Located on the former ARBED Esch-Schifflange steelworks site, the Steel Museum “De Schmelzaarbechter” preserves and shares the memory of the women and men who worked in Luxembourg’s steel industry.
The museum is run by the Amicale Schëfflenger Kolonien, whose members have assembled an extensive collection of tools, objects and documents related to the work of steelworkers over the years.
Until early 2015, the collection was stored in a garage without public access. Since April 2015, it has been displayed in a building on the former ARBED Esch-Schifflange site, close to the very places whose history it preserves.
Industrial history through the people who experienced it
The museum’s distinctive character lies in the profoundly human dimension of its collection. Beyond machinery and industrial techniques, “De Schmelzaarbechter” primarily preserves the memory of steelworkers’ work and everyday lives.
Visitors can discover numerous authentic objects and pieces of equipment that were used as working tools for decades. They provide a tangible insight into the professions, skills and realities of working in the steel industry.
This transmission of knowledge also relies on the commitment of volunteers from the Amicale Schëfflenger Kolonien, some of whom worked on the site themselves and share their personal experience and knowledge of this industrial world.
Main missions
- Preserve the memory of steelworkers and their work
- Collect and conserve tools, objects and documents relating to the steel industry
- Pass on Luxembourg’s industrial and social history to future generations
- Introduce visitors to the professions, skills and everyday lives of steelworkers
Through its work of collecting, preserving and sharing this heritage, the “De Schmelzaarbechter” Museum keeps alive a working-class memory that is essential to understanding Luxembourg’s industrial history.
