Steinhuberhammer

The Steinhub is a partly listed industrial heritage site beside the upper Krems river in Micheldorf, Upper Austria. It grew from a hammer-mill first recorded in 1588 and stayed in one family for more than three and a half centuries before closing in 1966. Three neighbouring works at Aigen, Gries and Klaus joined it in the 19th century to form the Sensenwerk Zeitlinger. The works are important for their unbroken line of masters and their marks. Hans Holzinger ran the first forge in 1587, then Christoph and Barbara Stainhuber took over in 1588. Later owners kept the old ‘Werkmesser’ stamp until Caspar Zeitlinger registered a new ‘Wildschwein’ sign in 1831, which still appears on the Steinhuberhammer. The family’s long ownership and the transfer of buildings between neighbours show how the industry was organised. Visitors walk among the remaining buildings. The Steinhuberhammer of 1831 has rounded gables with niches and a Voith turbine house added around 1900. The Herrenhaus next door, dated 1837, is a single-storey four-wing farmhouse. A timber granary carries the carved initials of Michl Moser and the old ‘Werkmesser’ sign above its door. The ensemble stands beside the river, surrounded by the quiet countryside where the industry once thrived.