Engelsbergs oljefabrik, Industrial heritage museum on Barron Island, Vastmanland County, Sweden
Engelsbergs oljefabrik is an oil refinery on an island in Västmanland with eight preserved buildings serving different functions. The site includes cooking houses, oil cellars, worker housing, and other industrial structures that reveal how the entire operation worked.
The factory was established in 1875 and processed crude oil from Pennsylvania into kerosene, weapons grease, and machine oils until closing in 1927. This operation made it a testing ground for new refinery technologies in northern Europe during this period.
The factory demonstrates how workers and their families lived on the island, with homes built near the production buildings. The layout shows how closely work and home life were connected during that industrial period.
Access is by boat during the summer season from the mainland coast to the island. Visitors should prepare for walking paths across the site and bring good footwear.
This is the oldest preserved oil refinery in the world, with original machinery and equipment still in place. The machines and tools offer a rare glimpse into how such a facility actually operated in the 1800s.
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