Alte Metallgiesserei, Industrial museum in Neumühlen-Dietrichsdorf, Germany.
The Alte Metallgiesserei is an industrial facility in Neumühlen-Dietrichsdorf that now houses a museum. The building preserves machinery, casting molds, tools, and technical equipment that show how metal casting was produced.
Georg Howaldt's metal foundry for the Kieler Schiffswerft was built in 1884 at the mouth of the Schwentine, designed by Heinrich Moldenschardt, a pupil of Gottfried Semper. Casting ceased in 1980; the city bought the shipyard site in 1885 and demolished most buildings, keeping only the foundry. It was listed as a monument in 1992, and the museum opened on 20 May 2007.
The foundry reflects how metalworking shaped the region's industrial identity and craftsmanship traditions. The displayed tools and casting molds show how skilled workers passed their knowledge through generations.
The museum occupies two floors at Grenzstraße 1 on the north bank of the Schwentine; the preserved foundry workshop itself is on the upper floor, reached by stairs. The building is a listed monument, so expect a historic industrial interior rather than a barrier-free layout. A small casting demonstration with mould and moulding sand is part of the visit.
The collection includes hundreds of preserved casting molds that reveal how specialized craftsmen organized their daily work. Such molds are rare records of factory life in 20th-century European manufacturing.
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