Røros copper minery was established in 1644. Occasionally up to 2000 people were involved in the business. In addition to the miners, this also included many local farmers who contributed with transport and firewood. When the plant went bankrupt after 333 years of operation; some 110,000 tonnes of copper and 525,000 tonnes of pyrite had been mined.
Above Røros church you will find a lot of industrial history, including the Smeltery and Malmplassen (Ore Square) with the old weight. Røros Museum is responsible for the preservation of 80 buildings, 15,000 objects and 70,000 photos from the mining history of Røros.
When the Smeltery was built in 1888, it was called ‘a monster sized wooden shed’. In the Smeltery, the ore was processed into export metal through very energy-intensive processes. This quickly eradicated the forest, and the firewood had to be collected further and further away. The Smeltery was in operation every day all year round, except one month in the summer, when the workers had to take care of their farms.
The Smeltery dam was built in 1646, as part of the start-up of the copper mine. The dam was needed as water inlet for the wheels that run the bellows in the Smeltery. On the way down from lake Hyttdammen to the Smeltery, the water was also used to operate two grain mills and a stamp house for felting wool – very useful.
The work in the Smeltery was reorganized in 1887, and after 1900 Hyttdammen was no longer maintained. The dam disappeared in the 1934 flood. In 1947, a new dam was built on the same site, in concrete. The function now is as a collection dam for the loose materials in the river. After a clean-up operation in the summer of 2021, Hyttdammen has become an excellent spot for bathing!
In the spring of 2022, filming takes place in Røros. Parts of the historical movie ‘The Riot’, about the miner’s uprising in Sulitjelma are shot there, and Knut joined as a ‘featured extra’. An excellent opportunity for new bathing experiences!
Rather busy times for Knut. Filming during the day, programming work in the evening and occasional partying at night. Truly good he is strong! A bath now and then helps!
