Frohnauer Hammer, Industrial museum in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany.
The Frohnauer Hammer is a water-powered mill in Annaberg-Buchholz with three large tilt hammers driven by water wheels to shape metal. The building displays how these machines worked together and how craftspeople processed raw material into finished tools.
The site started as a grain mill in the 1600s and was later converted to a hammer mill to produce mining tools. It operated until the early 1900s, showing how production methods evolved over centuries.
The site shows how craftspeople shaped metal for the tools that kept mining operations running in this region. Visitors can see how metalworking was central to daily life in the Ore Mountains and how these skills defined local identity.
The site is open Tuesday through Sunday, and you can watch the machines run and take guided tours to understand how everything works. Plan time to observe the mechanics carefully, as the processes can seem complex at first.
This was one of the first technical heritage sites in Saxony to be deliberately preserved as a museum. The collection includes metalworking tools and techniques that vanished from the region after production stopped.
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