The Henrichshütte plant was set up in 1854 and is rich in history and tradition. Ore and coal were mined here, coke, iron and steel produced, cast, rolled, forged and processed - all under a single roof.

Over 10,000 people were employed in the iron and steel works. The rural area around the works was quickly transformed into an urban suburb of workers' settlements.

The blast furnace was shut down in 1987 after a long and bitter struggle by the workers who were supported by the whole region. Over the next six years other parts of the plant were forced to close. The Henrichshütte works are a symbol of how the iron and steel industry rose, flourished and declined in the Ruhr area.

In 1989 blast furnace no. 3, the oldest in the Ruhrgebiet, was incorporated into the Westphalian Industrial Museum. There are three trails to it:
The "Trail of Iron" follows people and materials, the "Green Trail" will lead the visitors across industrial wasteland and "Ratty's Trail" (for children) sniffs out the secret of iron.

To help non-German guests the museum has put up English captions at all the stations on the site.

Have a great day out!