Klenshyttan

Many blast furnaces in the 1600s were bought by wealthy merchants, immigrant traders, or affluent noblemen and were developed into industrial works. However, some continued to be owned by mining families. One of these was Klenshyttan, which is one of the best-preserved mining villages in the area.
On the road between Ludvika and Grängesberg, you can spot the beautiful ruins of Klenshyttan and its old blast furnace.
 

People have lived in this area since at least the 1400s. In the early 1600s, two miners, Jan Olson Klack and Olof Olson Klack, built a blast furnace with a rod iron hammer in the village, which was then called Klämshyttan. From then on, it was always owned, at least in part, by miners. Sometimes one miner owned it outright; at other times, up to 17 miners shared ownership.
 

The iron produced here was transported by horse-drawn wagons to Örebro. A wagon could carry up to 650 kg of iron. Many things could happen along the journey, so wagons rarely traveled alone. Often, they waited until 12 wagons could be loaded with iron before departing in long caravans, with one of the lead horses at the front.
 

In the 1840s, when the furnace needed renovation and modernization, part of it was purchased by Hagge Bruk. However, not all miners wanted to sell their shares, so some retained ownership alongside Hagge Bruk. Soon, a new mining family, led by Jan Persson from Lorenzberga, became part of the ownership. They experienced the economic downturn after World War I when the blast furnace was shut down.
 

To this day, several fine mining farmsteads remain near Klenshyttan. When the miners sold their pig iron to the industrial works, they received less payment than before the industrial era. Many miners faced economic difficulties as a result. To avoid bankruptcy, they were forced to accept the works’ offers of credit. But this often worsened their financial situation. If they couldn’t repay the debt, the works would take their farms.

The government eventually intervened. While the Crown allowed the works to extend credit to the miners in the form of food and money, they prohibited them from seizing farms as loan repayment. Instead, loans had to be repaid through production. This ensured that miners kept their farms and the works were guaranteed a steady supply of pig iron at low prices.
A series of regulations was also introduced to encourage miners to produce more pig iron than they might have intended. Over time, however, these rules were relaxed, and miners who were dissatisfied with the price offered by the nearest works could travel further to find a buyer willing to pay more. Still, many miners eventually abandoned iron production altogether and turned to agriculture instead.
 

Facts
A miner’s blast furnace from 1605 surrounded by several old mining farmsteads. In the 1840s, it was partially purchased by Hagge Bruk and modernized. In 1842, a new blast furnace was built, which still stands today. Additionally, a new water turbine, steam boiler with a steam engine, and a cylinder blower were installed by the engineering firm Qvist & Gjers in Arboga.
In 1877, Bergslagernas Järnvägar railway opened with a siding running directly through the coal house. The railway could now transport pig iron, ore, and charcoal.
Today, Klenshyttan is owned by Ludvika Municipality. Visit independently.
Information signage is available.
 

Liten bild nr 1: Fredrik Findahl
Liten bild nr 2: Bisse Falk