European Route of Industrial Heritage

The European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) is a tourist route of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. This is a tourism industry information initiative to present a network of industrial heritage sites across Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European heritage of the Industrialisation and its legacy. ERIH also wants to promote regions, towns and sites showing the industrial history and market them as visitor attractions in the leisure and tourism industry. ^[1]

History

The concept of using a European Route of Industrial Heritage was born in 1999; it was recognised there had been no single event to shape the European landscape greater than the Industrial Revolution. That changed the working culture of all Europeans, and gave common experiences to communities across Europe whether it be deep mine coal working in the Ruhr or South Wales. Four countries, Great Britain, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands successfully applied for EU Interreg IIC (North-Western Europe) funding to draw up a master plan. The plan demonstrates the economic potential as a primarily marketing brand. It also shows a possible structure. Its reasoning was that many individual sites had great footfall others had a very low profile. They used the analogy of small shops gathering together in large shopping centres for joint promotion. In the language of EU proposals the hubs are called anchor points; these could be cities or existing industrial sites with a developed tourism infrastructure. ^[2]

The plan culminated in the Duisburg Declaration. ^[a]

With the plan adopted its implementation was funded by Interreg IIIB-north-western Europe, and the scheme rolled out; starting in the northwest and progressing south and east. ERIH is a registered association under German law. When funding ran out there were 850 member attractions which has risen to 1,850 sites across the EU28 countries. In October 2014 further funding was obtained from the EU Creative Europe programme. The European Route of Industrial Heritage has been a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 2019. ^[3]

Anchor points

The – virtual – main route is built by the so-called Anchor Points. These are Industrial Heritage sites which are the historically most important and most attractive for visitors. The route leads through 13 countries thus far (in 2014): United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Portugal (in 2017). ^[4]

The anchor sites in are:

Nation	Location	Site	Theme(s)
	Manchester	Science and Industry Museum	Transport, power, textiles, communications and computing
	Amsterdam	Heineken Experience – Heineken Brewery	Production and manufacturing
	Augsburg	Textile and industrial museum (tim)	Textiles
	Birmingham	Museum of the Jewellery Quarter	Production and manufacturing
	Blaenavon	Big Pit National Coal Museum	Mining, landscapes
	Blegny	Blegny-Mine	Mining
	Bocholt	TextilWerk Bocholt LWL Industrial Museum	Textiles
	Calais	The International City of Lace and Fashion	Textiles
	Carbonia	Italian Centre for Coal Mining, Culture	Mining, landscapes
	Chemnitz	Chemnitz Museum of Industry	Textiles, production and manufacturing, transport and communication
	Copenhagen	Visit Carlsberg / Carlsberg Visitors Centre	Production and manufacturing
	Cornellà de Llobregat	Museu Agbar de les Aigües	Water
	Cromford	Derwent Valley Mills	Textiles, landscapes
	Delmenhorst	Nordwolle	Textiles, housing and architecture
	Dortmund	LWL Industrial Museum Zollern II/IV Colliery	Mining, housing and architecture
	Duisburg	North Duisburg Landscape Park	Iron and steel, landscapes
	Dundee	Verdant Works	Textiles
	Duxford	Imperial War Museum Duxford	Transport and communication, industry and war
	Elsecar	Elsecar Heritage Centre	Mining
	Enschede	De MuseumFabriek	Textiles
	Essen	Zollverein XII Colliery & Coking Plant World Heritage Site	Mining, housing and architecture
	Euskirchen	LVR Industrial Museum Mueller Cloth Mill	Textiles
	Falun	Falun Mine, World Heritage Site	Mining, landscapes
	Furtwangen	German Clock Museum, German Clock Route	Production and manufacturing
	Gent	Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile	Textiles
	Goslar	Mines of Rammelsberg World Heritage Site	Mining
	Gräfenhainichen	Ferropolis - Town of Iron	Mining, iron and steel
	Grimeton	World Heritage Grimeton	Transport and communication
	Grossouvre	Charcoal halle of Grossouvre	Iron and steel
	Haarlemmermeer	Steam Pumping Station De Cruquius	Water, housing and architecture
	Hamburg	Hamburg Museum of Work	Production and manufacturing, transport and communication
	Hoorn	Hoorn-Medemblik Steam Tram Museum	Transport and communication
	Hoyerswerda	Lusatia Mining Museum, Knappenrode Energy Factory	Mining, application of power, landscapes
	Kerkrade	Discovery Center Continium, Kerkrade	Mining, production and manufacturing
	Kongens Lyngby	Brede Works	Textiles, production and manufacturing, housing and architecture
	Lage	Westphalian Industrial Museum Brick Works Lage	Production and manufacturing
	Lanark	New Lanark	Textiles, housing and architecture
	Lichterfeld	Overburden Conveyor Bridge F60	Mining, iron and steel, landscapes
	Llanberis	National Slate Museum	Production and manufacturing, housing and architecture, landscapes
	Łódź	Manufaktura, Museum of the Factory	Textiles
	Łódź	White Factory	Textiles
	London	London Museum of Water & Steam	Application of power, water
	Marcinelle	Bois du Cazier	Mining
	Medemblik	Netherlands Steam Machine Museum	Production and manufacturing, application of power
	Narvik	Museum Nord, Narvik	Transport and communication
	Northwich	Lion Salt Works	Mining, salt
	Oberhausen	Gasometer next to CentrO	Iron and steel, application of power
	Oslo	Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology, Industry and Medicine	Textiles
	Ostrava	Michal Mine	Mining
	Papenburg	Meyer Shipyard	Production and manufacturing, transport and communication
	Peenemünde	The Peenemünde Historical Museum	Production and manufacturing, application of power, landscapes
	Pendeen, Penzance	Geevor Tin Mine	Mining, landscapes
	Petite-Rosselle	Carreau Wendel Museum	Mining
	Pilsen	Pilsner Urquell Brewery and Museum	Production and manufacturing
	Prato	Campolmi Factory, Lazzerini Library, Textile Museum	Textiles
	Redruth	Heartlands	Mining
	Rjukan	Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum	Application of power
	Sheffield	Kelham Island Museum	Iron and steel, production and manufacturing, application of power
	Solingen	LVR Industrial Museum Hendrichs Drop Forge	Iron and steel
	Southampton	Bursledon Brickworks Industrial Museum	Production and manufacturing
	Spillum	Norwegian Sawmill Museum	Production and manufacturing
	St Austell	Wheal Martyn	Production and manufacturing, landscapes, mining
	Swansea	National Waterfront Museum	Mining, iron and steel, production and manufacturing, transport and communication
	Tarnowskie Góry	Tarnowskie Góry silver mine	Mining
	Telford	Ironbridge Gorge Museums	Iron and steel, production and manufacturing, transport and communication
	Terrassa	Catalan Museum of Science and Industry	Textiles, transport and communication, application of power
	Tychy	Tyskie Brewing Museum	Production and manufacturing
	Tyssedal	Norwegian Museum of Hydro Power and Industry	Application of power, landscapes
	Völklingen	World Heritage Site Voelklingen Iron Works	Iron and steel, application of power, landscapes
	Wakefield	National Coal Mining Museum for England	Mining
	Waltham Abbey	Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills	Production and manufacturing, transport and communication, landscapes
	Zaandam	Zaanse Schans	Application of power, water
	Zabrze	Guido historic coal mine	Mining
	Zehdenick	Mildenberg Brick Work Park	Production and manufacturing
	Zevenaar	Brick Works De Panoven	Production and manufacturing
	Zwickau	August Horch Museum	Production and manufacturing, transport and communication
	Żywiec	Żywiec Brewery Museum	Production and manufacturing

