Young Blacksmiths' Meetup at LWL-Open Air Museum Hagen
International Meeting of Young Artistic Blacksmiths in the Märkisches Sauerland
About Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen
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Living Craftsmanship in the Mäckingerbachtal
The LWL-Open Air Museum Hagen — Westphalian State Museum for Crafts and Technology — is considered one of the largest open-air museums in Europe. With over 60 historical workshops, mills, forges, and a narrow-gauge railway, it reconstructs pre-industrial crafts in the Sauerland and Münsterland regions. It is precisely here, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in the independent city of Hagen, that the Young Blacksmiths' Meetup has been taking place since 2024: a week in which the museum transforms from a historical exhibition site into a productive workshop.
International Meeting of Young Artistic Blacksmiths
The organizer is the International Association of Artistic Blacksmiths (IFGS), in cooperation with the Bundesverband Metall and blacksmith associations from the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Finland. Young blacksmiths in training, as well as journeymen and journeywomen on their traditional Walz (a medieval custom of journeyman years, recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage since 2014), are invited.
One Joint Workpiece Per Year
Characteristic of the meetup: Each year, the participants jointly realize a workpiece that subsequently remains permanently on the museum grounds. In 2024, it was a functional model of a historical trip hammer on a 1:5 scale — approximately 500 working hours, about 300 kilograms in weight, with a hand crank for visitors to try. For 2026, a decorative balustrade for the terminus of the museum railway is planned: an architectural element that will remain visible long after the blacksmiths have departed.
Observe, Ask, Live with the Heat
The special feature is the radical openness of the event. Unlike classic workshops, the workshops remain open to museum guests during the meetup: You can see, hear, and smell how iron is shaped at 1,200 degrees, how a hammer changes the sound of an anvil, how a forge sparks. Those who ask questions get answers — in German, English, Dutch, or with gestures. The Young Blacksmiths' Meetup is therefore as much an exchange of craftsmanship as a live demonstration, as much a career fair as a public spectacle.
A Festival with Purpose
Amidst the discussion about skilled labor shortages and the crisis of qualified workers, the Young Blacksmiths' Meetup acts as an optimistic statement. Young people from several countries consciously choose an old, physical, demanding craft — and do so with pride, artistic ambition, and an international network. Visitors to the meetup experience not nostalgic folk customs, but vibrant workshops that glow for a summer in Hagen's Selbecke district.
Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen — edition 2026
From June 22 to 27, 2026, the second edition of the Young Blacksmiths' Meetup will take place at the LWL-Open Air Museum Hagen. The organizers are the International Association of Artistic Blacksmiths (IFGS) and the Bundesverband Metall, in cooperation with the museum and blacksmith associations from neighboring countries.
The Joint Workpiece 2026
This year's focus is on an artistic balustrade for the terminus of the museum railway. The blacksmiths will design, heat, hammer, and assemble the workpiece in the museum's historical forge workshops; after the festival, it will remain permanently at the station and become part of the museum tour.
Participants
Around 20 to 40 apprentices, journeymen, and journeywomen on their Walz from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Finland are expected. Participation is through the IFGS and partner associations; the Marienhof educational center and youth hostel will handle accommodation.
What Visitors Can Experience
Throughout the week, the workshops are open to museum guests. You can watch the blacksmiths at work, ask questions, see sparks fly, and engage directly with the young craftspeople. The blacksmith demonstrations are included in the regular admission to the Open Air Museum.
Programme Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen 2026
Weekly Structure — June 22 to 27, 2026
The Young Blacksmiths' Meetup is not a classic stage festival with a schedule, but an open workshop gathering. Activities will be spread throughout the week as follows:
- Monday, June 22 — Arrival and Setup
Welcome at the museum, workshop setup, initial sketches, and material inspection for the railway station balustrade. - Tuesday, June 23 to Friday, June 26 — Forging Work (Workshops open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Daily live forging in the museum's historical workshops (Reckhammer, forge, anvil row). Visitors can watch the blacksmiths, ask questions, and follow the creation of the workpiece step by step. Lunch breaks and discussion rounds with the IFGS and the Bundesverband Metall. - Saturday, June 27 — Conclusion and Presentation
Final assembly of the balustrade at the terminus of the museum railway. Official handover to the LWL-Open Air Museum in the afternoon.
Organizers: International Association of Artistic Blacksmiths (IFGS) and Bundesverband Metall, in cooperation with the LWL-Open Air Museum Hagen. Detailed daily schedules for individual demonstration sessions will be published on the museum's website in early summer 2026.
Highlights Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen 2026
- International Meetup: young blacksmiths from DE, NL, BE, AT, CZ, FI
- Joint Workpiece 2026: decorative balustrade for the terminus of the museum railway
- Live forging in historical workshops, publicly accessible daily
- Included in the museum's day ticket
Prices Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen 2026
The blacksmith demonstrations are included in the regular admission to the LWL-Open Air Museum:
- Adults: approx. €6 per day
- Reduced: approx. €3
- Children and Youths up to 17 years: free of charge
- Family Ticket: approx. €12
Current prices and special opening hours at lwl-freilichtmuseum-hagen.de.
Practical information — Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen
Getting There
By Car: A45 or A46, exit Hagen-Süd, then follow signs for Freilichtmuseum. Large paid visitor parking lot at the museum entrance. Public Transport: Take bus line 510 from Hagen Main Station towards Selbecke (stop: Freilichtmuseum, approx. 25 minutes journey time).
Admission Fees
Regular day tickets for the Open Air Museum (adults approx. €6, children up to 17 years free). The blacksmith demonstrations are included in the admission price.
Food and Drink
There are several historical inns within the museum, including Café Hubbelrath. Picnicking on the meadows is permitted.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Young Blacksmiths' Meetup Hagen
LWL-Freilichtmuseum Hagen
Mäckingerbach 6, 58091 Hagen