European Route of Industrial Heritage

The European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a tourist route of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. This is a tourism industry information initiative to present a network of industrial heritage sites across Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European heritage of the Industrialisation and its legacy. ERIH also wants to promote regions, towns and sites showing the industrial history and market them as visitor attractions in the leisure and tourism industry.

History

The concept of using a European Route of Industrial Heritage was born in 1999; it was recognised there had been no single event to shape the European landscape greater than the industrial revolution. That changed the working culture of all Europeans, and gave common experiences to communities across Europe whether it be deep mine coal working in the Rühr or South Wales. Four countries, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands successfully applied for EU Interreg IIC (North-Western Europe) funding to draw up a master plan. The plan demonstrates the economic potential as a primarily marketing brand. It also shows a possible structure. Its reasoning was that many individual sites had great footfall others had a very low profile. They used the analogy of small shops gathering together in large shopping centres for joint promotion. In the language of EU proposals the hubs are called anchor points; these could be cities or existing industrial sites with a developed tourism infrastructure.

The plan culminated in the Duisburg Declaration

With the plan adopted its implementation was funded by Interreg IIIB-north-western Europe, and the scheme rolled out; starting in the northwest and progressing south and east. ERIH is a registered association under German law. When funding ran out there were 850 member attractions which has risen to 1,850 sites across the EU28 countries. In October 2014 further funding was obtained from the EU Creative Europe programme. The European Route of Industrial Heritage has been a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 2019.

Anchor points

The – virtual – main route is built by the so-called Anchor Points. These are Industrial Heritage sites which are the historically most important and most attractive for visitors. The route leads through 13 countries thus far (in 2014): United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Portugal (in 2017).

The anchor sites in are:

Nation Location Site Theme(s)
Netherlands Amsterdam Heineken ExperienceHeineken Brewery Production and Manufacturing
Germany Augsburg Textile and industrial museum (tim) Textiles
United Kingdom Birmingham Museum of the Jewellery Quarter Production and Manufacturing
United Kingdom Blaenavon Big Pit National Coal Museum Mining, Landscapes
Belgium Blegny Blegny-Mine Mining
Germany Bocholt TextilWerk Bocholt LWL Industrial Museum Textiles
France Calais The International City of Lace and Fashion Textiles
Italy Carbonia Italian Centre for Coal Mining, Culture Mining, Landscapes
Germany Chemnitz Chemnitz Museum of Industry Textiles, Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication
Denmark Copenhagen Visit Carlsberg / Carlsberg Visitors Centre Production and Manufacturing
Spain Cornellà de Llobregat Museu Agbar de les Aigües Water
United Kingdom Cromford Derwent Valley Mills Textiles, Landscapes
Germany Delmenhorst Nordwolle Textiles, Housing and Architecture
Germany Dortmund LWL Industrial Museum Zollern II/IV Colliery Mining, Housing and Architecture
Germany Duisburg North Duisburg Landscape Park Iron and Steel, Landscapes
United Kingdom Dundee Verdant Works Textiles
United Kingdom Duxford Imperial War Museum Duxford Transport and Communication, Industry and War
United Kingdom Elsecar Elsecar Heritage Centre Mining
Netherlands Enschede De MuseumFabriek Textiles
Germany Essen Zollverein XII Colliery & Coking Plant World Heritage Site Mining, Housing and Architecture
Germany Euskirchen LVR Industrial Museum Mueller Cloth Mill Textiles
Sweden Falun Falun Mine, World Heritage Site Mining, Landscapes
Germany Furtwangen German Clock Museum, German Clock Route Production and Manufacturing
Belgium Gent Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile Textiles
Germany Goslar Mines of Rammelsberg World Heritage Site Mining
Germany Gräfenhainichen Ferropolis - Town of Iron Mining, Iron and Steel
Sweden Grimeton World Heritage Grimeton Transport and Communication
France Grossouvre Charcoal halle of Grossouvre Iron and Steel
Netherlands Haarlemmermeer Steam Pumping Station De Cruquius Water, Housing and Architecture
Germany Hamburg Hamburg Museum of Work Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication
Netherlands Hoorn Hoorn-Medemblik Steam Tram Museum Transport and Communication
Germany Hoyerswerda Lusatia Mining Museum, Knappenrode Energy Factory Mining, Application of Power, Landscapes
Netherlands Kerkrade Discovery Center Continium, Kerkrade Mining, Production and Manufacturing
Denmark Kongens Lyngby Brede Works Textiles, Production and Manufacturing, Housing and Architecture
Germany Lage Westphalian Industrial Museum Brick Works Lage Production and Manufacturing
United Kingdom Lanark New Lanark Textiles, Housing and Architecture
Germany Lichterfeld Overburden Conveyor Bridge F60 Mining, Iron and Steel, Landscapes
United Kingdom Llanberis National Slate Museum Production and Manufacturing, Housing and Architecture, Landscapes
Poland Łódź Manufaktura, Museum of the Factory Textiles
Poland Łódź White Factory Textiles
United Kingdom London London Museum of Water & Steam Application of Power, Water
Belgium Marcinelle Bois du Cazier Mining
Netherlands Medemblik Netherlands Steam Machine Museum Production and Manufacturing, Application of Power
Norway Narvik Museum Nord, Narvik Transport and Communication
United Kingdom Northwich Lion Salt Works Mining, Salt
Germany Oberhausen Gasometer next to CentrO Iron and Steel, Application of Power
Norway Oslo Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology, Industry and Medicine Textiles
Czech Republic Ostrava Michal Mine Mining
Germany Papenburg Meyer Shipyard Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication
Germany Peenemünde The Peenemünde Historical Museum Production and Manufacturing, Application of Power, Landscapes
United Kingdom Pendeen, Penzance Geevor Tin Mine Mining, Landscapes
France Petite-Rosselle Carreau Wendel Museum Mining
Czech Republic Pilsen Pilsner Urquell Brewery and Museum Production and Manufacturing
Italy Prato Campolmi Factory, Lazzerini Library, Textile Museum Textiles
United Kingdom Redruth Heartlands Mining
Norway Rjukan Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum Application of Power
United Kingdom Sheffield Kelham Island Museum Iron and Steel, Production and Manufacturing, Application of Power
Germany Solingen LVR Industrial Museum Hendrichs Drop Forge Iron and Steel
United Kingdom Southampton Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum Production and Manufacturing
Norway Spillum Norwegian Sawmill Museum Production and Manufacturing
United Kingdom St Austell Wheal Martyn Production and Manufacturing, Landscapes, Mining
United Kingdom Swansea National Waterfront Museum Mining, Iron and Steel, Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication
Poland Tarnowskie Góry Tarnowskie Góry silver mine Mining
United Kingdom Telford Ironbridge Gorge Museums Iron and Steel, Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication
Spain Terrassa Catalan Museum of Science and Industry Textiles, Transport and Communication, Application of Power
Poland Tychy Tyskie Brewing Museum Production and Manufacturing
Norway Tyssedal Norwegian Museum of Hydro Power and Industry Application of Power, Landscapes
Germany Völklingen World Heritage Site Voelklingen Iron Works Iron and Steel, Application of Power, Landscapes
United Kingdom Wakefield National Coal Mining Museum for England Mining
United Kingdom Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication, Landscapes
Netherlands Zaandam Zaanse Schans Application of Power, Water
Poland Zabrze Guido historic coal mine Mining
Germany Zehdenick Mildenberg Brick Work Park Production and Manufacturing
Netherlands Zevenaar Brick Works De Panoven Production and Manufacturing
Germany Zwickau August Horch Museum Production and Manufacturing, Transport and Communication
Poland Żywiec Żywiec Brewery Museum Production and Manufacturing

