19th-century Blast Furnace: Igelbäckens Masugn

Abandoned in 1923, Igelbäckens masugn stands on the edge of Askersunds kommun, where Sweden’s southernmost woods encounter the rolling hills. Now under the jurisdiction of Statens fastighetsverk, it was first erected by Anton von Boij in 1696, a millennium after the Swedish iron industry’s heyday. The Igelbäckens masugn formed part of the extensive Aspa bruk complex until 1900, after which it was sold to Laxå Bruk. Continuing to operate until 1923, largely due to bergsingenjören Carl Sahlin who was interested in older iron production, it became a powerful symbol of a bygone era. Indeed, it's significant that the first hytta built in 1696 was carefully preserved in 1826, as part of the expansion of the ironworks. The Igelbäckens masugn remains, a rare relic of the industrious spirit that built Sweden, and the sweat, the fire, and the iron that shaped it.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons