Iron Metallurgy

The collection of iron metallurgy encompasses the production of raw iron, its refining, and the manufacture of metallurgical semi-finished products through processes such as rolling, drawing, and extrusion. The collection evenly covers the entire development of the field from the earliest times to the present day. Given the size of actual metallurgical production units, the collection primarily consists of models. The earliest period of wrought iron production is evidenced, among other things, by an original bloomery furnace from the 12th century found in the area of the Agnes Monastery in Prague. The era of feudal ironworking is documented by models of charcoal reduction furnaces and refining forges, as well as entire ironworking operations, with particular attention deserved by the model of the ironworks in Nový Jáchymov, which became famous in the early 19th century for its architectural and technical solutions. An original exhibit is a mechanical forging hammer from a water-powered forge from the mid-19th century. The subsequent period up to the present is also well-documented, primarily by models of production equipment from metallurgical plants and individual units, such as blast furnaces, converters, Siemens-Martin furnaces, electric furnaces, rolling mills, and so on.