Spiegelmühle of Knickhagen

The history of the mirror factory is remarkable! Where today only the remains of a mill stand, exclusive mirrors were once produced that were traded internationally.

In 1594 an ironworks was built on this site, since iron ore deposits had been discovered near Knickhagen. The bellows of the blast furnace were powered by water. For the Thirty Years' War, the smelter mainly produced cannonballs. After their destruction in the war, Wilhelm VI. rebuild. In its subsequent heyday it made pipes, pots and stoves. Due to the great success, the smelter finally moved to Veckerhagen. The buildings were preserved and were used as a glassworks. In 1699, Landgrave Karl hired a number of Scottish and Irish workers, as well as a glassmaker from Bohemia, who were skilled in the manufacture of crystal glass. In this way, high-quality mirror glass panes could be produced here. The mirrors from Knickhagen can even be found in the Palace of Versailles. After a fire in 1711 and disputes with forest owners, operations were discontinued. Only the mill wheel remained as a grain mill. Today there is only one house left.