Bærums Verk
Encyclopedia
Bærums Verk is a village in Bærum
in Akershus
, Norway
, with a population of about 8000. It is located on both sides of the river Lomma.
and Eineåsen in Bærum in 1603 and 1604, and in 1610 Christian IV
granted Paul Smelter the right to build, at his own expense, a foundry
in the area. The first foundry was built near the farm of Wøyen, further downriver from today's Bærums Verk, and then another one at Gommerud, closer. In 1615 Smelter bought several farms at the present site and consolidated the foundry in one center. This was unusual practice at the time, but turned out to be successful. All other foundries in Oslo, Aker, and Bærum were shut down as a consequence, and Smelter achieved a virtual monopoly in the Oslo area.
The crown ran the works until 1624 when Det Norske Jernkompani
took over and mismanaged to the point that the foundy was shut down in 1641, after a flood had damaged much of the plant in 1638. Gabriel Marcelis (the elder), a Dutch merchant with close ties to the Danish crown, took over operations in 1641 and invested in a double blast furnace
that produced nails, iron parts, bullets, and cannon balls.
The Krefting family took over the works in 1664 and built on Marcelis's investments to expand the capacity at Bærums Verk. Especially under the administration of Anna Krefting
(née Vogt) from 1712 to 1766, the works grew to become the largest of its kind in Norway. Even after a devastating fire in 1762, Anna rebuilt the entire plant in two years. After Anna Krefting's death in 1766, her family sold the works to an investment company.
In 1773, Conrad Clausen, then only 18, took over the works and continued Krefting's efforts to expand its activities. He rebuilt the blast furnace so it could run also when there was low water flow in Lomma, built a school on the site, and included also the works at Fossum at Lysakerelven
in the operations. Clausen died in 1785, only 31 years old. His widow ran the works for a few years but sold it to Peder Anker
, the owner of Bogstad
.
Peder Anker connected Bærums Verk to his growing commercial network, among other things by building Ankerveien, connecting Bærums Verk with Fossum (and thereby Bogstad]], Sognsvann
, Maridalen
and ultimately Hakadalen via Greveveien.
After Peder Anker died in 1824, Herman Wedel Jarlsberg took over the works, passing it on to his son Harald Wedel Jarlsberg in 1840. The Wedel Jarlsberg family were among the last nobility in Norway and were active both in national and local politics. On May 22, 1874, the blast furnace was shut down and replaced by a regular cast iron works and workshop.
In 1889, the works went into the Løvenskiold family through inheritance, where it remains to this day. Production was diversified to include a large variety of cast iron products. The works were closed down in 1964, and in the 1980s large surrounding tracts were developed for residential purposes. In 1997, the old factory site was redeveloped as a retail commercial center. Several of the buildings are protected, including Norway's oldest tavern.
The foundry itself has been converted into a shopping centre. The shopping centre is owned by the Løvenskiold
family, who also owns the Maxbo hardware store chain. A museum, featuring ovens produced in the foundry from the 18th century up to 1964, and shops with products handcrafted on site are situated in the old buildings.
Bærum
is a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
in Akershus
Akershus
- Geography :The county is conventionally divided into the traditional districts Follo and Romerike, which fill the vast part of the county, as well as the small exclave west of Oslo that consists of Asker and Bærum...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, with a population of about 8000. It is located on both sides of the river Lomma.
History
Iron ore was found in the areas now known as KirkerudKirkerud
Kirkerud is a village in Akershus, Norway....
and Eineåsen in Bærum in 1603 and 1604, and in 1610 Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
granted Paul Smelter the right to build, at his own expense, a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
in the area. The first foundry was built near the farm of Wøyen, further downriver from today's Bærums Verk, and then another one at Gommerud, closer. In 1615 Smelter bought several farms at the present site and consolidated the foundry in one center. This was unusual practice at the time, but turned out to be successful. All other foundries in Oslo, Aker, and Bærum were shut down as a consequence, and Smelter achieved a virtual monopoly in the Oslo area.