Regional Routes

Regional Routes (like the Route der Industriekultur in the Ruhr) cover regions as where industrial history has left its mark. Currently (2017) there are seventeen:

Austria
Styrian Iron Trail
Germany
Northwest
Ruhrgebiet
Industrial Valleys
Euregio Maas-Rhine
Saxony-Anhalt
Lusatia
Rhine-Main
Saar Lor Lux
Netherlands
HollandRoute
Euregio Maas-Rhine
Poland
Silesia
Spain
Catalonia
United Kingdom
Southwest Yorkshire
South Wales
Cornwall

European Theme Routes

Thirteen European Theme Routes show the diversity of industrial landscapes all over Europe and the common roots of industrial history:

  • Application of Power
  • Housing and Architecture
  • Industry and War
  • Iron and Steel
  • Industrial Landscapes
  • Mining
  • Paper
  • Production & Manufacturing
  • Salt
  • Service and Leisure Industry
  • Textiles
  • Transport & Communication
  • Water

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Declaration of Duisburg

    In this era of great changes to our European nations and cities, Industrial heritage is an important witness to our common history and identity.

    The common history of European industry has played and will continue to play an important part in the culture and identity of our European nations and it offers possibilities to create both shared and individual identities. The accessibility of our cultural heritage is a key element in experiencing this identity and it helps us to understand better our common roots.

    The sustainable development of our industrial heritage helps to secure the economic and social regeneration of municipalities.

    Historical continuity creates a sense of belonging and respect for the historical environment.

    “The European Route of Industrial Heritage” is a project that underlines the importance of our shared industrial past. It will create accessibility to Europe’s industrial heritage for the inhabitants of our nations and will help identify the locations where sustainable redevelopment has to take place.

    In our professional involvement with industrial heritage, we are aware of its major importance for the future of spatial planning, cultural heritage tourism and recreation and for the individual identities of nations.

    We embrace the ERIH concept with its network of Anchor Points, Transnational Theme Routes, and Regional Routes as a convincing programme for transnational cooperation and regional tourism development.

    Therefore ERIH - The European Route of Industrial Heritage – is our common concern.

    Duisburg, 1 December 2001

This page was last updated at 2024-01-25 06:40 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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