By BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
Open-air museum Upper Palatinate
Upper Palatinate - Land of iron
The Upper Palatinate had large deposits of iron ore, especially in the area around Amberg. The numerous forests offered a good supply of wood and the widely ramified river system not only served as the basis for the energy supply, but also created transport options.
Land of iron - how humans made use of it
Due to these natural conditions, the region was predestined for ironworking smelters and businesses, which became increasingly established over time. In retrospect, the region is therefore often referred to as the ‘Ruhr area of the Middle Ages’.
Iron mining
To mine iron, the metal was extracted from the rock using a race furnace, later also with the aid of race or blast furnaces. The separation process left a lump of iron at the end that was ready for further processing.
Fancy some iron? - The blacksmith
Almost every village had its own blacksmith. He was very important to the farmers as he looked after the plough horses. He also made and repaired ploughs, harrows and carts in collaboration with the wainwright. He was dependent on iron as a raw material for his work.
Drohnenaufnahme Schmiede Klardorf (2017) by Marco LinkeOriginal Source: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz
The smithy
The smithy was often located in the centre of the village. It was located near a pond or well to provide extinguishing water in the event of a fire. The workshop was therefore usually separate from the blacksmith's actual home.
The blacksmith and the village community
The blacksmith's workshop often belonged to the community and not to the blacksmith. He had to provide certain services and received guaranteed income in return. This could be money or in kind, such as the so-called dengel or blacksmith's grain. The prices were fixed.
The blacksmith and the village community
As can be seen from a blacksmith's accounting records, individual entries were often made for each customer. The costs were then settled at certain intervals, often once a year.
The farmers' dependence on the blacksmith
The blacksmith also made the iron parts for ploughs, harrows and carts. The hard labour in the fields meant that the tools were subject to a great deal of wear and tear, so new ones had to be ordered and made at regular intervals.
Time and material costs
It took the blacksmith a week to make and fit the iron for the wheel, axle and frame of a wagon (approx. 174kg). The blacksmith had to be quick when attaching the iron, as the wooden rims started to burn when the hot iron was attached.
The blacksmith - what else he could do
Schmiedehammer (2022) by Felix SchäfferOriginal Source: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz
Blacksmith's tools - Blacksmith's hammer
Schmiedezange (2022) by Felix SchäfferOriginal Source: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz
Blacksmith's tools - Blacksmith's tongs
Traktor (2017) by Josef GötzOriginal Source: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz
Effects of industrialisation and mechanisation
In the course of the mechanisation of agriculture in the 19th and 20th centuries, the order situation for blacksmiths became worse and worse. While some blacksmiths went into trading and repairing the new machines and equipment, others had to live on a small pension.
Changes in the blacksmith's trade
As a result, the blacksmith's trade developed in various directions. One option already mentioned was trading and repairing agricultural machinery, but it was also possible to trade in bicycles. This often went hand in hand with their own repair shop or petrol station. However, some blacksmiths also decided to continue working as blacksmiths, locksmiths or plumbers. Equestrian sport still relies on farriers today.
Schmiede Klardorf im Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz, Innenaufnahme (2022) by Felix SchäfferOriginal Source: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz
Klardorf smithy in the Upper Palatinate Open-Air Museum
A rural village smithy can still be visited today at the Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz. Museum staff and external experts demonstrate the blacksmith's craft in demonstrations and on activity days. The aim is to preserve old craft knowledge and techniques.
Schmiede Klardorf im Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz, Drohnenaufnahme (2021) by Marco LinkeOriginal Source: Freilandmuseum Oberpfalz
History of the Klardorf smithy
Alois Karl took over the Klardorf smithy in 1924 and lived in the house with his wife Babette from then on. He worked as a blacksmith on behalf of the farmers and made tools of all kinds. From the 1950s onwards, this smithy also suffered from the consequences of modernisation.
The order situation deteriorated. The couple continued to earn a living by leasing and selling fields.
Felix Schäffer, Lisa Reif
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