Ramnäs Ironworks Area

Ramnäs Ironworks was founded in 1590 by a woman, Katarina Stenbock, the widow of King Gustav Vasa. Katarina realized that bar iron was significantly more profitable than the older osmund iron. Therefore, in 1590, she invested in a bar iron hammer, Kungshammaren, in Ramnäs. She was meticulous in managing the ironworks and ensuring it generated a good profit. She used the money, among other things, to finance the wars of her cousin and stepson, King John III.
 

Katarina Stenbock had inherited the area from Gustav Vasa. The king had been deeply involved in the iron industry, and this influence had passed on to Katarina. By the time he died, she already had considerable knowledge of how to manage an ironworks.
She was a well-liked owner and repeatedly sent petitions to the authorities to protest against excessive taxation on the estate’s farmers.
 

By the mid-1600s, there were as many as four iron hammers at the Ramnäs rapids. Kungshammaren remained in operation well into the 19th century. Thanks to Katarina’s wise management, the ironworks continued to flourish even after her death.
 

In the 18th century, another woman owned Ramnäs. Magdalena Elisabet Söderhielm, known as Lona Lisa, inherited the ironworks after her husband’s death. Her husband, Jacob Tersmeden the Younger, had suddenly died of gout fever while traveling. Left alone with twelve children, she had to take care of the ironworks, its finances, employees, and all other aspects of Ramnäs Ironworks.
Since her husband had been a member of parliament and spent long periods in Stockholm, she had gained significant insight into the business and understood how to produce high-quality iron. For this, she was rewarded by the king.
She also recognized the importance of building Strömsholm Canal and what improved transportation routes would mean for Ramnäs.
 

On the day King Gustav III inspected Strömsholm Canal during its construction, Magdalena Elisabet was gravely ill. The king was to stop at the Ramnäs dock, but since she could not go down to greet him, she asked her sons to receive him. They built a hall of spruce branches by the canal and brought food and refreshments.
When the king heard that Magdalena Elisabet was unwell, he insisted on going up to the manor to thank her for the hospitality. Just a few days later, she passed away, and the ironworks was inherited by one of her sons.
 

In 1834, Per Reinhold Tersmeden, one of her sons, bought out his siblings and became the sole owner of Ramnäs. He modernized the ironworks by introducing the Lancashire method and building a rolling mill. By 1870, Ramnäs was Sweden’s largest bar ironworks, which eventually began manufacturing chains.
 

Facts
A beautiful setting featuring a Lancashire forge and two well-preserved manors, Schenströmska and Tersmedenska. There is also a craftsman’s house.
In 1874, the business was reorganized into Ramnäs Bruks AB.
During the 1930s, the company even produced kitchen sinks. In 2003, the then Norwegian owner, Svana, filed for bankruptcy, but the company was saved, and a new firm, Ramnäs Bruk AB, was established. Today, production is divided among several companies, but chains are still manufactured.
The footbridge over the rapids has been preserved—it was used by workers to reach the forges quickly. However, the remains of two aerial cableways for transporting charcoal from the coal houses are now gone, as is the 2.3 km long peat cableway from Stormossen to Lake Nadden, where peat was loaded onto barges for further transport along the canal around 1920. The canal was built a short distance from the rushing water, whose power was used for the hammer forges.