The crown ran the works until 1624 when Det Norske Jernkompani
Det Norske Jernkompani
Det Norske Jernkompani also known as Jernkompaniet or "Det store Jern Compagni", was a Norwegian iron company that was established as an initiative of Johan Post and Herman Krefting d.e. on the orders of King Christian IV....
took over and mismanaged to the point that the foundy was shut down in 1641, after a flood had damaged much of the plant in 1638. Gabriel Marcelis (the elder), a Dutch merchant with close ties to the Danish crown, took over operations in 1641 and invested in a double blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
that produced nails, iron parts, bullets, and cannon balls.
The Krefting family took over the works in 1664 and built on Marcelis's investments to expand the capacity at Bærums Verk. Especially under the administration of Anna Krefting
Anna Krefting
Anna Paulsdatter Krefting née Vogt was a Norwegian businesswoman who ran and expanded her family's business enterprises in and around Christiania for over 50 years. Among these enterprises were mines and ironworks, forestry, and trade....
(née Vogt) from 1712 to 1766, the works grew to become the largest of its kind in Norway. Even after a devastating fire in 1762, Anna rebuilt the entire plant in two years. After Anna Krefting's death in 1766, her family sold the works to an investment company.
In 1773, Conrad Clausen, then only 18, took over the works and continued Krefting's efforts to expand its activities. He rebuilt the blast furnace so it could run also when there was low water flow in Lomma, built a school on the site, and included also the works at Fossum at Lysakerelven
Lysakerelven
Lysakerelven is a river in Norway that forms the boundary between the municipalities of the capital city of Oslo and Bærum....
in the operations. Clausen died in 1785, only 31 years old. His widow ran the works for a few years but sold it to Peder Anker
Peder Anker
Peder Anker was a Norwegian businessman and politician. He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1814 until 1822.-Biography:...
, the owner of Bogstad
Bogstad
Bogstad is a former estate and now neighborhood in the borough of Vestre Aker in Oslo, Norway.It has its origin in a farm by the same name, near the lake Bogstadvannet. The farm was owned by several notable people...
.
Peder Anker connected Bærums Verk to his growing commercial network, among other things by building Ankerveien, connecting Bærums Verk with Fossum (and thereby Bogstad]], Sognsvann
Sognsvann
Sognsvann is a 3.3km circumference lake just north of Oslo, Norway.Lying just within the greenbelt around Oslo, the lake is a popular recreational area, used as a camping, picnicking and bathing destination for the residents of Oslo during the summer, as well as a cross-country skiing, skating and...
, Maridalen
Maridalen
Maridalen is a valley situated just north of Oslo, Norway, just above the suburb of Kjelsås. Most of the valley is made up of a lake known as Maridalsvannet, that serves as the primary source of drinking water for 90% of Oslo's population. The valley is a popular recreational area with many hiking...
and ultimately Hakadalen via Greveveien.
After Peder Anker died in 1824, Herman Wedel Jarlsberg took over the works, passing it on to his son Harald Wedel Jarlsberg in 1840. The Wedel Jarlsberg family were among the last nobility in Norway and were active both in national and local politics. On May 22, 1874, the blast furnace was shut down and replaced by a regular cast iron works and workshop.
In 1889, the works went into the Løvenskiold family through inheritance, where it remains to this day. Production was diversified to include a large variety of cast iron products. The works were closed down in 1964, and in the 1980s large surrounding tracts were developed for residential purposes. In 1997, the old factory site was redeveloped as a retail commercial center. Several of the buildings are protected, including Norway's oldest tavern.
Current use
The center now known as Bærums Verk is situated on the site of the old foundry, nestled in a narrow valley along the river Lomma. The buildings straddle the river, with several pedestrian bridges connecting them. The center includes several restaurants, two supermarkets, and several specialty retail stores.The foundry itself has been converted into a shopping centre. The shopping centre is owned by the Løvenskiold
Løvenskiold
Løvenskiold is a Dano-Norwegian noble family. Members of the family now live primarily in Norway.-History:The Løvenskiold family descend from merchant Herman Leopoldus , who immigrated from Lübeck to Christiania. His son, also named Herman Leopoldus , became very rich and was in 1739 ennobled by...
family, who also owns the Maxbo hardware store chain. A museum, featuring ovens produced in the foundry from the 18th century up to 1964, and shops with products handcrafted on site are situated in the old buildings.