Swedish Mining and Metalworking – Past and Present

Special editors: Jan af Geijerstam, Marie Nisser

Original title: Bergsbruk  – gruvor och metall (in Swedish)

Studying this atlas will give a deeper knowl­edge of mining and the manufacture of steel and other metals.

The history of metal production in Sweden goes back at least 4,500 years. Evidence of metalworking is preserved in the form of traces of slag and the ruins of furnaces. The landscape, too, bears witness to the long his­tory of mining in place names, abandoned pits, buildings and whole communities founded around mining and metalworking.

Mining and the production of iron and other metals have been of great importance to Sweden's development ever since the Early Middle Ages. Natural resources in the form of ore, forest and waterpower were important prerequisites for success, as was skilled labour. Competition from abroad has been countered with quality, inventiveness and entrepreneurship. Many of the maps in the atlas show how new technology has dramatically changed the geography of mining.

Ore and special steels remain among Sweden's most important export products - the country is producing more steel than ever before. Extensive prospecting activities may lead to the opening of new mines and the re-opening of abandoned ones.

The future of the industry depends on how well it succeeds in developing new methods and products with better material qualities at a lower cost, using less energy and with less environmental impact. For this, a supply of well-trained and creative individuals is indispensable.

The greater part of this atlas concerns iron and steel. Other sections deal with other metals, especially the lead, gold and silver of the sulphide ores of the Skellefte Field and the historically important mining of copper and silver ore in Falun and Sala.

ISBN 978-91-87760-60-0

[in English]