of the Minett Biosphere
- Wes Anderson : American film director
- Zukunftsrot Metzeschmelz : A citizen participation forum for the development of the new district on the site of the former steelworks
Contact us:
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