Krupp: a cast steel manufactory as archaeological resource

Krupp: a cast steel manufactory as archaeological resource

Krupp: a cast steel manufactory
as archaeological resource
D. Hopp & H.-J. Przybilla
One of the most significant zones of industrial archaeology in the Ruhr area is the so-called
west city of Essen, the area of the former Krupp cast steel manufactory where only a few
buildings have been preserved.
The industrial use of the area in the Altendorfer Straße, situated in the west site of the historical center of Essen - started in winter 1819/20. At this time the core for the later Krupp
cast steel manufactory was laid. Until 1912 the area of the factory had already grown up to
482 hectares. Later on it extended to more than 600 hectares.
Fig. 1 Krupp steel manufactory (1932)
In that factory steel was produced using newest production processes which were partly developed in the factory itself. One of these was the so called Siemens-Martin method to produce steel in the so called "Probirhaus H" (1871).
The area was strongly damaged during the Second World War. Later on big parts of the arrangements were dismantled and levelled, with the result that an area having been industrially used for decades, lay widely unused up to the year 2000. Since that time, the area has
rapidly changed. In the year 2006 the ThyssenKrupp management decided to build its new
headquarter in Essen.
Fig. 2 Parts of the damaged Krupp steel manufactory (1943)
First archaeological observations took place in 2001 when relics of the so called "Probirhaus
H" had been discovered. In the years following further investigations occurred every time
when ground interventions took place in those areas. This was quit important, because there
is a lack of information in the archives, especially concerning the oldest parts of the facilities.
The most important archive concerning the affected factories is the archive of the Krupp
company.
Fig. 3 Probirhaus “H”
Some special objects, for example steel fundaments of steam hammers or locking collars
were stored in the Ruhrlandmuseum for being preserved there.
The archaeological observations revealed that old functional levels were simply filled up or
integrated in newer ones because the expenditure for removing all massive remains would
have been too big.
Starting in spring 2007, the main focus of documentation laid on the area of the so-called
“ThyssenKrupp Quartier”, the new companies Headquarter in Essen. However, an area of
approximately 230 hectares totally was concerned by changes. Ground interventions on an
area of approximately 20 hectares took place before the construction of the new headquarter
could be started.
Fig. 4 Ground interventions at ThyssenKrupp Headquarters
From the archaeological point of view the greatest difficulties, that have to be faced in context with the documentation are:
−
the enormous size of the greatest part of the relics
−
the immense working speed of the "excavators", moving up to 6500 cubic meters of
soil every day
−
the shortness of the capture period.
−
the complicated accessibility.
−
the weather conditions.
Within the common research project RIO (Spatial Information System For Survey, Documentation and Analysis Of Industrial Archaeology Objects) of the Universities of Applied Science
Bochum and Mainz, together with the Department of Archeology, Essen, a documentation
concept for industrial archaeology projects is developed (Supported by The Federal Ministry
of Education and Research, 2007). Fig. 5 gives an overview of the RIO-project
Fig. 5 RIO project conception
The local survey is done by several non-contact measuring techniques, like
−
Close-range photogrammetry
−
Terrestrial laser-scanning
−
Aerial photogrammetry with the system LEO (Local Earth Observation, developed at
Bochum University of Applied Science).
Fig. 6 ThyssenKrupp Headquarters (23-08-2007) - Orthophoto produced on the basis of LEO
aerial photography
Authors:
Dr. Detlef Hopp, Institut für Denkmalschutz und Denkmalpflege/Stadtarchäologie Essen,
45121 Essen Kennedyplatz 6, 0201/88-61806, email: detlef.hopp@amt61.essen.de
Prof. Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Przybilla, FH Bochum, Fachbereich Vermessungswesen und Geoinformatik,
Lennershofstr.
140,
44801
Bochum,
0234/3210517;
email:
heinz-
juergen.przybilla@fh-bochum.de
Figures:
Fig. 1 Krupp steel manufactory (1932)
Fig. 2 Parts of the damaged Krupp steel manufactory (1943)
Fig. 3 Probirhaus “H”
Fig. 4 Ground interventions at ThyssenKrupp Headquarters
Fig. 5 RIO project conception
Literature:
D. Hopp &H.-J. Przybilla: Denkmäler 3D: Erfassung - Verwaltung - Analyse - Präsentation,
in: VDV - Schriftenreihe Bd. 23, (Wiesbaden 2004).
D. Hopp & B. Khil, Stählerne Zeugen der frühen Industriekultur, Archäologie im Rheinland
2002 (2003) 191-193.
D. Hopp & B. Khil, Beobachtungen an den alten Hauptverwaltungen der ehemaligen KruppGussstahlfabrik, in: Archäologie im Rheinland 2005 (2006) 151-153.
D. Hopp & B. Khil, ...nicht an einem Tag erbaut. Industriearchäologie in Essen, in: H.G.
Horn/H. Hellenkemper/G. Isenberg/J. Kunow (Hrsg.), Von Anfang an. Archäologie in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Schr. Bodendenkmalpflege Nordrhein-Westfalen 8 (Köln 2005) 563-567.
D. Hopp & H.-J. Przybilla, Auch "Für russische Arbeiter", in: Archäologie im Rheinland 2007
(2008, im Druck).
R. Stremmel, 100 Jahre Historisches Archiv Krupp (München/Berlin 2005. - K. Tenfelde
(Hrsg.), Bilder von Krupp (München 1994).-