Regional Routes

Regional Routes (like the Route der Industriekultur in the Ruhr) cover regions as where industrial history has left its mark. As of 2017 ^[update] there are seventeen: ^[5]

Austria

Styrian Iron Trail

Germany

Northwest

Ruhrgebiet

Industrial Valleys

Euregio Maas-Rhine

Saxony-Anhalt

Lusatia

Rhine-Main

Saar Lor Lux

Netherlands

HollandRoute

Euregio Maas-Rhine

Poland

Silesia

Spain

Catalonia

United Kingdom

Southwest Yorkshire ^[6]

South Wales ^[7]

Cornwall ^[8]

European Theme Routes

Thirteen European Theme Routes show the diversity of industrial landscapes all over Europe and the common roots of industrial history: ^[9]

• Application of Power
• Housing and Architecture
• Industry and War
• Iron and Steel
• Industrial Landscapes
• Mining
• Paper
• Production & Manufacturing
• Salt
• Service and Leisure Industry
• Textiles
• Transport & Communication
• Water

Footnotes

1. The Declaration of Duisburg
   
   In this era of great changes to our European nations and cities, Industrial heritage is an important witness to our common history and identity.
   
   The common history of European industry has played and will continue to play an important part in the culture and identity of our European nations and it offers possibilities to create both shared and individual identities. The accessibility of our cultural heritage is a key element in experiencing this identity and it helps us to understand better our common roots.
   
   The sustainable development of our industrial heritage helps to secure the economic and social regeneration of municipalities.
   
   Historical continuity creates a sense of belonging and respect for the historical environment.
   
   “The European Route of Industrial Heritage” is a project that underlines the importance of our shared industrial past. It will create accessibility to Europe’s industrial heritage for the inhabitants of our nations and will help identify the locations where sustainable redevelopment has to take place.
   
   In our professional involvement with industrial heritage, we are aware of its major importance for the future of spatial planning, cultural heritage tourism and recreation and for the individual identities of nations.
   
   We embrace the ERIH concept with its network of Anchor Points, Transnational Theme Routes, and Regional Routes as a convincing programme for transnational cooperation and regional tourism development.
   
   Therefore ERIH - The European Route of Industrial Heritage – is our common concern.
   
   Duisburg, 1 December 2001 ^[2]

References

1. "European Route of Industrial Heritage home page". Archived from the original on 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
2. "ERIH's History and Goals - ERIH". www.erih.net. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
3. "Creative Europe". Creative Europe - European Commission. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
4. "Anchor Points. The milestones of European industrial heritage". Archived from the original on 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
5. "Regional Routes – ERIH". www.erih.net (in German). Retrieved 2017-03-24.
6. "I want to go there! – ERIH". www.erih.net (in German). Retrieved 2017-03-24.
7. "I want to go there – ERIH". www.erih.net (in German). Retrieved 2017-03-24.
8. "european route of industrial heritage".
9. "European Theme Routes – ERIH". www.erih.net (in German). Retrieved 2017-03-24.

External links

• Official website