The Carlswerk, a unique, accessible monument to industrial culture, awaits you in the Harzgerode district of Mägdesprung. In 1827, mountain councillor Johann Ludwig Carl Zincken founded this plant – hence the name “Carlswerk” – as part of the Mägdesprung ironworks.

Originally used as an iron rolling and cutting mill, the Carlswerk was converted into a machine factory in the middle of the 19th century. This resulted in a magnificent brick building in the round arch style, which now serves as a museum and takes visitors back to past production days.

Experience original exhibits from the 19th and 20th centuries in a lively setting. In the factory hall, you stroll past old machines, workbenches and the workers’ personal lockers. You can even browse through their vacation cards – everything looks as if production never stopped here.

The Mägdesprung ironworks itself achieved great fame back in 1812 when it produced an impressive obelisk from 12.5-metre-long cast iron plates. The production of the four castings was a masterpiece of craftsmanship and engineering at the time and attracted visitors from all over Europe.

Go in search of traces in the picturesque Selketal. Even today, numerous sculptures in Mägdesprung and the surrounding area bear witness to the once pioneering engineering skills that made the ironworks famous.