Set in the idyllic surroundings of Klostergut Paradies, the Iron Library is home for one of the largest private collections of literature on the history of technology.
With some 45,000 titles, the Iron Library Foundation is one of the world's largest private special libraries in the field of the history of technology. Every year, the library welcomes more than 1,000 visitors in the reading room or at a public event.
History and background
The industrial corporation Georg Fischer, which was founded in 1802, established the Iron Library Foundation in 1948. The library was opened in the Klostergut Paradies not far from Schaffhausen in 1952 to mark the Corporation's 150th anniversary. The Iron Library and the Corporate Archives together devote their efforts to maintaining the cultural and historical heritage of GF. It is one of the world's largest specialist libraries on the history of iron and steel and the history of technology. A new collection focus on plastics technology is currently established.
Activities in education and research
The library is open to the public. All holdings can be consulted in an online catalogue. Selected manuscripts and early printed books are accessible on digital platforms. More than 1000 international guests participate in the popular guided tours and public events every year. The Iron Library promotes research and scholarship on the history of technology with various activities such as regular conferences, the Scholar in Residence Program, and the publication of the journal FERRUM.