The Railway Community of Ängelsberg

Englika was a German mining entrepreneur who moved to the area between lakes Snyten and Åmänningen sometime in the 1300s. There, he built a blast furnace and started mining operations. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Engelsberg is named after him.
 
In the 1600s, district judge and councilor Per Larsson Gyllenhöök purchased Engelsberg and modernized it into an ironworks—Engelsbergs Bruk. The ironworks dominated the surrounding region and became one of the most advanced ironworks in the world. During the 1600s, Sweden became the world’s largest producer and exporter of iron, and Engelsbergs Bruk was among the most productive.
 
For the first hundred years, the ironworks transported its iron products by horse and cart to the shipping point on Lake Mälaren. However, in the 1700s, Strömsholm Canal was dug. This allowed for even greater iron production, as canal boats were significantly faster than horse-drawn transport and could carry heavier loads of iron.
For over a century, the canal was the primary transportation route for iron from Engelsberg to the shipping port in Borgåsund on Lake Mälaren. However, in the late 1800s, the canal faced competition from the newly built railway that followed its path.
The railway provided excellent transport options not only for the ironworks’ products but also for goods from the oil factory that had been built on the island outside Ängelsberg.
 
Apart from the ironworks, Ängelsberg remained sparsely developed until the railway line between Ludvika and Stockholm was completed. It was after this that most of the villas around the railway station were built, as the community became easily accessible.
The then-owner of the ironworks, Timms, had a relative, the artist Olof Arborelius—whose works are featured in the National Museum—who frequently visited. The magnificent nature and Nordic light attracted many of Olof Arborelius’ friends to visit Ängelsberg as well. Soon, the Engelsberg Painters artist colony emerged.
Several prominent artists, including Ferdinand Boberg, Axel Fahlcrantz, Ernst Lundström, and Arvid Mauritz Lindström, came to Ängelsberg. Some even built architect-designed villas, giving the railway community an impressive appearance.
 
The new railway hub was largely influenced by two renowned architects: Erik Lallerstedt, who designed the station building, and Isac Gustaf Clason, who designed Ulvaklev, Hvilan, and Odensnäs. These buildings set the precedent for several other houses with wooden paneling, turrets, and towers.
Local builders adopted this architectural style, resulting in many houses in Ängelsberg having a highly imaginative appearance. Even today, the artistic spirit thrives in Ängelsberg, expressed through attractions such as the Sculpture Park located along the river near the UNESCO-listed Engelsberg Ironworks.
 

FACTS
A community by Lake Åmänningen.
The Ängelsberg Visitor Center is located in the old ironworks shop.
ENJ Railway, Sculpture Park, UNESCO World Heritage Engelsbergs Bruk.