BERLIN, 19TH CENTURY

The epicenter of decorative cast-iron production in the 19th century was central Europe, particularly the German-speaking regions. While the use of cast-iron was popular across England (primarily in the form of structural and architectural ornament) and France (in the form of lock plates and hardware), Prussia's foundries experimented with the formidable medium developing functional domestic objects as well as delicate jewelry, among other forms of decoration.

In 1796, the first iron foundry under royal patronage was established by Friedrich Wilhelm II in Gleiwitz, near the iron ore deposits and mines of Upper Silesia. The developmental success of the foundry in Gleiwitz led to the opening of Königliche Eisengießerei Berlin (Royal Ironworks of Berlin) in 1804. The foundry helped transform the rapidly developing urban landscape of Berlin and the emerging fashion of decorative ironworks. Under the Napoleonic occupation, iron became an even more important material as its exploration was an important element of national recovery during the war. Friedrich Wilhelm III urged patriotic citizens to trade ones silver and gold works of art for iron. In 1848, the Berlin Ironworks factory burned down. It was rebuilt, but as the trend for iron dissipated with more expensive materials once again made available, the factory did not realize its former success and closed permanently in 1874.

For further reading, see the accompanying catalogue from the exhibit "Cast Iron from Central Europe, 1800-1850", Bard Graduate Center, 25 May - 7 August, 1994.