Fagersta Bruk and the History of Fagersta «

In 1944, the Fagersta factory community was melded to Västanfors village to create a city named Fagersta. But the area’s history is longer than that by far – iron working in the three iron mills called Semla, Fagersta and Västanfors dates to the early 1600s.

The mill owners followed one on the other, as did the size of the mills. During the 1700s, Semla was the largest, but Fagersta grew large during 1800s and eventually took over all three. Fagersta Bruks AB was formed in 1873, becoming Sweden’s largest iron mill by the end of the century.
At that time, Johan August Brinell was chief engineer. He gained world fame by inventing an apparatus and the method for measuring hardness that carries his name.

All products that left a mill had to be stamped using a registered iron mark. The most famous of the Fagersta marks was the Lily, said to designed to resemble the ormbär flower, a lily whose Latin name is Paris quadrifolia. Quite common in the area, the Lily became part of the logotype of Fagersta Bruks AB.

Fagersta grew up around the mill, which in turn took care of everything in the community from health care to fire wood supply. Workers quarters built between 1908-18 in an area called Skansen are today tenant owned. The Fagersta Manor was built on the Other Side of town during the 1700s and was eventually used for the salaried employees at the mill. Some of the area’s houses are still owned by the city’s largest company.

When owner occupied housing began to spread starting in 1908, the community developed rapidly. Still, the building activity was in large part controlled by the mill and as a result the houses were very similar.
Fagersta Bruks AB grew apace in the period after the Second World War and up to the early 70s. As that decade progressed and into the 80s, the Swedish steel industry went through extensive changes and consolidations. Fagersta was also affected and in 1984 the company was closed. However, much of the operations passed into other hands and steel products continued to be made here.

Each of these new companies developed their specialities further, becoming leading companies in their own fields.