Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - Gimo-Österby Bruks Aktiebolag
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Exterior of the Saw Mills.
probably exercised a
certain influence on the
iron manufacture at the
above-mentioned works,
the result of the
improvements introduced
by them being, that these
establishments, even at
that early date, stood on
a higher level than those
in the other parts of
Sweden.
In accordance with
the system prevailing at
the beginning of the 18th century, the Crown leased out these works, a system that was a transitional form, leading up to that afterwards employed–the selling of the establishments outright by the Crown to private purchasers. In 1626 and 1627 a new era begins in the history of these works, Louis De Geer, a rich Dutchman, whom Gustavus Adolphus the Great had persuaded to immigrate into Sweden, and a fellow-speculator, taking over the lease of Österby, Leufsta and Gimo Iron Works. This De Geer has been given the name of "the Father of the Swedish Iron Manufacture," nay, even of "The Father of Swedish Industries". Even if there was no little exaggeration in the remark he once made, that these Works, when he first obtained the lease, were the worst in the kingdom, it must be considered as a fact, however, that, in 1643, when the Crown sold him Österby, Leufsta, Gimo and Tobo, Österby and Leufsta, at least, both as regards quantity and quality of production, were the chief iron works in the country. To this result of De Geer’s work, however, there can be applied the words of the poet that say that the victories of the general are obtained only with the assistance of the men of the rank and file. For, in order to obtain skilful workmen, De Geer brought over to Sweden a number of Walloons–a race of smiths that had grown up amid the valleys of the Ardennes, industrious conquerors of iron and fire. It was no unimportant fragment of the history of Sweden as a Great Power that De Geer created with the help of these Walloons–a work as necessary as the victories of Swedish warriors on the field of battle, and, in their final results, far more lasting than these, for, while the power of Sweden sank almost into the dust, Österby and Leufsta have retained their pride of place among Swedish iron works for two long centuries. The Walloon forging method introduced by De Geer and his
compatriots still lives at Österby and Leufsta because it is a method especially adapted to
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