Rusting windows
All the photos over the last few days labelled alte Schmelz are from an old ironworks in the town of Sankt Ingbert. The works date back to the beginning of the eighteenth century and represent some of the oldest industrial monuments in Germany.
Both the rusting windows and the slate clad wall belong to the Herrenhaus, the house of the Kraemer family who owned the ironworks. It was constructed at the beginning of the nineteenth century (larger view) and is located directly opposite the workers' houses.
Part of the site is still in industrial use as a cable factory. The rest consists of trendy new offices, beautifully renovated workers' housing, and a large concert and exhibition building – where I once saw the electro-tango group Gotan Project.
