Wira ironworks

The realm's blade smithy

Wira bruk was established in the 1630s by the admiral Claes Fleming at the outlet of the Virenån river into Lake Virensjön. The location was carefully chosen: the waterfall gave a drop of a full 13 metres, which drove hammers and blowing machines with power and precision. In 1646 the works was granted the sole right to make swords for the Swedish crown – a privileged position that lasted for almost 130 years, until 1775. During these years an estimated 350,000 swords left the works, and Wira's reputation for high quality spread far and wide.

Skilled people were brought in as smiths, including craftsmen from Germany with a long tradition of blade smithing. The work was heavy and required exact technique: the iron is heated, forged, hardened and ground in a process that tolerated no carelessness. It is said that Wira's smiths were known for maintaining an unusually high standard even in times when the monopoly no longer guaranteed profitability on its own.

From swords to scythes

When the crown's privilege ended in 1775, the works converted its production. During the following century and a half, scythes, axes and other utility tools were made instead. The need for such tools was great in an agrarian society, and Wira fared well. But when industrialised Sweden changed and factory-made products took over the market, profitability declined. The last Wira smith, John Dahlgren, who had worked at the works since 1926, died in 1948 at the age of 82 – and with him the smithing formally ceased.

A preserved works environment

In 1964 the Wira bruk Foundation was formed with the aim of preserving and bringing the facility to life. Today the environment reflects how the works looked and functioned during the 1700s and 1800s. Along the river, smithies and timbered cottages are preserved, and the art of smithing lives on under the foundation's management. The museum in the alderman's cottage tells the story of the works' history, and the Culture Cottage functions as a local gallery for art and handicrafts.

Wira bruk lies a couple of Swedish miles northeast of Norrtälje, embedded in Roslagen's wooded interior. The combination of rapids, historic buildings and a living craft tradition makes the place one of the region's most atmospheric destinations.