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Until only a few decades ago, Völklinger Hütte's steelmaker , in the German district of Saarbrücken, was spitting tons of coal into the atmosphere that made the air breathable. There was so much dirt that danced in the air that the neighbors of the area could not wear white, because the soot soiled their clothes irremediably.

Now out of service, this gigantic dinosaur, vestige of the Industrial Revolution, not only proudly sports the Unesco World Heritage title - it is the only plant of the nineteenth century in the world that remains intact, and the The first monument of this type that received recognition from the UN-agency, but has become an important and peculiar museum that hosts temporary exhibitions and festivals with the latest artistic trends.

Built in the last quarter of the 19th century, the Völklinger foundry came to have six blast furnaces - the first of them went into operation in 1883 -, becoming in a short time one of the largest plants of its time. Today it is possible to ascend to the top of one of these ovens, 45 meters high, to enjoy a spectacular view of this unique example of industrial heritage, which extends over an area of ​​600,000 m2.

The visit to the site starts with a multimedia presentation that shows how the daily hard work in the steel industry was, and is completed with the Science Center Ferrodom, another sample that dramatically and didactically intertwines the history of iron and Völklinger.

URBAN ART IN DIFFERENT YEARS

But beyond the undoubted interest of a similar example of industrial heritage, the old foundry stands out today thanks to its outstanding temporary exhibitions and its celebrated samples of contemporary art, among which the most avant-garde initiatives stand out. Every odd year, for example, the old steelmaker becomes an unusual museum that accommodates the Biennial of Urban Art (this year marks its fifth edition), an appointment that has already gathered hundreds of works by artists on previous occasions more lords of the street art scene of the whole planet, with firms like Banksy , Cope2 or Jef Aérosol, among others.

This year, the old silo of smelter ore, with its chipped walls and its remains of rusty machinery , has set the stage for the colorful and often provocative creations of international artists - including several Spaniards, such as the muralist Francisco de Pájaro ( Art is Trash), the sculptor Isaac Cordal, Pejac, Popay or SpY -.

In addition to wall paintings, stencils (colorful designs made from templates) and interventions of all kinds, this year also highlights the sculptures of the prestigious artist Ottmar Hörl, famous for his performances , which has created for the occasion a series of 100 workers who They represent Völklinger steelworkers, made in various sizes and colors, and that surprise visitors in different corners of the old plant.

All this visual spectacle of urban shapes and colors extends beyond the limits of the old foundry, because in the nearby town of Saarbrücken , just 15 kilometers away, it is possible to continue enjoying many other street art shows thanks to the project The Urban Artwalk, a colorful tour in which the visitor has the opportunity to stroll through the streets of the historic center, between walls and facades full of color that alternate with the spectacular baroque and neo-Gothic architecture of the German city.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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