A walk through the streets of the city of Dalmine, closely linked to the steel pipe factory
The factory was founded in 1906, in a place called Dalmine, on the initiative of the Mannesmann Company, owner of the patent for the production of seamless steel tubes.
The flat conformation of the land, the relatively favorable price, the availability of energy and water and, last but not least, the large pool of low-cost unskilled labor, favor the establishment of the business in an agricultural and without industrial installations.
From the beginning, the company established a complex system of relations and negotiations with the municipalities.
The mucipalities were Mariano, Sforzatica and in particular Sabbio, under whose jurisdiction the then hamlet of Dalmine was located.
Relationships that find a first important definition in the signing of a 1909 convention, for the installation of the Plant.
Together the Convention regulates the construction of transport routes, a water and electricity network and minimum services for the population.
Alongside the industrial infrastructures, there is thus a first housing and service system.
Created for personnel who moved to the Dalmine area from Germany, in the case of managers and technicians.
But also from neighboring municipalities in the case of generic labor.
In 1911, with rolling operations now fully operational, and the new electric steel mill started a year ago, Mannesmann employs 700 people, when the total inhabitants of the three municipalities of Sabbio, Mariano and Sforzatica totaled 3,200.
The outbreak of the First World War, in particularity the removal of German ownership, the difficulties of converting to a peaceful economy and the rise of social tensions – which led to the occupation of the plant in March 1919 – all contributed to slowing the development of the company.
Consequently its ability to act on the territory.
Text and Images: www.fondazionedalmine.org and “Archeologiaindustriale.net”
The Adventure LAB
Use your phone’s native QR code scanner to open this adventure in the Adventure Lab mobile app, or share the following URL: https://adventurelab.page.link/PhsD
1st Location: The Church
2nd Location: the AirRaid Sherlters
3rd Location: The Employees’ Quarter
4th Location: The Sports Facilities
5th Location: The Administrative Center of the City – Liberty Square
The final [Bonus Cache] – From the Factory to the City is a complement of this walk – GC90WJ9
FRA: pour la description de la page principale en français: cliquez ici