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Founded: 1695Category: Industrial sites in Finland
Historical period: Swedish Empire (Finland)
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Strömfors Ironworks is one of the oldest in Finland. It was founded in 1695 by Johan Creuz. The ironworks was renamed to Strömfors in 1744, when A. Nohrström and J. Forsell acquired the site and business. They also expanded Strömfors by building a new forge and sawmill.
In 1790, the iron works got a new manager, the 31-year-old Virginia af Forselles, who managed Strömfors Iron Works for almost 60 years. A large part of the well-kept environment and constructions currently on display at the iron works are from this period.
The iron manufacturing ended in 1950 and sawmill business couple of years later. Now the Strömfors Ironworks area is a historically significant environment. In addition to the museums and handicrafts shops, the area has a restaurant and a café. All year long, visitors can stay at the Krouvinmäki inn, which is partly made of clay.
Strömfors manufactured for example nails (for ships and railways), scythes, shovels, axes and hammers.
what did the iron work do!?
Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.