Altena's German Wire Museum tells the story of one of Germany's most unexpected industrial specialisations — the production of fine wire. The Märkisches Sauerland became the centre of European wire-drawing in the medieval period, when craftsmen discovered that the region's abundant water power could drive the draws and stamps needed to pull metal rods into ever-finer gauges. By the 19th century, Altena wire was going into piano strings, telegram cables, and surgical instruments around the world.
The museum covers the technical history of wire-making with genuine enthusiasm, which is all you can ask of an industrial museum on this kind of subject. There are working demonstrations of historical wire-drawing equipment, and the collection of products — from fine watch springs to industrial cable — makes clear how pervasive this one town's output was. Admission is modest and the museum is often quiet.