Virsbo Ironworks Area

The French military officer, baron, and privy councilor Pontus De la Gardie, who came to Sweden in the 1560s as a mercenary to escape the execution block and prison, was part of a group of “well-born adventurers, a proud and violent breed” who managed to adapt to their new homeland. Not only that, but he also gained influence and became a favorite of King John III.
 

In 1580, he married John III’s illegitimate daughter, Sophia Gyllenhielm, and received the two estates Hwirstboda and Nordanö as a gift from the king. When Pontus De la Gardie drowned five years later, his son Johan De la Gardie, who was only a few years old at the time, inherited the estate Hwirstboda, now known as Wirsbo. At that time, the miner Johan Pederson was granted privileges to build a couple of bar iron hammers at a waterfall in the Kolbäck River. Four years later, another forge was built in the area.
 

Much later, after Johan De la Gardie had died, his widow Catharina sold Wirsbo to the merchant Christoffer Boije Didricson, who also bought the surrounding land. He laid the foundation for the company and its properties, and over the following centuries, the iron industry in Wirsbo flourished.
But the ironworks did not rely solely on iron production throughout its history. Both agriculture, with its grain and animal feed, as well as forestry, were important parts of its operations. In the 19th century, Wirsbo also had a large livestock population.
 

Over the years, several ironworks managers have owned the site.
 

Herman Lagercrantz (1859 – 1945)
Herman Lagercrantz, who purchased Virsbo Ironworks, was originally an artillery officer. However, after coming into contact with the English revivalist preacher Lord Radstock, his eyes were opened to the social injustices in Stockholm.
 

Together with some friends, he tried to help the homeless in the city by setting up night shelters and warming rooms. There, he met Salvation Army soldiers who were also working to support the weak in society, and after some time, he himself joined the Salvation Army—something that was not appreciated by high society in the capital. One of the few who did not distance themselves from him was Prince Eugen, who took him for a walk along Strandvägen, Stockholm’s most prestigious street at the time, just to show others that he did not shun Herman because of his stance.
 

Herman Lagercrantz was invited to London to continue his work in the slums there. He also worked briefly in India, but after contracting typhus, he had to return to Sweden. Needing a place to live, he learned that Virsbo was for sale after a bankruptcy. He bought half of Wirsbo, while King Oscar II owned the other half, but a little later, he managed to buy the king’s share as well.
 

He immediately set about modernizing and developing the ironworks, coming up with new products that could be manufactured there. The manor house he had built is in the National Romantic style, which was popular at the time. Characteristic of this style are the use of natural building materials and massive oak doors richly decorated all around.
 

Until the late 1970s, Wirsbo was owned by the Lagercrantz family. During this period, operations were moved from the so-called Old Ironworks down to the industrial area in Nordanö. When the company was sold to Gränges in 1978, a new era began with new owners. Wirsbo Bruks AB has since undergone several name and ownership changes and is now known as Uponor AB.
 

FACTS
The Virsbo ironworks area consists of an ironworks street, locks, and an art gallery in functionalist style, open during the summer. There is also a well-preserved 19th-century manor house.
Each year, up to 250 tons of bar steel were produced here until the late 1800s, when production increased.
The new manor house was completed in 1918. The community grew with single-family homes and apartment buildings. The ironworks street and new functionalist-style factory buildings were added by the water in 1943.
 

The character of the ironworks is still clearly visible today. It is a great place for strolling among the locks and industrial buildings.
The manor house, designed by architect Lars Johan Lehming, is open for conferences and dinners in its well-preserved National Romantic style.
The “White Warehouse” serves as a historical archive and also contains a memorial room dedicated to Herman Lagercrantz.
Virsbo Art Gallery is housed in the functionalist buildings by the water, with exhibitions open on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer.
A café is also open here during the summer.
 

Strömsholm Canal runs through the old Virsbo ironworks area, with industries on both sides. Downstream, next to the lock gate closest to Virsbo Lake, a canal office and a general store were built. A few hundred meters southeast lay the harbor, from which timber from the sawmill was shipped via the canal. Until the late 19th century, the ironworks owned several canal barges that were crucial for transportation. Today, the modern industrial area is located in Nordanö, two kilometers to the east.