10,000 euros for historical treasure: oven plate collection in danger!

10,000 euros for historical treasure: oven plate collection in danger!

At the weekend, a very special event is celebrated in Wasseralfingen. The German Foundation for Monument Protection (DSD) hands over a funding contract worth 10,000 euros in order to support the inventory of the important oven plate and model collection of the Swabian steel works. This event will take place on June 29, 2025 at 11 a.m. and is part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the DSD, which has so far promoted over 6,000 monuments. There are numerous important personalities, including Arnolf Hauber, the local curator of Ellwangen, Martin Hahn from the Stuttgart regional council and Katja Baumgärtner, the chairwoman of the "Eisenfreunde 1365 Ostwürttemberg".

The money for the funding contract comes from donations and the income from the lottery of the lucky spiral, as Viktoria Kesper explains Lotto Baden-Württemberg. The aim of this financial support is to maintain historical objects, such as the valuable Wasseralfinger collection, and make it accessible to the public.

The important collection of the Swabian steel works

The Wasseralfinger Collection is a true jewel with around 1,000 figurative and ornamental decorated stove plates as well as around 3,500 models made of wood or plaster. These models were used for statues, reliefs, plaques, candelaber, well sticks, grave decorations as well as columns and other construction plastic. Martin Hahn describes the collection as a "unhealthy treasure" of European art history, the inventory of which is an elaborate and costly matter due to the large number of numbered pieces.

The Swabian steel works were founded in 1660 and quickly developed into the main foundry in Württemberg. Initially, the stove plates were artfully decorated with coat of arms or figurative reliefs, which underlines the artistic meaning of the company. In 1803 the work came in Württemberg and became an important industrial location for iron casting. The models of the collection were designed by artists from the Stuttgart art and trade school.

an inheritance in danger

Unfortunately, the finding of the foundry in 2019 led to the cessation of production after over 650 years of iron casting in WasserAlfingen. Despite the closure, the collection remained in state property, which benefits its importance as part of regional history and culture. As part of its activities, the DSD promotes more than 430 monuments in Baden-Württemberg, and the support of the Wasseralfingen collection is only part of its comprehensive efforts to preserve the cultural heritage for future generations.

The upcoming festival in Wasseralfingen is not only a celebration of the past, but also an important step into the future to ensure that the valuable collection of the Swabian steel works is preserved and continues to be estimated.

Further information on this topic is on Schwäbische.de and Denkmalschutz.de to be found.