Allerup Iron Foundry
Advertising sign from Allerup Iron Foundry (Allerup Jernstøberi) in Odense. The sign is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Association banner from Allerup Iron Foundry (Allerup Jernstøberi), 1861. This banner shows the central parts af the iron foundry together with bellows and various tools. It is now at Møntergården in Odense. Photo: Jens Gregers Aagaard.
Intro
The first iron foundry on Funen was M.P. Allerup in Odense, established in 1838. Mathias Peter Allerup was a trained pattern maker from the leading Danish iron foundry, Heinrich Meldahl, in Copenhagen.
When industry came to Funen
People on Funen were really on their toes when industrialisation took off in the course of the 19th century. Prior to this, every product was a piece of craftsmanship, often produced for a familiar customer. With the advent of mass production, however, uniform articles were produced for a much wider market.
The first modern industry
In the 1840s, modern industrialisation took off, first in Copenhagen and, later, in the provinces. Odense was in early, and the city acquired a strong iron and metal industry, textile industry, sugar refinery, paper factory, glass works and breweries. Industry was closely bound up with agriculture. From the 1830s and 40s, agriculture saw an increase in mechanisation thanks to the local iron foundries and engineering works.
This location is part of the exhibition 'Funen – at the centre of the universe', at Møntergården in Odense. Read more about the exhibition on our website.