Heidenheim on Brenz, Germany - Hellenstein-Gymnasium ...

Economic History of <strong>Heidenheim</strong>
by Raffaele and Joachim
<strong>Heidenheim</strong> was one of the greatest industrial areas of east Wuerttemberg
in the18th and 19th centuries. A few of the industrial productions were
already founded in the 14th century. As early as the 8th and 5th centuries
before Christ, many people lived in the area of <strong>Heidenheim</strong>, probably
because of the large ore deposits. One foundry even
dates back to Roman times. Old stone housings
which were found on the northern rim of <strong>Heidenheim</strong>
were a former ironwork.
The first official ironworks, however, were built in
Königsbronn, Itzelberg and in <strong>Heidenheim</strong> in the 14th
century. There, the ore was melted over hot coal fire
and in that way the ore became iron. In those days,
horses and stage coaches were the only way to take
the iron and other products out of town.
In the 16th century, the first wire forge of Wuerttemberg
was built. The iron was heated over the fire until it became flexible
and then hammered into thin threads. In the 17th and 18th centuries the
first blast furnace of <strong>Heidenheim</strong> and even a weapon factory were built. But
until 1819, all these ironworks and blast furnaces had to be closed because
the other towns, especially Wasseralfingen, sold their products at lower
prices.
ever since and have developed
into big companies.
The iron ore of
the Ostalb, called
“Bohnerz“
Since 1825, the factories developed very
successfully: Voith in processing iron,
Plouquet in processing cotton and Hartmann
in the fabrication of pharmaceutical products.
Those companies have been in <strong>Heidenheim</strong>
The cement factory Schwenk